Reconnecting the Brain with the Rest of the Body in Musculoskeletal Pain Research

Over the past few decades, pain research has greatly strengthened our view of chronic pain as a “disease of the brain.” However, as our knowledge about the role of the nervous system in chronic pain continues to expand, some disconnects are emerging between this knowledge and our understanding of peripheral tissue pathology, particularly for chronic musculoskeletal pain. This article will outline some important gaps that stand in the way of understanding chronic musculoskeletal pain, as well as areas where substantial knowledge exists but is “siloed” in different fields of medicine that need better integration.

from The Journal of Pain https://ift.tt/37uCjZe
via IFTTT

Time course of attention interruption after transient pain stimulation

Human brains perceive an enormous amount of information in any given moment. It is crucial for survival that individuals can allocate more attentional resources to relevant information. In particular, threatening stimuli can capture attentional resources at the expense of other, neutral, stimuli.2 The abilities to detect and respond to bodily threats rapidly are undoubtedly adaptive to survival. While attention is useful in protecting the pursuit of current goals and ongoing behavior from less important demands, in an unpredictable and potentially dangerous environment, it may be necessary to interrupt ongoing behavior to address an emerging threat.

from The Journal of Pain https://ift.tt/3fnmrKF
via IFTTT

Avoiding based on shades of grey: Generalization of pain-related avoidance behavior to novel contexts

Pain-related fear and avoidance are known contributors to the transition from acute to chronic pain.6,24,25 Catastrophic misinterpretations of pain may generate pain-related fear, which in turn prompts avoidance behavior to protect the body from further damage. When avoidance behavior serves to reduce/eliminate genuine bodily threat, it is highly adaptive. However, in chronic pain, and in the absence of actual threat, avoidance behavior ceases to be protective, and may initiate a pathway towards disability.

from The Journal of Pain https://ift.tt/2YvkwNn
via IFTTT

Increased CSF levels of apolipoproteins and complement factors in trigeminal neuralgia patients – in depth proteomic analysis using mass spectrometry

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is an extremely painful neurological disorder, characterized by short-lasting stabbing facial pain within the distribution of one or more branches of the trigeminal nerve 29. It affects females more than men (ratio 1:1.5) and the prevalence varies between 0.07 – 0.3% 24, 27. Neuroimaging- and cadaver studies imply that the disease is mainly caused by a neurovascular conflict (NVC) at the root entry zone (REZ) of the trigeminal nerve, however, this does not seem to be the only etiology 48.

from The Journal of Pain https://ift.tt/2ztXaz2
via IFTTT

“What Should I Do First?” The Effect of Manipulated Goal Conflict on Affect, Motivation, and Helping Behavior in Chronic Pain Couples

Social support, especially from romantic partners, is an important resource for individuals with chronic pain (ICPs)4. Providing sufficient and high-quality help may, however, be a challenge for partners17,36. Research has shown that some helping behaviors (e.g., solicitous behaviors) may have unfavorable effects on patient outcomes4,8,26,36,37 and that partners may appraise their helping role as stressful, which depletes their ability to provide effective support3,23,56.

from The Journal of Pain https://ift.tt/30DFw75
via IFTTT

The Concerns About Pain (CAP) Scale: A patient reported outcome measure of pain catastrophizing

Chronic pain has a significant impact at both the individual and societal level.18,21,28 In addition to intensity and interference, psychosocial and behavioral contributors are critical for understanding the experience of pain and developing effective treatments.16,28 Pain catastrophizing (PC) has been recognized as an important and consistent psychosocial predictor of pain-related outcomes (e.g., pain intensity, disability, and psychological function).4,7,14,20,26,32,58,74,75,77

from The Journal of Pain https://ift.tt/3e1nuiW
via IFTTT

Clinician-patient movement synchrony mediates social group effects on interpersonal trust and perceived pain

Pain is a primary reason patients seek medical care and is a feature of a large number of clinical disorders. Pain is also an unfortunate consequence of many medical procedures that can become chronic and debilitating 65,98,99,117. Pain in post-operative and other contexts is associated with poor mental health, disability, and costs in work productivity and family relationships 2,3,7,18,25,51,105,142,145. Prevention and effective relief of acute pain may improve clinical outcomes, avoid clinical complications, save healthcare resources, and improve quality of life 36.

from The Journal of Pain https://ift.tt/2UCINQk
via IFTTT