scholarly journals Acupuncture for Psychological Disorders Caused by Chronic Pain: A Review and Future Directions

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu-Lu Lin ◽  
Hong-Ping Li ◽  
Jing-Wen Yang ◽  
Xiao-Wan Hao ◽  
Shi-Yan Yan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Psychological Disorders ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Mechanistic Studies ◽  
Research Support ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Psychological Conditions ◽  
High Incidence ◽  
Body Therapy

Accumulating evidence supports an association between chronic pain and psychological disorders, a connection that seems to be bidirectional. Treating both the pain and psychological conditions together is essential for effective treatment outcomes. Acupuncture is a somatosensory-guided mind–body therapy that can tackle the multidimensional nature of pain with fewer or no serious adverse effects. In this review, we discuss the use of acupuncture in some conditions with a high incidence of psychological disorders caused by chronic pain: headache, musculoskeletal pain, low back pain, and cancer pain, focusing on the effect and potential mechanisms of acupuncture. Overall clinical studies indicated that acupuncture might effectively contribute to management of psychological disorders caused by chronic pain. Mechanistic studies showed that acupuncture significantly alleviated such psychological disorders by regulating the activity of amygdala and insula, and regulating functional connectivity of insular and limbic regions/medial prefrontal cortex in humans and the corresponding animal models. In addition, 5-HT in the dorsal raphe nucleus, opioid receptors in the cingulate cortex, and plasma met-enkephalin are involved in acupuncture relief of pain and psychological symptoms. Substantial evidences from animal and human research support a beneficial effect of acupuncture in psychological disorders caused by chronic pain.

Yoga as an Effective Mind--Body Therapy in Chronic-Pain Treatment

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malinda Breda ◽  
Richard Gevirtz ◽  
Melanie A. Greenberg ◽  
James L. Spira
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Pain Treatment ◽  
Body Therapy ◽  
Chronic Pain Treatment

What is the role of fear and escape/avoidance in chronic pain? Models, structural analysis and future directions

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 295-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon JG Asmundson ◽  
Holly A Parkerson ◽  
Mark Petter ◽  
Melanie Noel
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Structural Analysis ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Pain Models

scholarly journals Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and Immune Cells in Osteoarthritis, Chronic Low Back Pain, and Chronic Widespread Pain Patients: Association with Anxiety and Depression

Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 327
Author(s):  
Dominique Josephine Dimmek ◽  
Christoph Korallus ◽  
Sabine Buyny ◽  
Gutenbrunner Christoph ◽  
Ralf Lichtinghagen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Low Back Pain ◽  
Back Pain ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Chronic Widespread Pain ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Widespread Pain ◽  
Chronic Pain Patients ◽  
Pain Patients

Background and Objectives: Musculoskeletal dysfunction can induce several types of chronic pain syndromes. It is of particular interest to elucidate the pathomechanism of different forms of chronic pain. It is possible that patients who have developed chronic widespread pain (CWP) may endure different pathomechanisms as compared to those who suffer from local pain (osteoarthritis, OA) and regional pain (chronic low back pain, cLBP), especially with regard to pain regulation and its related biomediators. The aim of this study was to determine the differences in pathomechanisms among these patients by measuring pain-related biomediators, particularly brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Additionally, subpopulations of immune cells were determined in parallel. Materials and Methods: Patients and healthy subjects (HSs) were recruited (age and gender-matched). BDNF was measured from serum samples of patients and HSs and the data of body composition parameters were recorded. Additionally, both patients and HSs were asked to fill in questionnaires related to pain intensity, anxiety, and depression. Results: Our results highlight that the levels of both free and total BDNF are significantly lower in pain patients compared to HSs, with p values of 0.041 and 0.024, respectively. The number of CD3− CD56bright natural killer (NK) cells shows significant differences between the groups. Comparing all chronic pain patients with HSs reveals a significantly lower number of CD4+ CD8+ T cells (p = 0.031), CD3− CD56bright NK cells (p = 0.049) and CD20+ CD3− cells (p = 0.007). Conclusions: To conclude, it seems that a general conformity between the pathomechanisms of different chronic pain diseases exists, although there are unique findings only in specific chronic pain patients.

scholarly journals Estimating the population health burden of musculoskeletal conditions using primary care electronic health records

