Patients who suffered from chronic back pain or temporomandibular pain were randomly assigned to either electromyographic biofeedback, cognitive behavioral therapy, or conservative medical treatment groups. Biofeedback showed the most improvement at posttreatment and the only lasting significant effect. Analysis of attrition showed a significant…

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome (RSD) is a neurogenic pain syndrome characterized by pain, vasomotor and dystrophic changes, and often motor impairments. This study evaluated the effectiveness of brachial plexus blockade with local anaesthetic drugs as a treatment for this condition. Three patients responded well; three did not. (DB)

Spondylolysis is a common cause of back pain in active adolescents. For prolonged pain, an aggressive workup and specific diagnosis are needed. History and physical exam findings are not diagnostic. Tests beyond radiographs (computed tomography, bone scans, and magnetic resonance imaging) are necessary to determine metabolic activity and full…

Purpose: Effective pain management remains a serious problem in the nursing home setting. Barriers to achieving optimal pain practices include staff knowledge deficits, biases, and attitudes that influence assessment and management of the residents' pain. Design and Methods: Twelve nursing homes participated in this intervention study: six…

John Wilson suggests there are six advantages for corporal punishment: cheap and easy to administer, effective deterrent, effective reform, adjustable pain, fair because of similar dislike of pain, no permanent damage. None of these survive close scrutiny. An alternative, deontological argument against corporal punishment is proposed building on…

An interpretation is provided of the philosopher L. Wittgenstein's analyses of mental states. The theoretical implications of these analyses for cognitive development and qualitatively oriented researchers are discussed. The mental states examined are: (1) pain; (2) remembering; (3) calculating/adding; (4) following a rule; and (5) reading.…

The article offers an explanation of the effects of music on children within a hospital setting and points up the multifaceted nature of this experience. The nature of the client group allows the musical experience to work on many different levels, such as modifying the child's perception of pain and reducing stress, whilst at the same time having…

Knowledge about pain and the impact of a pain elective on their subsequent learning were measured in 40 fourth-year occupational therapy students. Students scored highest on items addressing the physiological basis of pain with a more limited understanding of the psychosocial components. (Author/JOW)

A survey of 498 nursing faculty showed that knowledge and beliefs about pain and the content of nursing curriculum on the topic were less than optimal. Particularly lacking areas included pain relief, pharmacological interventions, and differentiation of acute from chronic pain. (SK)

Reviews and highlights recent research advances and future research directions concerned with behavioral and cognitive-behavioral approaches to chronic pain. Reviews assessment research on studies of social context of pain, relationship of chronic pain to depression, cognitive variables affecting pain, and comprehensive assessment measures.…

Examines patients (N=257) with lumbar spinal stenosis preoperatively and at six months to relate patient expectation to baseline function and pain and to determine how patient expectations and preoperative function interact to predict postoperative outcomes. Results show that patients with many preoperative expectations, particularly those with…

Developed a scale for detecting random responses on the Multidimensional Pain Inventory using 95 undergraduates, 34 chronic pain patients, and 115 health-care professionals. A variable response scale was developed that discriminated accurately between valid and random profiles in two cross-validation samples, predicting random profiles with 90%…

Provides counselors with an introduction to the role of psychosocial processes in the experience of pain and offers assessment and intervention recommendations based on a cognitive-behavioral therapy approach to pain management. (JPS)

Recent occupational therapy graduates (n=35) obtained a 53% correct response rate to a 69-item test on pain knowledge and attitudes. Results indicate the need for further education, especially in the areas of pain assessment and measurement and pharmacological management. (Author/JOW)

This research project extends a previous study (Vick & Sexton-Radek, 1999) in examining the relationship between artmaking and pain among 127 migraine sufferers. A basic overview of migraine symptoms and treatment is presented along with a discussion of concepts relating to "migraine art" in order to provide a context for this project. Surveys…