ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to compare psychological characteristics of adolescent patients with juvenile fibromyalgia syndrome (JFM) with individuals suffering from chronic pain (CP) due to headache or joint pain in the lower limbs unrelated to oncological, inflammatory or autoimmune diseases. METHODS: The study was conducted on 37 patients aged 13-18 years old, monitored at the Pain Therapy Outpatient Clinic of the "Bambino Gesù" Pediatric Hospital in Rome. A total of 21 patients were suffering from CP (headache and recurrent arthralgia) and 16 from JFM, diagnosed according to the criteria of the American College of Rheumatology. All subjects were evaluated by a pain therapy specialist, a rheumatologist and a clinical psychologist for the following psycho-emotional areas and/ or characteristics: cognitive abilities, attention, memory, learning, alexithymia, somatisation, anxiety, depression, coping skills. A clinical psychologist interviewed all patients to assess school absences, the use of analgesic medication, the presence of sleep disorders (e.g., nonrestorative sleep) and the intensity of perceived pain. RESULTS: Similarities emerged between the two groups in the presence of depression, anxiety, somatisation, alexithymia, school absenteeism, medication use and reported pain level. The peculiar characteristics of the JFM group, which emerged from our pilot study, were the higher prevalence of the illness amongst women, a higher incidence of sleep disturbances, and a better cognitive endowment, despite some attention and mnemonic deficiencies. CONCLUSIONS: To conclude, the present study suggests that the clinical and psychological characteristics of JFM appear to be similar to those found in the CP population.
Subject(s)
Fibromyalgia , Adolescent , Child , Humans , Female , Fibromyalgia/epidemiology , Fibromyalgia/psychology , Pilot Projects , Pain , Emotions , HeadacheABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a disorder that is often challenging to treat and can be associated with a prolonged course of severe pain. Therapy of CRPS remains controversial; the pain often can be very difficult to control, and treatment includes medications, physical therapy, regional anesthesia, and neuromodulation. AIM: We evaluated Scrambler Therapy(®) (ST) in terms of efficacy, safety, and durability of treatment effect in patients suffering from CRPS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We report the response to ST in four patients with CRPS referred to the Pain Center of Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital. The patients previously did not respond to conventional and nonconventional medical treatments. RESULTS: The treatment with ST was found effective in all four of our patients; they obtained pain relief for long periods and an improvement in their quality of life. We observed a progressive improvement with complete disappearance of neuropathic pain. Patients also reported a muscle strength increase that allowed them to resume normal daily activities. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: We conclude that ST may offer a therapeutic opportunity for patients with neuropathic pain resulting from CRPS, without side effects and with minimal discomfort during treatment. The observed pain relief indicates that ST could be an effective option for such patients.
Subject(s)
Complex Regional Pain Syndromes/therapy , Electric Stimulation Therapy/methods , Pain Management/methods , Female , Humans , Male , Pain Measurement/methods , Quality of LifeABSTRACT
STUDY OBJECTIVES: Evaluation of different types of tracheostomy tubes in patients with neuromuscular disorders. DESIGN: Review of past charts of 49 patients with DMD. SETTING: Intensive care unit of Children's Hospital-Bambino Gesù Rome-Palidoro, Italy CONCLUSIONS: Our findings favour the use of flexible tracheostomy tubes in reducing the risk of developing tracheal haemorrhages.
