Refractory Chronic Pain and Obesity: Promising Implications for Multidisciplinary Pain Rehabilitation.

Objective: Individuals with obesity frequently contend with chronic pain, but few studies address the clinical impact of coordinated pain services on this population. The current study addresses this topic by comparing the effectiveness of a comprehensive pain rehabilitation program for patients with and without obesity.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of registry data was conducted.

A Prospective Cohort Study of Outpatient Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation of Chronic Headache Patients.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of an intensive outpatient program designed to improve functioning and reduce psychological impairment in chronic headache patients.

Background: Chronic headaches, occurring 15 or more days per month, for three or more months, may arise from multiple International Classification of Headache Disorders diagnoses: Chronic Migraine, Chronic Tension Type Headache, New Daily Persistent Headache, Chronic Post Traumatic Headaches, and Medication Overuse Headache. Several interdisciplinary programs that treat patients with chronic headaches have reported decreases in headache frequency.

Spiritual Struggle Among Patients Seeking Treatment for Chronic Headaches: Anger and Protest Behaviors Toward God.

This study examined anger and protest behaviors toward God among 80 US adults seeking treatment for chronic headaches (66 women, 14 men; 71 completed treatment). Measures were administered before and after an intensive 3-week outpatient treatment program. At both times, anger and protest toward God correlated with lower pain acceptance, more emotional distress, and greater perceived disability.

Adherence to acute migraine medication: what does it mean, why does it matter?

Proper use of medications is an important part of successfully managing migraine headache, yet migraineurs frequently switch, discontinue, or delay taking effective prescription therapies such as triptans. Medication persistence in the treatment of chronic-episodic disorders such as migraine is not well understood. In this article we review this topic, by critically reviewing studies conducted using pharmacy claims, clinical records, survey, and patient-reported data to explore acute medication use for migraine headache.

Development of a neuropathic pain questionnaire.

Ongoing efforts to develop mechanisms-based assessment and treatment of chronic pain have been hindered by the lack of assessment tools differentially sensitive to various phenomena underlying different mechanisms of pain. This study describes the development of an assessment instrument intended to measure neuropathic pain based on qualities of pain as they are inferred from pain descriptors. Subjects were 528 chronic pain patients from several clinics.

A rating system for use with patient pain drawings.

Patients entering treatment for chronic benign pain often are asked to complete drawings indicating the intensity and location of their pain as part of the diagnostic process. While inferences have been made from pain drawings about the relative contributions of physiological and psychological factors to the patient's experience of pain, previous research has provided only equivocal support for this practice. A reliable method for assessing pain drawings is needed both for clinical use and to assess the validity of such interpretations.

Lateralization of chronic pain.

A number of recent articles have discussed the issue of laterality of chronic pain with inconclusive results. While some authors have found evidence for a preponderance of left-sided pain, others have failed to find such evidence. Unfortunately, none of the studies have clearly explained the rules used for deciding laterality.