An Italian Survey and Focus Groups on Fibromyalgia Impairment: Impact on Work and Possible Reasonable Accommodations.

Fibromyalgia symptoms affect the sufferers' working life; however, through reasonable accommodations in workplaces, they can continue to work satisfactorily. There are no Italian studies on factors that facilitate or hinder fibromyalgia-affected people's working life. Our objective was to explore, in a pre-pandemic setting, the quality of working life of fibromyalgia sufferers and reasonable accommodations to improve it.

Patients with Chronic Pain: Are Mindfulness Traits Protective Against Distress, Anxiety and Depression?

Objective: To investigate mindfulness traits/attitudes as protective factors against chronic pain related distress, depression and anxiety.

Method: Fifty patients (25 with chronic non-oncologic pain-NOP; 25 with chronic oncologic pain-COP) were administered with the following scales: Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Pain Disability Index (PDI), Italian Questionnaire for Pain (QUID), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), State and Trait Anxiety Scale (STAY-y1 module), Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Psychological General Well Being Index (PGWBI), Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS).

Results: MAAS value ≥ 4.

Peripheral Nerve Stimulation on the Brachial Plexus With Ultrasound-guided Percutaneous Technique: A Case Series.

Introduction: The aim of this case series was to assess the safety and effectiveness of peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) of the brachial plexus performed using a low invasive percutaneous approach with ultrasound guide.

Materials And Methods: Patients affected by neuropathic pain with a documented brachial plexus partial avulsion were included in this observational study. A totally implantable PNS system specifically designed for peripheral placement (Neurimpulse, Padua, Italy) was implanted and followed for 18 months, recording the level of pain (Numeric Rating Scale [NRS]), therapy satisfaction (Patient Global Impression of Improvement), quality of life (Short Form Health Survey questionnaire), and change in drug consumption and work status.

Patient selection for spinal cord stimulation: The importance of an integrated assessment of clinical and psychosocial factors.

Background: A previously developed educational e-health tool considers both clinical and psychosocial factors when selecting patients with chronic pain for spinal cord stimulation (SCS). The validity of the composite recommendations was evaluated in a retrospective study, demonstrating a strong relationship with patient outcomes after SCS.

Methods: An additional retrospective analysis was performed to determine the added value of a psychosocial evaluation as part of the decision-making process on SCS.

Applicability and Validity of an e-Health Tool for the Appropriate Referral and Selection of Patients With Chronic Pain for Spinal Cord Stimulation: Results From a European Retrospective Study.

Objectives: To support rational decision-making on spinal cord stimulation (SCS), a European expert panel developed an educational e-health tool using the RAND/University of California at Los Angeles Appropriateness Method. This retrospective study aimed to determine the applicability and validity of the tool using data from patients for whom SCS had been considered.

Materials And Methods: A total of 12 European implant centers retrieved data from 25 to 50 consecutive patients for whom SCS was considered in 2018-2019.

Appropriate referral and selection of patients with chronic pain for spinal cord stimulation: European consensus recommendations and e-health tool.

Background: Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is an established treatment for chronic neuropathic, neuropathic-like and ischaemic pain. However, the heterogeneity of patients in daily clinical practice makes it often challenging to determine which patients are eligible for this treatment, resulting in undesirable practice variations. This study aimed to establish patient-specific recommendations for referral and selection of SCS in chronic pain.

Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (ctDCS) Ameliorates Phantom Limb Pain and Non-painful Phantom Limb Sensations.

Phantom limb pain (PLP) is a disabling and intractable sensation arising in about 80% of patients after amputation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility to modulate nociceptive processing and pain perception with cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (ctDCS) in patients suffering from painful and non-painful phantom limb sensations. Fourteen upper limb amputees underwent ctDCS (anodal or sham, 2.

Neurophysiological Comparison Among Tonic, High Frequency, and Burst Spinal Cord Stimulation: Novel Insights Into Spinal and Brain Mechanisms of Action.

Rationale: Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is an effective option for neuropathic pain treatment. New technological developments, as high-frequency (HF) and theta burst stimulation (TBS), have shown promising results, although putative mechanisms of action still remain debated.

Methods: thirty patients with lower back pain were enrolled and underwent LF, HF, and TBS.

Are Multidimensional Pain Inventory Coping Strategy Profiles Associated with Long-Term Spinal Cord Stimulation Effectiveness?

Introduction: It is acknowledged that the way patients cope with pain may influence treatment outcome. In particular, psychological factors are deemed important when considering patients for suitability for spinal cord stimulation (SCS).

Objective: The aim of the study is to observe how pre-implantation psychological characteristics impact the effectiveness of SCS for chronic pain.

Paresthesia-Independence: An Assessment of Technical Factors Related to 10 kHz Paresthesia-Free Spinal Cord Stimulation.

Background: Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been successfully used to treat chronic intractable pain for over 40 years. Successful clinical application of SCS is presumed to be generally dependent on maximizing paresthesia-pain overlap; critical to achieving this is positioning of the stimulation field at the physiologic midline. Recently, the necessity of paresthesia for achieving effective relief in SCS has been challenged by the introduction of 10 kHz paresthesia-free stimulation.

Can a psychologically based treatment help people to live with chronic pain when they are seeking a procedure to reduce it?

Objective: At present, the potential benefits of psychologically oriented approaches to pain management for patients waiting to undergo medical interventions, such as neuromodulation, remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the results of an interdisciplinary treatment based on principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) delivered to a group of patients being considered for a neuromodulation procedure.

Design: Participants were 86 adults with chronic pain.