Abstract: In this article we consider how people with chronic illness are using the internet, drawing on examples from published qualitative interview studies of experiences of chronic pain in the UK, Germany and Israel. Extracts from the interviews can be seen on the websites from the www.dipexinternational.org collaboration which publishes analyses and many thousands of video and audio inter…
Abstract: Background: The term ‘Medically Unexplained Symptoms’ (MUS) is used by health professionals and researchers to refer to persistent bodily complaints, including pain and discomfort. Aims: This study explores the views held by a lay sample on the clinical terminology used to describe ‘MUS’, to ascertain reasons for particular preferences and whether preferences differ between…
Abstract Aim: This systematic review aimed to establish if cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can reduce the physical symptoms of chronic headache and migraines in adults. Methods: Evidence from searches of eight databases was systematically sought, appraised and synthesised. Screening of title and abstracts was conducted independently by two reviewers. Full papers were screened, data extrac…
Abstract: Background: While many pain patients rely on pain-relieving treatments to manage their pain, painrelated research commonly quantifies pain status using validated questionnaires without taking into account that information. This will lead to an underestimate of the burden of pain in the community. To ensure a more accurate assessment of the prevalence and severity of pain, this study …
Abstract: Mechanisms of inflammatory and neuropathic pains have been elucidated and translated to patient care by the use of animal models of these pain states. Cancer pain has lagged behind since early animal models of cancer-induced bone pain were based on the systemic injection of carcinoma cells. This precluded systematic investigation of specific neuronal and pharmacological alterations t…
Abstract: Research has suggested that Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) may be effective in facilitating meaningful change for those living with chronic pain. This study aimed to further this understanding through exploring the experiences of people living with chronic pain, who had attended an 8-weekSolution-focused pain management programme. The design of this study was conducted in con…
Abstract: Cancer and its treatment exert a heavy psychological and physical toll. Of the myriad symptoms which result, pain is common, encountered in between 30% and 60% of cancer survivors. Pain in cancer survivors is a major and growing problem, impeding the recovery and rehabilitation of patients who have beaten cancer and negatively impacting on cancer patients’ quality of life, work pro…
Abstract: Health care organizations, both large and small, frequently undergo processes of change. In fact, if health care organizations are to improve over time, they must change; this includes pain services. The purpose of the present study was to examine a process of change in treatment model within a specialty interdisciplinary pain service in the UK. This change entailed a switch from tra…
Abstract: The term ‘problematic pain’ is relatively new and has been the recent source of much debate, especially among primary and community care pain clinicians. In this article, we review the concept of problematic pain, highlighting how it fits in the context of acute, sub-acute and chronic pain. We also examine how risk for the development of chronicity can be assessed using current d…
Abstract: This paper outlines the system developed by the United Kingdom’s Defence Medical Services to manage the pain associated with combat trauma from the point of wounding, through repatriation back home to rehabilitation and eventual discharge from the Forces, whenever that may be. The system is founded upon the principles of integration and sustainability and this article includes di…
Summary points: 1. The group of patients with so-called ‘failed back surgery syndrome’ (FBSS) is very diverse. Published studies evaluating the outcome of surgical treatment vary widely in terms of surgical interventions that were performed. Results from these papers cannot be generally applied to all people who have persisting complaints after low back surgery. 2. The literature search t…
Abstract: Introduction: Phantom limb pain (PLP) is a painful sensation perceived in the missing limb after amputation. The underlying pathophysiology remains unclear. Until recently, only opioid analgesics have been proven to be effective in prospective studies. Anecdotally, patients with PLP employ self-help measures, sometimes including ‘wrapping up’ or rubbing their stump with alumini…
Abstract: Chronic trigeminal pain, with its severe related functional problems, is difficult to treat. Treatment is often empirically based on medications used for other chronic pain conditions. Systemic sodium channel and calcium channel blocking agents may cause a multitude of complications that are often poorly tolerated by the patient. Aim: The aim of this case report was to assess the …
Abstract: Background: In epidemiological studies, pain location is often collected by paper questionnaire using blank body manikins, onto which participants shade the location of their pain(s). However, it is unknown how reliable these will transfer to online questionnaires. The aim of the current study was to determine agreement between online- and paper-based completion of pain manikins. Me…
Abstract: The pain of chronic pancreatitis represents a major challenge to those working in the field, including pain specialists, gastroenterologists and surgeons. This article describes the different aetiologies of chronic pancreatitis and lists the models for the pathogenesis of pain, including novel ideas such as the role of the immune system in the modulation of pain. The patient profile …
Summary points 1. Musculoskeletal problems are the commonest reason for medical discharge in all the British armed forces. By definition, these problems are chronic and resistant to treatment. 2. Pain is also common in veterans who have experienced severe injuries (polytrauma), often accompanied by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) orpost concussive syndr…
