BACKGROUND: Persistent pain is a frequent cause of sick leave and work disability in Norway. A return-to-work intervention featuring supported work placements, developed in the UK, demonstrated feasibility, and a return-to-work rate of 20% within 6 months was observed in the sample. We sought to adapt the intervention for delivery in Norway and to confirm feasibility prior to a full-scale trial.
METHODS: In this internal pilot, we used a pragmatic cohort randomised controlled approach with national recruitment in Norway. We recruited people who were unemployed (for at least 1 month), having persistent pain (for at least 3 months), aged between 18 and 64, and wanting to return to work. We initially recruited people to an observational cohort study of the impact of being unemployed with persistent pain. After baseline measurement, we randomly sub-sampled participants to whom we offered the intervention, which featured individual case management and support, work-familiarisation sessions, and the offer of a 6-week part-time unpaid work placement. We assessed recruitment rates (aiming to recruit 66, and sub-sample 17 within 6 months); optimal recruitment pathways; intervention acceptance rates; the feasibility of data collection; using video links for work-familiarisation sessions and remote case manager support.
RESULTS: The pilot ran from June to November 2022. Of 168 people expressing interest, 94 consented. Recruitment posts on Facebook yielded the most \'expressions of interest\' (66%, n = 111). After screening for eligibility, we included 55 participants. Of these, 19 were randomised to be offered the intervention. Of these, less than half (n = 8) consented to intervention participation. Remote case manager and work-familiarisation sessions appeared feasible. Following a delay in identifying placements, three participants received offers of work placements, with one starting and completing during the pilot period. Data collection methods were feasible, and no adverse events were reported.
CONCLUSIONS: Recruitment and logistical processes, such as remote management by video link, are feasible. However, delivery of the intervention is challenging. In particular, sourcing placements and the time required for identifying appropriate placements was more challenging than anticipated. A full-scale trial is feasible but will require improvements to the placement identification processes.
BACKGROUND: ISRCTN85437524 (Referring to the ReISE trial, of which this internal pilot was a part), Registered 31 of May 2022 https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN85437524 TRIAL FUNDING: Norwegian Research Council.

UNASSIGNED: Research indicates that acquiring compassion is an integral part to positive outcomes to Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI), yet there is both theoretic and empirical literature suggesting that people with persistent pain are more likely to experience challenges and distress when engaging compassion-based practices. Mindfulness for Health is a standardised MBI for people with persistent pain and health conditions. This study sought to explore the positive, neutral and difficult experiences of compassion-based practice and meditation for participants in Mindfulness for Health to further understand implications and risks for participants of MBI\'s.
UNASSIGNED: A qualitative design using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was applied to explore how participants understood of the experience of compassion-based practice and the meaning they gave to it. Eight participants who had completed the Mindfulness for Health from four separate groups were interviewed about their experience.
UNASSIGNED: Five master themes were identified \'turning away from self-with-pain\', \'self-with-pain experienced as shameful\', \'facilitating change\', \'turning towards self-with-pain\', and \'accepting self\'. Participants identified both perceived positive changes and difficult emotional experiences during the meditation practice, which they related to the context of compassion in their past and present life.
UNASSIGNED: Developing compassion is an important part of Mindfulness for Health, which is salient for participants as both a challenging and potentially valuable experience. Acquisition of mindfulness skills, supporting group dynamics and modelling compassion are understood as helpful in overcoming personal barriers and challenging experiences. Further research is needed to understand processes involved and explore the experience of non-completers.

Chronic pain is common in our population, and most of these patients are inadequately treated, making the development of safer analgesics a high priority. Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a primary cause of chronic pain and disability worldwide, and lower extremity OA is a major contributor to loss of quality-adjusted life-years. In this study we tested the hypothesis that a novel JDNI8 replication-defective herpes simplex-1 viral vector (rdHSV) incorporating a modified carbonic anhydrase-8 transgene (CA8*) produces analgesia and treats monoiodoacetate-induced (MIA) chronic knee pain due to OA. We observed transduction of lumbar DRG sensory neurons with these viral constructs (vHCA8*) (~40% of advillin-positive cells and ~ 50% of TrkA-positive cells colocalized with V5-positive cells) using the intra-articular (IA) knee joint (KJ) route of administration. vHCA8* inhibited chronic mechanical OA knee pain induced by MIA was dose- and time-dependent. Mechanical thresholds returned to Baseline by D17 after IA KJ vHCA8* treatment, and exceeded Baseline (analgesia) through D65, whereas negative controls failed to reach Baseline responses. Weight-bearing and automated voluntary wheel running were improved by vHCA8*, but not negative controls. Kv7 voltage-gated potassium channel-specific inhibitor XE-991 reversed vHCA8*-induced analgesia. Using IHC, IA KJ of vHCA8* activated DRG Kv7 channels via dephosphorylation, but negative controls failed to impact Kv7 channels. XE-991 stimulated Kv7.2-7.5 and Kv7.3 phosphorylation using western blotting of differentiated SH-SY5Y cells, which was inhibited by vHCA8* but not by negative controls. The observed prolonged dose-dependent therapeutic effects of IA KJ administration of vHCA8* on MIA-induced chronic KJ pain due to OA is consistent with the specific activation of Kv7 channels in small DRG sensory neurons. Together, these data demonstrate for the first-time local IA KJ administration of vHCA8* produces opioid-independent analgesia in this MIA-induced OA chronic pain model, supporting further therapeutic development.