Rheumatology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dahai Yu ◽  
George Peat ◽  
Kelvin P Jordan ◽  
James Bailey ◽  
Daniel Prieto-Alhambra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Low Back Pain ◽  
Back Pain ◽  
Electronic Health Records ◽  
High Impact ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Musculoskeletal Health ◽  
Health Records ◽  
Electronic Health

Abstract Objectives Better indicators from affordable, sustainable data sources are needed to monitor population burden of musculoskeletal conditions. We propose five indicators of musculoskeletal health and assessed if routinely available primary care electronic health records (EHR) can estimate population levels in musculoskeletal consulters. Methods We collected validated patient-reported measures of pain experience, function and health status through a local survey of adults (≥35 years) presenting to English general practices over 12 months for low back pain, shoulder pain, osteoarthritis and other regional musculoskeletal disorders. Using EHR data we derived and validated models for estimating population levels of five self-reported indicators: prevalence of high impact chronic pain, overall musculoskeletal health (based on Musculoskeletal Health Questionnaire), quality of life (based on EuroQoL health utility measure), and prevalence of moderate-to-severe low back pain and moderate-to-severe shoulder pain. We applied models to a national EHR database (Clinical Practice Research Datalink) to obtain national estimates of each indicator for three successive years. Results The optimal models included recorded demographics, deprivation, consultation frequency, analgesic and antidepressant prescriptions, and multimorbidity. Applying models to national EHR, we estimated that 31.9% of adults (≥35 years) presenting with non-inflammatory musculoskeletal disorders in England in 2016/17 experienced high impact chronic pain. Estimated population health levels were worse in women, older aged and those in the most deprived neighbourhoods, and changed little over 3 years. Conclusion National and subnational estimates for a range of subjective indicators of non-inflammatory musculoskeletal health conditions can be obtained using information from routine electronic health records.

The Science of Resilience: Implications for the Prevention and Treatment of Depression

Science ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 338 (6103) ◽  
pp. 79-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven M. Southwick ◽  
Dennis S. Charney
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Protective Factors ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Psychological Disorders ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Treatment Of Depression ◽  
Prevention And Treatment

Human responses to stress and trauma vary widely. Some people develop trauma-related psychological disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression; others develop mild to moderate psychological symptoms that resolve rapidly; still others report no new psychological symptoms in response to traumatic stress. Individual variability in how animals and humans respond to stress and trauma depends on numerous genetic, developmental, cognitive, psychological, and neurobiological risk and protective factors.

Virtual Reality to Help Older People in Nursing Homes: A New Way to Reduce Psychological Symptoms?

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vaillant Ciszewicz AJ ◽  
◽  
Guerin O ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Older People ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Psychological Disorders ◽  
Innovative Approach ◽  
Older Population

Older people living in nursing homes often present with psychological symptoms such as depression, anxiety and apathy. Numerous studies focused on the effects of Virtual Reality (VR) in the older population. This innovative approach could lead to a significant reduction in psychological disorders in older adults and improve their quality of life.

scholarly journals Mindfulness for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Qualitative Analysis

Pain Medicine ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 2138-2145 ◽  
Author(s):  
José G Luiggi-Hernandez ◽  
Jean Woo ◽  
Megan Hamm ◽  
Carol M Greco ◽  
Debra K Weiner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Low Back Pain ◽  
Back Pain ◽  
Qualitative Analysis ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Chronic Low Back Pain ◽  
Complete Agreement ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Fear Of Pain ◽  
Body Therapy

Abstract Objective Mindfulness is a nonpharmacologic mind-body therapy that has been shown to be effective in older adults with chronic low back pain (cLBP). There are few first-person accounts in the literature that describe the older adult experience and perspective while learning mindfulness and meditation to treat pain. The objective of this study was to investigate dominant themes present in the experiences of older adults applying mindfulness and meditation to cope with cLBP. Design Qualitative analysis of four focus groups. Subject Twenty-five adults age 65 years or older who had completed an eight-week mindfulness program. Methods The focus groups met for a comprehensive discussion session about their experience with mindfulness and meditation. The audio for each session was recorded, and the discussions were transcribed. Codebook development, qualitative coding, and thematic analysis were performed. The coders each coded all four transcripts, following which they met to adjudicate all coding differences until they were in complete agreement on coding. Results Several key themes were brought up by older adults utilizing mindfulness as a means of coping with pain, which included overcoming fear of pain (“Before [learning mindfulness], I used to dread pain”), pain awareness (“You’re focusing more on being aware than the pain; now that’s what helps me”), and pain significance (“It becomes insignificant”). Conclusions The themes identify several ways mindfulness impacts older adults with cLBP, including decreased negative emotions related to chronic pain such as fear of pain, a different perspective or change in awareness about pain, and reducing the significance of pain.

scholarly journals The biopsychosocial approach to chronic pain: Scientific advances and future directions.