Abstract: Visceral pain is a highly complex entity whose experience is variable in health and disease. It can occur in patients with organic disease and also in those without any readily identifiable structural or biochemical abnormality such as in the functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID). Despite considerable progress in our understanding of the culpable underlying mechanisms signifi…
Abstract: Many refugees in the developed world are survivors of torture and present with health needs without their traumatic experience being disclosed or identified. Chronic pain is a common problem, as are symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and other distress. Current circumstances, particularly poverty, uncertainty about asylum, separation from or loss …
Summary points •• Individual variability in pain perception and differences in the efficacy of analgesic drugs are complexphenomena and are partly genetically predetermined. •• Analgesics act in various ways on the peripheral and central pain pathways and are regarded as one ofthe most valuable but equally dangerous groups of medications. •• While pharmacokinetic properties of dr…
Abstract: Traumatic amputations remain one of the most emotionally disturbing wounds of conflict, as demonstrated by their frequent use in films to illustrate the horrors of war. Unfortunately, they remain common injuries, particularly following explosions, and, in addition, many survivors require primary amputation for unsalvageable injuries or to save their life. A third group, late amputat…
Abstract: Patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain are frequent users of healthcare. Whilst evidence suggests that a multidisciplinary pain management programme (PMP) approach is effective in reducing patients’ levels of distress and disability, there is little research examining the cost-effectiveness of such an approach. The present study sought to address this by examining the impact a …
Abstract: Endometriosis is an enigmatic disease and its fundamental cause is still unknown. Endometriosis associated pain syndrome is a common problem; it is underdiagnosed and patients suffering from the syndrome are rarely seen in specialist pain clinics. The correlation between the extent of the disease and pain is weak. Endometriosis-associated pain syndrome may be cyclical or persistent…
Abstract: Aim: This paper systematically reviews clinical trials investigating the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia and pain in patients with chronic non-malignant pain. Method: A systematic search of MEDLINE, PSYCINFO, EMBASE, CINHAL and Cochrane library and register of trials was conducted. Results: Essential components of cognitive behavioural therapy for in…
The British Pain Society and British Geriatric Society have collaborated to produce comprehensive pain management guidelines based on an extensive systematic review of the available literature by a professional multidisciplinary group. This guidance reviews the epidemiology and management of pain in older people with the aim of providing best practice recommendations for the management of pain …
Abstract: Background: Chronic back pain is a serious public health issue, associated with poor quality of life and disability. There is a specific group of chronic back pain sufferers whose pain persists despite their having undergone anatomically successful lumbosacral spine surgery. These patients are known as having failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) and are frequently seen in pain clinics…
Abstract: The endocrine effects of opioids used for the management of persistent pain are poorly understood by clinicians and patients, and hormone levels are rarely measured. It is recognized that opioids exert this effect via the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Additional effects on adrenal hormones, weight, blood pressure and bone density may also occur. Symptoms and signs of sex hormo…
Abstract: It has been suggested that older persons are less likely to receive optimal care for pain, and a recent population study suggested that management of low back pain (LBP) in primary care differed with older age. Low back pain is the most commonly reported regional pain syndrome, and the objective of the current review was to determine the evidence base for managing LBP in older perso…
After suffering a stroke Mr Martin Stephen1 decided to write about his experience, narrating a moving yet entertaining story towards recovery. Interestingly, to achieve this very recovery he felt he needed to get out of hospital and cure himself. Reading about his hospital experience I thought that the care he received did not place him at its centre and was fragmented. It consisted of healthc…
Summary points 1. Addiction can occur with the repeated exposure of a biogenetically predisposed person to an addictive substance or behaviour. 2. In the patient with pain on opioid therapy, use the ‘4 Cs’ to diagnose addiction. 3. Screening and risk stratification of all patients considered for opioid therapy is a key element of ‘universal precautions’ in pain management. 4. There …
Abstract: Failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) is a complex condition which can be very difficult to treat. In this article, we propose a pragmatic algorithm for the management of the syndrome. The management of this condition should include a comprehensive initial assessment to rule out treatable cause, pharmacological optimisation, psychological techniques and neuromodulation. There is good e…
Summary Points 1. Neuraxial opioids are considered for use in patients who have resistant intractable pain that fails to respond to other treatment options or pain that responds to analgesia but for which the doses required result in unacceptable side-effects. 2. Neuraxial opiods can be considered for both chronic non-malignant pain and chronic cancer related pain. 3. Effectiveness in chroni…
Summary points 1. The majority of people living with persistent pain will receive treatment for the pain from nonspecialists in pain management who may not have received the necessary training to deliver highquality care. 2. There is now a wide range of learning platforms and packages available, but these may struggle to reach beyond those with a specialist interest. Addressing this will requ…
Summary points: 1. Health professionals need access to flexible, high-quality, advanced education in pain management. 2. There are multiple pedagogical distances to be negotiated in the delivery of effective postgraduate education. 3. A critical consideration in the design and delivery of effective online learning for postgraduateeducation in pain management is how to: actively engage studen…
