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Numerous studies have examined the influence of pain on spinal reflex excitability, motor unit behaviour and corticospinal excitability. Nevertheless, there are inconsistencies in the conclusions made. This systematic review sought to understand the effect of pain on spinal and supraspinal projections to motoneurons and motor unit properties by examining the influence of clinical or experimental pain on the following three domains: H reflex, corticospinal excitability and motor unit properties.
Learn More >To assess the effectiveness of an educational intervention with or without the addition of the therapeutic alliance in patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain (LBP) and low risk of poor prognosis.
Learn More >There is considerable public interest in whether Europe is facing an opioid crisis comparable to the one in the U.S. and the contribution of opioid prescriptions for pain to a potential opioid crisis.
Learn More >Chronic low back pain (CLBP) has been recognized as the leading cause of disability. Up to 90% of patients with CLBP are classified as having non-specific CLBP (NSCLBP). Motor control exercise (MCE) is one of the most popular and widespread treatment options, and has many advantages in alleviating pain and disability. This meta-analysis is aimed to investigate the effectiveness of MCE on NSCLBP, disability, and core muscles reported in randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Learn More >Chronic pain, and the ethical management thereof, is the single most imperative health issue of this decade. Although a growing majority of individuals with chronic pain are middle-aged, the largest proportion of sufferers are older adults. Shifting tides in practice and research have led to population-focused approaches to pain management; however, the practice of many healthcare providers remains reactive and individualistic, limiting the discovery and implementation of long-term solutions for pain management in older adults. Yet, nurses and other health professionals have an opportune position to provide expert pain care by proactively providing evidence-based care for patients systematically. The purpose of this article is to stimulate discussion on three paradigms important to population-focused pain management: (1) prevention; (2) restoration and rehabilitation; and (3) palliation, which are in line with current national policy initiatives for improving patients' care experience, improving overall health and quality of life, and reducing associated health care costs.
Learn More >To determine the prevalence of neuropathic-like pain(NP) and pain sensitisation(PS) defined by self-report questionnaires in knee and hip osteoarthritis, and whether prevalence is potentially explained by disease-severity or affected joint.
Learn More >This study aimed to identify electrophysiological correlates of nocebo-augmented pain. Nocebo hyperalgesia (i.e., increases in perceived pain resulting from negative expectations) has been found to impact how healthy and patient populations experience pain and is a phenomenon that could be better understood in terms of its neurophysiological underpinnings. In this study, nocebo hyperalgesia was induced in 36 healthy participants through classical conditioning and negative suggestions. Electroencephalography was recorded during rest (pre- and post-acquisition) and during pain stimulation (baseline, acquisition, evocation) First, participants received baseline high thermal pain stimulations. During nocebo acquisition, participants learned to associate an inert gel applied to their forearm with administered high pain stimuli, relative to moderate intensity control stimuli administered without gel. During evocation, all stimuli were accompanied by moderate pain, to measure nocebo responses to the inert gel. Pre- to post-acquisition beta-band alterations in long-range temporal correlations (LRTC) were negatively associated with nocebo magnitudes. Individuals with strong resting LRTC showed larger nocebo responses than those with weaker LRTC. Nocebo acquisition trials showed reduced alpha power. Alpha power was higher while LRTC were lower during nocebo-augmented pain, compared to baseline. These findings support nocebo learning theories and highlight a role of nocebo-induced cognitive processing.
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