UNASSIGNED: As an emerging approach, arts-based research holds potential to advance understanding of the complex and multidimensional experiences of chronic pain and means of communicating this experiential evidence. This scoping review aimed to map and explore the extent of arts-based research in chronic non-cancer pain, understand the rationale behind using arts-based research methods, and identify directions for future research.
UNASSIGNED: Databases PsycINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL were searched for eligible English-language articles from inception to November 2022. Out of 1321 article titles and abstracts screened for eligibility, 18 articles underwent full-text screening, with 14 ultimately meeting all inclusion criteria. We conducted a narrative synthesis of data extracted from the 14 reviewed articles.
UNASSIGNED: The review articles focused on a wide range of chronic non-cancer pain conditions, with 12/14 employing qualitative methods (86%), one repeated measures experimental design, and another a multiphase, multimethod design. Seven articles described the use of drawing, painting, or mixed-media artwork; four used photography; two used body mapping; and one used e-book creation. The rationale for arts-based research included exploring and better understanding patients\' experiences with chronic non-cancer pain, constructing an intervention, and investigating or validating a clinical tool. Nine articles reported that their arts-based research methods produced unintended therapeutic benefits for participants. Recommendations for future research included using arts-based research to better understand and communicate with patients and providers, exploring convergence with art therapy, and designing creative and flexible multiphased studies involving collaboration across disciplines.
UNASSIGNED: Despite the wide variation in sample and art modalities across reviewed articles, arts-based methods were considered suitable and highly effective for investigating chronic non-cancer pain.
Contexte: La neuromodulation par radiofréquence pulsée (NRFP) du nerf grand occipital (NGO) est envisagée chez les patients souffrant de céphalées qui ne parviennent pas à obtenir un bénéfice analgésique durable à partir des blocages nerveux à l’aide d’un anesthésique local et de stéroïdes. Cependant, les données probantes à l\'appui de cette pratique ne sont pas claires.Objectifs: Cette revue systématique narrative vise à explorer l\'efficacité et la sécurité de la NRFP du NGO sur les maux de tête.Méthodes: Des bases de données ont été consultées pour trouver des études, publiées jusqu\'au 1er février 2024, portant sur la NRFP du NGO chez des adultes souffrant de céphalées. Les résumés et les affiches ont été exclus. Le critère principal était le changement dans l\'intensité des maux de tête. Les critères secondaires comprenaient l\'effet sur la fréquence mensuelle des céphalées, la santé mentale et physique, l\'humeur, le sommeil, la consommation d\'analgésiques et les effets secondaires. Deux examinateurs ont évalué et extrait les données.Résultats: Vingt-deux articles (2 essais contrôlés randomisés, 11 cohortes et 9 rapports de cas/séries) portant sur 608 patients ont été recensés. Une hétérogénéité considérable a été observée en termes de devis de l\'étude, de diagnostic des céphalées, de la cible et des paramètres de la FRP et de l\'orientation de l\'image. Les réglages de la NRFP variaient (38-42°C, 40-60 V, et 150-400 Ohms). Les études ont démontré que la NRFP procurait une analgésie significative et réduisait la fréquence des céphalées dans la migraine chronique de trois à six mois, et un soulagement significatif de la douleur pour la névralgie occipitale pendant six à dix mois. Des effets indésirables légers ont été signalés dans 3,1 % des participants de la cohorte. Une minorité d\'études ont fait état de résultats secondaires. La qualité des données probantes était faible.Conclusion: Les données probantes de faible qualité indiquent un bénéfice analgésique de la NRFP du NGO pour la névralgie occipitale et la migraine chronique, mais son rôle pour d\'autres types de céphalées doit être davantage étudié. La cible et les paramètres optimaux de la NRFP restent floues. Des essais contrôlés randomisés de haute qualité sont nécessaires pour explorer davantage le rôle de cette intervention.

