APS Press Room
News Highlights from The Journal of Pain • November 2007
The Peer Review Journal of the American Pain Society
| For immediate release | Contact: Chuck Weber (847) 705-1802 |
Daily Activities Photos Help Measure Pain Perceptions
GLENVIEW, Nov. 15, 2007—In low back pain patients, the fear of pain or further injury from performing common physical activities can be assessed with a series of photographs to allow patients to indicate the extent to which they believe certain activities would be painful for them. Research published in The Journal of Pain concluded this method could help clinicians better manage pain related fears and minimize disability.
A team of Dutch researchers evaluated the Photograph Series of Daily Activities (PHODA) to measure the perceived harmfulness of daily activities in patients with chronic low back pain. Pain-related fear can be exhibited in beliefs that certain movements may be harmful to the back by causing further injury. In the PHODA analysis, back-pain patients indicated to what extent they believed certain activities would be harmful.
The mean perceived harmfulness scores were highest for activities that involved bending, such as shoveling soil, lifting a crate, or vacuuming. Results showed that patients experiencing more pain are the most apprehensive about activities that may aggravate their pain. The researchers concluded that a shortened, less costly, version of PHODA is a valid tool to help clinicians evaluate patient pain perceptions in rehabilitative and pain-clinic settings.
Source: Measuring Perceived Harmfulness of Physical Activities in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain: The Photograph Series of Daily Activities-Short Electronic Version; Maaike Leeuwa, Marielle E.J.B Goossensa, Gerard J.P. van Breukelenb, Katja Boersmac and Johan W.S. Vlaeyen, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
Treat Facial Trigger Points to Moderate Migraine Pain
Palpations within facial trigger points can cause pain and tenderness in migraine patients whose symptoms coincide with trigger-point locations. In this study of 78 migraine patients, researchers sought to assess the benefits of local therapy of active myofascial trigger points for improving migraine symptoms. Migraine patients have been shown to present significantly greater numbers of facial trigger points. In the study, trigger points were treated at the muscle level by injecting an anesthetic.
In one group of patients, the number and intensity of migraine attacks decreased by 46% and 17%, respectively. The authors concluded the results suggest that systematic local treatment of facial trigger points in migraine patients eventually could lead to substantial reductions in the use of migraine drugs.
Source: Contribution of Myofascial Trigger Points to Migraine Symptoms; Maria Adele Giamberardino, Emmanuele Tafuri, Antolella Savini, Alssandra Fabrizio, Giannapia Affaitati, Rosanna Lerza, Livio Di Ianni, Domenico Lapenna, and Andrea Mezzetti; Headache Center, Department of Medicine and Science of Aging, G. D'Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy
More Evidence on Pain Relief Benefits of Exercise
There have been several studies published examining the role of exercise in altering pain sensitivity. In general, researchers have found that exercise can decrease pain known as exercised-induced hypoalgesia (EIH). EIH has been characterized by elevations in pain thresholds and pain tolerances, as well as reductions in pain intensity ratings during and after exercise. In this study, researchers examined whether EIH occurred in women after short duration submaximal isometric exercise, and whether the responses were limited to the exercised hand or had occurred in both hands. Fourteen healthy women aged 18 to 22 were evaluated.
Results showed that hypoalgesia occurred after isometric exercise performed for two minutes. Pain thresholds were significantly elevated while pain ratings were lower after exercise. EIH occurred in exercised and nonexercised hands. The authors noted that activation of endogenous opioid systems during exercise may be responsible for the hypoalgesic response.
Source: Contralateral Attenuation of Pain After Short-Duration Submaximal Isometric Exercise; Kelli F. Koltyn and Masataka Umeda, University of Wisconsin-Madison