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Fibromyalgia is a complex disease process that is as prevalent as it is poorly understood. Research into the pathophysiology is ongoing, and findings will likely assist in identifying new therapeutic options to augment those in existence today that are still insufficient for the care of a large population of patients. Recent evidence describes the use of cannabinoids in the treatment of fibromyalgia. This study provides a systematic, thorough review of the evidence alongside a review of the seminal data regarding the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and current treatment options. Fibromyalgia is characterized by widespread chronic pain, fatigue, and depressive episodes without an organic diagnosis, which may be prevalent in up to 10% of the population and carries a significant cost in healthcare utilization, morbidity, a reduced quality of life, and productivity. It is frequently associated with psychiatric comorbidities. The diagnosis is clinical and usually prolonged, and diagnostic criteria continue to evolve. Some therapies have been previously described, including neuropathic medications, milnacipran, and antidepressants. Despite some level of efficacy, only physical exercise has strong evidence to support it. Cannabis has been used historically to treat different pain conditions since ancient times. Recent advances allowed for the isolation of the active substances in cannabis and the production of cannabinoid products that are nearly devoid of psychoactive influence and provide pain relief and alleviation of other symptoms. Many of these, as well as cannabis itself, are approved for use in chronic pain conditions. Evidence supporting cannabis in chronic pain conditions is plentiful; however, in fibromyalgia, they are mostly limited. Only a handful of randomized trials exists, and their objectivity has been questioned. However, many retrospective trials and patient surveys suggest the significant alleviation of pain, improvement in sleep, and abatement of associated symptoms. Evidence supporting the use of cannabis in chronic pain and specifically in fibromyalgia is being gathered as the use of cannabis increases with current global trends. While the current evidence is still limited, emerging data do suggest a positive effect of cannabis in fibromyalgia. Cannabis use is not without risks, including psychiatric, cognitive, and developmental as well as the risks of addiction. As such, clinical judgment is warranted to weigh these risks and prescribe to patients who are more likely to benefit from this treatment. Further research is required to define appropriate patient selection and treatment regimens.
Learn More >There is a pressing need to better understand the factors contributing to prescription opioid misuse among patients with chronic pain. Cross-sectional studies have been conducted in this area, but longitudinal studies examining the determinants of prescription opioid misuse repeatedly over the course of opioid therapy have yet to be conducted. The main objective of this study was to examine the relative contribution of pain and psychological factors to the occurrence of opioid misuse among patients with chronic pain prescribed opioids. Of particular interest was to examine whether pain intensity and psychological factors were more strongly associated with certain types of opioid misuse behaviors. Patients with chronic pain (n = 194) prescribed long-term opioid therapy enrolled in this longitudinal observational cohort study. Patients completed baseline measures and were then followed for 6 months. Opioid misuse was assessed once a month using self-report measures, and urine toxicology screens complemented patients' reports of opioid misuse. Heightened pain intensity levels were associated with a greater likelihood of opioid misuse (p = .014). However, pain intensity was no longer significantly associated with opioid misuse when controlling for psychological factors (i.e., negative affect, catastrophizing). Subsequent analyses revealed that higher levels of catastrophizing were associated with a greater likelihood of running out of opioid medication early, even after controlling for patients' levels of pain intensity and negative affect (p = .016). Our findings provide new insights into the determinants of prescription opioid misuse and have implications for the nature of interventions that may be used to reduce specific types of opioid misuse behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Learn More >Trigeminal neuralgia is a very painful neurological condition with severe, stimulus-evoked, short-lasting stabbing pain attacks in the face. The past decade has offered new insights into trigeminal neuralgia symptomatology, pathophysiology, and treatment, leading to a change in the classification of the condition. An accurate diagnosis is crucial because neuroimaging interpretation and clinical management differ among the various forms of facial pain. MRI using specific sequences should be a part of the diagnostic workup to detect a possible neurovascular contact and exclude secondary causes. Demonstration of a neurovascular contact should not be used to confirm a diagnosis but rather to facilitate surgical decision making. Carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine are drugs of first choice for long-term treatment, whereas microvascular decompression is the first-line surgery in medically refractory patients. Advances in neuroimaging techniques and animal models will provide further insight into the causes of trigeminal neuralgia and its pathophysiology. Development of more efficacious treatment options is highly warranted.