UNASSIGNED: Pain is a common adverse event in survivors of breast cancer (sBCs). As there is no gold standard to assess pain experience predominantly related to central sensitization (CS) symptoms, we designed the PaiNEd app, which includes an algorithm to report whether patients are under predominant CS pain mechanisms.
UNASSIGNED: We aimed to assess the reliability of the PaiNEd app to estimate whether sBC pain experience is predominantly related to CS symptoms.
UNASSIGNED: An observational, descriptive reliability design was employed to assess the inter- and intrarater reliability of the PaiNEd app. This app includes an algorithm that considers the number of painful body parts and some questionnaires related to pain, such as the Numeric Pain-Rating Scale, the Brief Pain Inventory, the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, and the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI).
UNASSIGNED: A total of 21 sBCs with persistent pain were recruited. We observe a general trend of close agreement between the paper-based and app-based formats (ICCs ranged between 0.802 and 0.972; Cronbach\'s alpha ranged between 0.797 and 0.971). Test-retest reliabilities were moderate to excellent (ICCs ranged between 0.510 and 0.941; Cronbach\'s alpha ranged between 0.499 and 0.938). The agreement between the categorization of the CS algorithm and the CSI (cut-off point ≥ 40 for CS symptoms) was 95.24%.
UNASSIGNED: The PaiNEd app emerges as a robust tool for evaluating pain experience predominantly related to CS and pain-related symptoms in sBCs. Its demonstrated reliability not only bolsters its utility but also signifies its potential as a valuable asset for healthcare professionals engaged in pain education programs.

UNASSIGNED: Pain is the prominent feature of sickle cell disease (SCD) and negatively affects quality of life. Delivery of pain management programmes (PMPs) has been suggested in clinical guidelines for pain management in SCD; however, further evidence of the feasibility and effectiveness of PMPs in this population is needed. This study explored the feasibility of delivering a sickle cell pain management programme (SCPMP) for adults within a haemoglobinopathies service.
UNASSIGNED: A single arm, repeated-measures observational design was used to determine feasibility of delivering the SCPMP at one study site. Primary feasibility outcomes were recruitment, completion of treatment and outcome measures, satisfaction, credibility and acceptability to participants. Secondary feasibility outcomes were treatment outcomes and processes, frequency of vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) and healthcare utilisation.
UNASSIGNED: Four of five feasibility criteria were met. Annual recruitment of eight participants to a SCPMP was not achieved. Twenty-nine people began a SCPMP during the study period. Twenty-five (86.2%) participants attended ≥5/8 sessions and 21(84%) programme completers provided all end of programme questionnaires. Mean scores of >7 on ten-point scales were seen across satisfaction and credibility questions. At least moderate (Hedges g >0.5) effect sizes were seen in pre-post SCPMP measures of pain interference, anxiety, depression, self-efficacy, pain-related worry and acceptance. A small (Hedges g 0.4) effect size was seen in HRQoL. Following SCPMP attendance, mean frequency of self-reported VOC and hospital admissions reduced.
UNASSIGNED: This study suggests that, given an adequate source of referrals, a SCPMP is feasible to deliver and appears acceptable and credible to participants. Exploration of influences on recruitment, such as barriers to group interventions, would be illuminating, prior to investigating feasibility of an adequately powered randomised-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: In Canada, adults with chronic noncancer pain face a persistent insufficiency of publicly funded resources, with the gold standard multidisciplinary pain treatment facilities unable to meet the high clinical demand. Web-based self-management programs cost-effectively increase access to pain management and can improve several aspects of physical and emotional functioning. Aiming to meet the demand for accessible, fully automated resources for individuals with chronic noncancer pain, we developed a French web- and evidence-based self-management program, Agir pour moi (APM). This program includes pain education and strategies to reduce stress, practice mindfulness, apply pacing, engage in physical activity, identify and manage thinking traps, sleep better, adapt diet, and sustain behavior change.
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the APM self-management program\'s feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects in adults awaiting specialized services from a center of expertise in chronic pain management.
METHODS: We conducted a mixed methods study with an explanatory sequential design, including a web-based 1-arm trial and qualitative semistructured interviews. We present the results from both phases through integrative tables called joint displays.
RESULTS: Response rates were 70% (44/63) at postintervention and 56% (35/63) at 3-month follow-up among the 63 consenting participants who provided self-assessed information at baseline. In total, 46% (29/63) of the participants completed the program. We interviewed 24% (15/63) of the participants. The interview\'s first theme revolved around the overall acceptance, user-friendliness, and engaging nature of the program. The second theme emphasized the differentiation between microlevel and macrolevel engagements. The third theme delved into the diverse effects observed, potentially influenced by the macrolevel engagements. Participants highlighted the features that impacted their self-efficacy and the adoption of self-management strategies. We observed indications of improvement in self-efficacy, pain intensity, pain interference, depression, and catastrophizing. Interviewees described these and various other effects as potentially influenced by macrolevel engagement through behavioral change.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings provided preliminary evidence that the APM self-management program and research methods are feasible. However, some participants expressed the need for at least phone reminders and minimal support from a professional available to answer questions over the first few weeks of the program to engage. Recruitment strategies of a future randomized controlled trial should focus on attracting a broader representation of individuals with chronic pain in terms of gender and ethnicity.
BACKGROUND: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05319652; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05319652.