2007 ◽  
Vol 133 (4) ◽  
pp. 581-624 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Gatchel ◽  
Yuan Bo Peng ◽  
Madelon L. Peters ◽  
Perry N. Fuchs ◽  
Dennis C. Turk
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Biopsychosocial Approach ◽  
Scientific Advances

Acupuncture in Chronic Pain

1976 ◽  
Vol 04 (03) ◽  
pp. 267-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. E. Spoerel
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Therapeutic Modality ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Pain Syndromes ◽  
End Of Treatment ◽  
Shoulder Region ◽  
Chronic Headaches ◽  
Type Headache ◽  
One Year ◽  
Observation Period

A course of 10 daily acupuncture treatments was given to 200 patients who suffered from chronic pain syndromes of at least one year duration and the result assessed at the end of the course of treatment and after an interval of at least 2 months. Treatments were individualized using needling of body loci distally and near the site of pain, and ear acupuncture. In 38 patients suffering from chronic headaches, including 13 cases of migraine-type headache, 81% reported an improvement in their condition, but only one patient was pain free for the 2-month observation period. In 162 patients with other chronic pain problems, 99 or 61% were improved or pain free at the end of treatment; in 69 of these a worthwhile degree of improvement persisted over the observation period of 2 months. Thirteen percent of all patients did not respond to acupuncture and in 26% the response was considered as transient only. Daily treatments are not more effecitve than weekly or biweekly treatments. Pain in the neck and shoulder region, in the knee and low back pain responded to acupuncture with prolonged improvement in over 50% of the patients treated. Facial pain syndromes and pain in the region of the trunk were least responsive and only 3 of 11 patients with post-herpetic neuralgia reported still having less pain after 2 months. Needling of effective loci and particuarly ear needling often causes an instantaneous reduction or disappearance of pain; the speed of this response can only be explained by a mechanism within the nervous system. Based on our experience acupuncture represents a useful therapeutic modality in the management of pain.

scholarly journals An Observational Study Comparing Fibromyalgia and Chronic Low Back Pain in Somatosensory Sensitivity, Motor Function and Balance

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1533
Author(s):  
José Antonio Mingorance ◽  
Pedro Montoya ◽  
José García Vivas Miranda ◽  
Inmaculada Riquelme
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Low Back Pain ◽  
Back Pain ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
Motor Function ◽  
Chronic Low Back Pain ◽  
Functional Performance ◽  
Low Back ◽  
Somatosensory Sensitivity ◽  
Chronic Pain Conditions

Fibromyalgia (FM) and chronic low back pain (CLBP) have shared pathophysiology and have a considerable impact on patients’ daily activities and quality of life. The main objective of this study was to compare pain impact, somatosensory sensitivity, motor functionality, and balance among 60 patients with FM, 60 patients with CLBP, and 60 pain-free controls aged between 30 and 65 years. It is essential to know the possible differences existing in symptomatology of two of the major chronic pain processes that most affect the population, such as FM and CLBP. The fact of establishing possible differences in sensory thresholds, motor function, and proprioceptive measures among patients with FM and CLBP could bring us closer to a greater knowledge of the chronic pain process. Through an observational study, a comparison was made between the three groups (FM, CLBP, and pain-free controls) evaluating functional performance, postural balance, kinematic gait parameters, strength, depression, fatigue, and sensitivity to pain and vibration. Patients with chronic pain showed worse somatosensory sensitivity (p < 0.001) and motor function (p < 0.001) than pain-free controls. Moreover, patients with FM showed greater pain impact (p < 0.001) and bigger somatosensory (p < 0.001) and motor deficiencies (p < 0.001) than patients with CLBP. Further research should explore the possible reasons for the greater deterioration in patients with FM in comparison with other chronic pain conditions. Our results, showing the multiple areas susceptible of deterioration, make it necessary to adopt interdisciplinary interventions focused both on physical and emotional dysfunction.

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