Summary points1–6 1. The management of pain frequently requires healthcare professionals (HCPs) to work together; thus, educational preparation should afford them opportunities to learn about the management of pain together. 2. Survey data suggest that most HCPs’ curricula do not provide opportunities for learners to come together to learn about pain and understand their professional rol…
Summary points 1. Education is a core activity for most healthcare professionals working in pain management and an effective evaluation strategy should assess its impact. 2. Evaluation may have one or more purposes: accountability, development or knowledge generation. Other key principles include making evaluation integral to the education process, reflecting with learners on progress, self…
Summary points: 1. Epidemiological studies, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, on the extent of pain in the community of western countries revealed a prevalence of around 18%, with significant effects on work and social activities despite 30 years of pain education programmes. 2. A survey by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) Developing Countries on the extent of pain …
Abstract Introduction: Chronic pain results in significant personal, societal and economic burden. Doctors and nurses have a pivotal role in patient pain management. In order to determine the effectiveness of current pain education on knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of medical and nursing students, there needs to be a valid measure to assess and quantify these domains. We reviewed the lit…
Abstract: Objective: Observational studies using routinely collected data indicate that pain management programmes (PMPs) based on cognitive-behavioural principles are associated with clinically meaningful improvements for individuals with chronic pain. This study evaluated change across functional measures in a sample of chronic pain patients attending a 4-week residential PMP between 2006 a…
Abstract: Background: Treatment for head and neck cancer can frequently be a painful experience with implications for patients in terms of quality of life, nutrition and ultimately treatment outcomes. Pain may arise for a number of reasons in this patient group including the influence of localised tissue damage from radiotherapy, the effects of chemotherapeutic agents as well as the disease pr…
Abstract: This study aimed to investigate the impact of a brief psychologically informed physiotherapy training (PIPT) course on physiotherapists’ attitudes and beliefs towards working with people with chronic pain. Specifically, the training aimed to help the participants better recognise the role of psychosocial factors in chronic pain and to better target the key processes of the psycholo…
Abstract Background: Recent developments in pain rehabilitation emphasise the importance of promoting psychological flexibility. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is one approach that has been shown to be effective for the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain. However, studies have shown that introducing innovative approaches such as ACT into established health care can cause some a…
Abstract: Background: Musculoskeletal pain in the distal upper limb is relatively common, can be a cause of disability, presents a high cost to society and is clinically important. Previous reviews of prognostic factorshave focused on pain in the proximal upper limb, whole upper extremity or isolated regions of the distal upper limb. Aim: To identify factors that predict outcome of distal upp…
Abstract: Context/Background: Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is a physically and psychologically debilitating condition. European Association of Urology (EAU) Guidelines (2013) and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) guidelines (2012) place strong emphasis upon multi-speciality assessment and liaison, as well as interdisciplinary assessment and intervention in reference to the …
Abstract Background: Researchers need to consider the impact and utility of their findings. Film is an accessible medium for qualitative research findings and can facilitate learning through emotional engagement. Aim: We aimed to explore the usefulness of a short film presenting findings from a published qualitative synthesis of adults’ experience of chronic musculoskeletal pain for pain ed…
Abstract: The present study aimed to explore how prescription of opioid medication for chronic non-malignant pain (CNMP) is managed in primary care. We used audit as a research tool, and one general practitioner (GP) practice in West London acted as an exemplar. Of the practice population with CNMP, 1% had repeat prescription of at least 12 months duration for opioid analgesics at the time of …
Abstract: Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) is a qualitative approach which aims to provide detailed examinations of personal lived experience. It produces an account of lived experience in its own terms rather than one prescribed by pre-existing theoretical preconceptions and it recognises that this is an interpretative endeavour as humans are sense-making organisms. It is explic…
Abstract: Objective: The long-term prognosis of patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is unknown with no reported prospective studies from the United Kingdom longer than 18 months. The CRPS-UK Network aims to study this by use of a Registry. The aims of this article are, to outline the CRPS-UK Registry, assess the validity of the data and to describe the characteristics of a samp…
Abstract: This article outlines what a qualitative systematic review is and explores what it can contribute to our understanding of pain. Many of us use evidence of effectiveness for various interventions when working with people in pain. A good systematic review can be invaluable in bringing together research evidence to help inform our practice and help us understand what works. In addition …
Abstract: Background: The model of activity avoidance prompted by fear of increased pain and/or harm dominates understanding and research into activity limitation in chronic pain. Yet, the accounts of people with chronic pain on decisions about activity limitation are rarely heard beyond the confines of fear and avoidance questionnaires. Methods: We used semi-structured interviews to explore …