This cross-sectional epidemiological study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of injuries among young archers engaged in high-intensity training during the European Youth Championship. A total of 200 participants (104 males/96 females) from 34 countries were included, with a mean age of 16.9 years and average competitive experience of 6.5 years. Structured questionnaires, administered by four physiotherapist interviewers, gathered comprehensive data. Results revealed that 43.5% of participants experienced shoulder pain during training, highlighting the vulnerability of upper limbs in archers. Additionally, 30% required medications to facilitate training, underscoring the impact of injuries on continued participation. Physiotherapy was utilized by 52.3% of participants, emphasizing the need for therapeutic intervention. Furthermore, 31.8% had to cease training due to injuries, indicating a substantial hindrance to athletic progression. The mean pain duration was 3.9 months, with an average intensity of 5.94, and 8% exhibited symptoms of central sensitization. In conclusion, this study demonstrates a noteworthy prevalence of injuries, particularly in the upper limbs, among young archers undergoing intensive training. The findings underscore the importance of targeted injury prevention strategies and comprehensive rehabilitation approaches to ensure the well-being and sustained participation of young athletes in competitive archery.

OBJECTIVE: Postdural puncture headache (PDPH) is an acknowledged consequence of procedures like lumbar punctures, epidural analgesia, and neurosurgical interventions. Persistence over more than three months, however has been poorly studied. In particular, little is known about the impact of persistent PDPH (pPDPH) on health related quality of life (HRQoL), disability and ability to work. The study aimed to provide a holistic understanding of pPDPH, encompassing medical, physical and psychological aspects.
METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional anonymous online survey in individuals aged 18 or older, diagnosed with, or suspected to have pPDPH via self-help groups on Facebook. Participants completed a structured questionnaire covering diagnosis, symptoms, and the ability to work. For assessing headache related disability, and mental health, they filled in the Henry Ford Hospital Headache Disability Inventory (HDI) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21).
RESULTS: A total of 179 participants (83.2% female, mean age 39.7 years) completed the survey. PPDPH had been present for one year or more in 74.3%, and 44.1% were unable to be in an upright position for more than one hour per day without having to lie down or sit down. Headaches were extremely severe or severe in 18% and 34%, respectively. According to the HDI, 31.8% of participants had mild, 25.7% moderate, and 42.5% severe disability. DASS-21 revealed substantial mental health challenges with depression, anxiety and stress experienced by 83%, 98%, and 88% of the respondents. The ability to work was limited considerably: 27.9% were unable to work, 59.8% worked part-time, 1.1% changed their job because of pPDPH, and only 11.2% were able to work full-time in their previous job. Despite treatment, the patients\' condition had deteriorated in 32.4% and remained unchanged in 27.9%.
CONCLUSIONS: This study stresses the burden of pPDPH in terms of substantial disability, limited quality of life, mental health concerns, and significant impact on the ability to work. The study highlights the long-term impact of pPDPH on individuals, emphasizing the need for timely diagnosis and effective treatment. It underscores the complexity of managing pPDPH and calls for further research into its long-term effects on patient health and HRQoL.

Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) remains a significant complication following joint arthroplasty, necessitating prompt recognition and intervention to optimize patient outcomes. This case report describes a 65-year-old male who presented with persistent pain, swelling, and purulent discharge from the right hip, three years post-bipolar hemiarthroplasty following a road traffic accident. Clinical examination revealed signs suggestive of PJI, prompting surgical intervention with total hip arthroplasty. Postoperatively, the patient experienced resolution of symptoms and satisfactory recovery. This case underscores the challenges associated with infected joint arthroplasty and highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary approach for effective management. Early diagnosis, appropriate surgical intervention, and comprehensive postoperative care are essential for minimizing morbidity associated with PJIs and optimizing patient outcomes.