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Chronic pain is a common, costly, and consequential health problem. However, despite some important analytic contributions, sociological research on pain has not yet coalesced into a unified subfield. We present three interrelated bodies of evidence and illustrative new empirical findings using 2010 to 2018 National Health Interview Survey data to argue that pain should have a central role in sociological investigations of health. Specifically, we contend that (1) pain is a sensitive barometer of population health and well-being, (2) pain is emblematic of many contested and/or chronic conditions, and (3) pain and pain treatment reflect and have wide-ranging implications for public policy. Overall, whether pain is analyzed quantitatively or qualitatively-focusing on its distribution in the population, its social causes and consequences, or its subjective meanings for individuals-pain reflects social conditions, sociopolitical context, and health-related beliefs of a society. Pain is thus an important frontier for future sociological research.
Learn More >This study aims to investigate pregnancy and perinatal outcomes in women with tension-type headache, migraine without aura and migraine with aura by comparing them to women without any headache disorders.
Learn More >Engaging in sufficient levels of physical activity, guarding against sustained sitting, and maintaining a healthy body weight represent important lifestyle strategies for managing older adults' chronic pain. Our first Mobile Health Intervention to Reduce Pain and Improve Health (MORPH) randomized pilot study demonstrated that a partially remote group-mediated diet and daylong activity intervention (ie, a focus on moving often throughout the day) can lead to improved physical function, weight loss, less pain intensity, and fewer minutes of sedentary time. We also identified unique delivery challenges that limited the program's scalability and potential efficacy.
Learn More >Many long-term survivors of childhood cancer (LTSCC), individuals at least 5 years post-diagnosis or 2 years post-treatment, experience late- and long-term effects from their treatments, including pain. Yet, pain is poorly understood among LTSCC. The current study aimed to (1a) describe rates and multiple dimensions of pain; (1b) identify patterns of chronic pain; and (2) test correlates of chronic pain in LTSCC. Survivors (n = 140; 48.6% male, M = 17.3 years (range = 8-25)) were recruited from across Canada. Between 2017 and 2019, participants completed the Pain Questionnaire, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-Pain Interference, Anxiety, and Depression scales, Child Posttraumatic Stress Scale, the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for the DSM-V, and the Cancer Worry Scale. RESULTS: Twenty-six percent of LTSCC reported experiencing chronic pain. Exploratory cluster analysis showed 20% of survivors had moderate to severe chronic pain based on measures of pain intensity and interference. The combination of higher posttraumatic stress symptoms, older current age, more pain catastrophizing, and sex (being female) significantly predicted the presence of chronic pain in logistic regression, χ (4, N = 107) = 28.10, p < .001. Higher pain catastrophizing (OR = 1.09; 95% CI = 1.02-1.16), older current age (OR = 1.20; 95% CI = 1.07-1.34), and higher posttraumatic stress (OR = 1.92; 95% CI = 1.01-3.63) were significant predictors of chronic pain. LTSCC should be screened for the presence and magnitude of chronic pain during long-term follow-up visits so appropriate interventions can be offered and implemented. Future research should investigate pain interventions tailored for this population. RELEVANCE: Findings support regular screening for the presence and magnitude of chronic pain in survivors of childhood cancer in long-term follow-up care.
Learn More >Migraine is ranked as a leading cause of years lived with disability among all neurological disorders. Therapies targeting the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) signaling pathway, including monoclonal antibodies against the receptor or ligand and small molecule CGRP receptor antagonists (gepants), are today approved for migraine prophylaxis with additional compounds expected to be introduced to the market soon. In this review, we consider other putative prophylactic migraine drugs in development, including compounds targeting G-protein coupled receptors, glutamate, ion channels, and neuromodulatory devices. Emergence of these new interventions could complement our current treatment armamentarium for migraine management.
Learn More >To assess whether naloxone prescribing in clinical contexts targeted pain patients most at risk for opioid overdose.
Learn More >To estimate the frequency of headache in patients with confirmed COVID-19 and characterize the phenotype of headache attributed to COVID-19, comparing patients depending on the need of hospitalization and sex, an observational study was done. We systematically screened all eligible patients from a reference population of 261,431 between March 8 (first case) and April 11, 2020. A physician administered a survey assessing demographic and clinical data and the phenotype of the headache. During the study period, 2194 patients out of the population at risk were diagnosed with COVID-19. Headache was described by 514/2194 patients (23.4%, 95% CI 21.7-25.3%), including 383/1614 (23.7%) outpatients and 131/580 (22.6%) inpatients. The headache phenotype was studied in detail in 458 patients (mean age, 51 years; 72% female; prior history of headache, 49%). Headache was the most frequent first symptom of COVID-19. Median headache onset was within 24 h, median duration was 7 days and persisted after 1 month in 13% of patients. Pain was bilateral (80%), predominantly frontal (71%), with pressing quality (75%), of severe intensity. Systemic symptoms were present in 98% of patients. Headache frequency and phenotype was similar in patients with and without need for hospitalization and when comparing male and female patients, being more intense in females.Trial registration: This study was supported by the Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), code 07.04.467804.74011 and Regional Health Administration, Gerencia Regional de Salud, Castilla y Leon (GRS: 2289/A/2020).
Learn More >The term describes the acceleration-deceleration mechanism of injury to the cervical spine. Whiplash injuries present with a variety of clinical and psychological manifestations, collectively termed as (WADs). Although largely self-limiting, some patients may experience long-lasting symptoms. This review aimed to summarize the current literature regarding the predictive value of cervical degeneration in the prognosis of patients with WAD.
Learn More >The paroxysmal nature of migraine is a hallmark of the disease. Some patients report increased attack frequency at certain seasons or towards the end of the week, while others experience diurnal variations of migraine attack onset. This systematic review investigates the chronobiology of migraine and its relation to the periodicity of attacks in existing literature to further understand the oscillating nature of migraine.
Learn More >Sensory hypersensitivities such as photophobia, phonophobia, and osmophobia are common in patients with migraine. We investigated the burden of these multiple sensory hypersensitivities in migraine.
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