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Little is published on the prognosis of small fiber neuropathy (SFN).
Learn More >Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common and distressing side-effect of many chemotherapy regimens. Currently, aside from symptomatic treatments for neuropathic pain, there are no treatments to prevent CIPN or treat established CIPN. We discuss recent articles addressing clinimetric issues and treatment of CIPN.
Learn More >Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) is an urgent global public health concern. Pain neuroscience education (PNE) is an intervention used in the management of CMP aiming to reconceptualise an individual's understanding of their pain as less threatening. This mixed-methods review undertook a segregated synthesis of quantitative and qualitative studies to investigate the clinical effectiveness, and patients' experience of, PNE for people with CMP. Electronic databases were searched for studies published between 01/01/2002 and 14/06/2018. Twelve randomised controlled trials (n = 755) that reported pain, disability and psychosocial outcomes and four qualitative studies (n = 50) that explored patients experience of PNE were included. The meta-analysed pooled treatment effects for PNE vs control had low clinical relevance in the short-term for pain (-3.20/100; 95%CI -6.66 to 0.27) and disability (-4.10/100; 95%CI -7.89 to -0.32) and the medium-term for pain (-4.22/100; 95%CI -16.44 to 8.01) and disability (-8.23/100; 95%CI -15.61 to -0.84). The treatment effect of PNE for kinesiophobia was clinically relevant in the short-term (-13.55/100; 95%CI -25.89 to -1.21) and for pain catastrophising in the medium-term (-5.26; 95%CI -10.59 to 0.08). Meta-synthesis of 23 qualitative findings resulted in the identification of two synthesized findings that identified several key components important for enhancing the patient experience of PNE such as allowing the patient to tell their own story. These components can enhance pain reconceptualisation, which appears to be an important process to facilitate patients' ability to cope with their condition. The protocol was published on PROSPERO (CRD42017068436). PERSPECTIVE: We outline the effectiveness of PNE for the management of pain, disability and psychosocial outcomes in adults with CMP. Key components that can enhance the patient experience of PNE such as allowing the patient to tell their own story are also presented. These components may enhance pain reconceptualisation.
Learn More >Opioids are commonly prescribed to patients with painful and symptomatic degenerative joint disease preoperatively as a nonoperative intervention to reduce patients' symptoms and pain. The goal of total joint arthroplasty (TJA) is to reduce or eliminate the painful symptoms of degenerative joint disease. Due to the addictive property of opioid medications, some patients may develop a pattern of chronic opioid use after TJA.
Learn More >The Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ) is a self-rating instrument developed as a time- and cost-saving alternative to quantitative sensory testing (QST). The aims of the study were to assess 1) the associations between PSQ scores and QST in women with persistent pelvic pain and in pain-free controls, and 2) to what extent demographic variables and psychological distress influenced PSQ scores.
Learn More >Pain and physical activity are tightly intertwined. Although their relationship has been explored in chronic pain conditions, we know little about the pattern of recovery in activity and its short- and long-term relationship with pain after surgery. We recruited 103 women undergoing elective cesarean delivery and acquired daily pain assessments and hourly steps in 98 of them for 2 months after surgery. Compliance was good, with 78% of subjects missing less than 7 days of activity. Study personnel required daily checking for compliance and 20 minutes per subject per week in study. Activity increased over the first 2 postoperative months in a log(time) manner. The slope of each modeled individual curve for activity was inversely correlated (r=-0.54; p<0.0001) with worst daily pain. After removing these 2 month trends, pain and activity within an individual day were negatively associated with each point increase in pain being inversely associated with -119 steps (95% CI: -214 to -25; p=0.013). A patient's previous experience of pain was not associated with current activity as well as current activity was not associated with future pain scores. These data, although limited by the study of a single operation in a unique social circumstance with low risk of chronic postsurgical pain, demonstrate feasibility of measuring hourly activity for 2 months after surgery. Recovery from pain and inactivity are tightly correlated, and the negative relationship between within day pain and activity without inter-day carry-over relationships are in stark contrast to findings in chronic pain conditions.
Learn More >Tarlov cysts (TCs) are dilations of nerve roots arising from pathologically increased hydrostatic pressure (HP) in the spinal canal. There is much controversy regarding whether these cysts are a rare source of pain or often produce symptoms. The aim of this review was to identify the reasons that symptomatic TCs (STCs) are easily overlooked.
Learn More >Current strategies to enhance regeneration of peripheral neurons involve broad activation of sensory, autonomic, and motor axons. Peripheral neuron regeneration is limited in persons with damage or disease of peripheral axons. Here, we provide evidence that subtoxic activation of TRPV1 channels in sensory neurons is associated with activation of growth and subtle changes in skin reinnervation. We identify a bidirectional, dose-related impact of capsaicin, a TRPV1 agonist, on sensory neurons and their axons with rises in their outgrowth plasticity at low doses and toxic neurodegeneration at high doses. Moreover, its impact on growth added to that of preconditioning. Neither outcome was observed in TRPV1 null neurons. We confirmed that low dose activation was associated with rises in neuronal calcium, as well as rises in TRPV1 mRNA transcripts. In mice with a sciatic nerve crush followed by a single application of capsaicin directly to the injury site, there was no impact on motor or myelinated axon recovery but there was evidence of better recovery of thermal sensation toward baseline with hyperalgesia. Moreover, skin reinnervation by epidermal axons approached contralateral levels. TRPV1 null mice displayed loss of thermal sensation during later recovery. In sensory axons innervating the pinna of the ear, local capsaicin rendered early axon loss followed by later hyperinnervation. Taken together, TRPV1 activation alters the regenerative behavior of adult neurons and their axons both in vitro and during epidermal reinnervation in vivo. The findings identify a selective manipulation that augments cutaneous innervation by thermosensitive axons.
Learn More >This study aims to compare the management practices of a headache specialist with non-headache specialists in the treatment of children with migraine. The use of appropriate rescue medications and prophylactic agents, application of neuroimaging, and short-term outcomes are compared in children treated by the two groups of physicians.
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