Learn More >Although pain treatment has been described as a fundamental human right, the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic forced healthcare systems worldwide to redistribute healthcare resources toward intensive care units and other COVID-19 dedicated sites. As most chronic pain services were subsequently deemed non-urgent, all outpatient and elective interventional procedures have been reduced or interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to reduce the risk of viral spread. The shutdown of pain services jointly to the home lockdown imposed by governments has affected chronic pain management worldwide with additional impact on patients' psychological health. Therefore, the aim of this review is to analyze the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on chronic pain treatment and to address what types of strategies can be implemented or supported in order to overcome imposed limitations in delivery of chronic pain patient care.
Learn More >Chronic pain is considered a public health crisis due to its high prevalence, impact, costs, and disparities in pain prevalence and treatment. In parallel, drug overdose, particularly due to opioids, has become an epidemic in the United States, prompting a public health crisis concerning harms associated with both prescribed opioid therapy for chronic pain and illicit opioid use. The purpose of this special issue is to highlight state-of-the-art psychological research that addresses the combined issues of chronic pain and harms associated with opioids. Articles included in this special issue focus on 2 related areas. The 1st set of innovative articles focuses on risk factors for chronic pain, characterization of patterns of opioid use and misuse, assessment of opioid risk, and identification of moderating factors in populations ranging from adolescents to older adults. The 2nd set of articles includes exemplary research on psychological approaches for management of chronic pain and opioid risk mitigation; integration of psychological approaches in patient-centered, evidence-based, multimodal and interdisciplinary plans of pain care; and treatment of co-occurring chronic pain and opioid use disorder. Last, the issue includes a guest editorial highlighting psychological research and the participation of psychologists in the National Institutes of Health's Helping to End Addiction Long-Term (HEAL) initiative. In this introduction, the guest editors highlight the objectives in this special issue are to stimulate additional research to develop psychological approaches to reduce opioid misuse behaviors, to help educate providers on opioid prescribing that is equitable and minimizes risk of harms, and to address co-occurring chronic pain and opioid use disorder in vulnerable populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Learn More >Atogepant is an orally administered, small-molecule, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist under investigation for treatment of migraine. We aimed to examine a range of oral doses for safety, tolerability, and efficacy for the preventive treatment of migraine.
Learn More >Chronic pain is typically defined as pain that persists after acute tissue damage and inflammation or as pain that follows a chronic disease process and lasts more than three months. Because of its debilitating impact on the quality of life of patients, recent research aims to investigate the mechanisms behind nociception to discover novel therapeutic agents to alleviate pain. One such target is the neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), which has shown to play an integral role in migraine pathophysiology. Effective treatments of migraines with CGRP antagonists have stimulated our efforts toward checking a possible involvement of CGRP in nonheadache pain conditions such as hypertension, congestive heart failure, Alzheimer's disease, and vascular ischemia. Here, we provide a brief overview of chronic pain, with a particular emphasis on the role of CGRP as a fundamental mediator of nociceptive pain as well as a target for novel therapeutic agents.
Learn More >Migraine is a debilitating neurological condition with symptoms typically consisting of unilateral and pulsating headache, sensitivity to sensory stimuli, nausea, and vomiting. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that migraine is the third most prevalent medical disorder and second most disabling neurological condition in the world. There are several options for preventive migraine treatments that include, but are not limited to, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, botulinum toxins, NSAIDs, riboflavin, and magnesium. Patients may also benefit from adjunct nonpharmacological options in the comprehensive prevention of migraines, such as cognitive behavior therapy, relaxation therapies, biofeedback, lifestyle guidance, and education. Preventative therapies are an essential component of the overall approach to the pharmacological treatment of migraine. Comparative studies of newer therapies are needed to help patients receive the best treatment option for chronic migraine pain.
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