Increased proportion of megafibers in chronically painful muscles

Lars L. Andersena, Charlotte Suettab, Jesper L. Andersenb, Michael Kjærb, Gisela Sjøgaardc Abstract Trapezius myalgia – chronic pain from the upper trapezius muscle – is frequent in female employees in monotonous stressful jobs, potentially due to chronic overload of type I muscle fibers. In this study, we investigated the intra-individual distribution of trapezius muscle fiber size, and hypothesized that females [...]

Nonpharmacological approaches for the treatment of urological chronic pelvic pain syndromes in men

Jeannette M. Potts MD Abstract:  Chronic nonbacterial prostatitis, or urological chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS), remains a common and often challenging disorder to evaluate and treat. Employing a more holistic approach, including urological therapy, physical therapy, and psychosocial perspectives, may be more appropriate for most patients. Growing evidence supports the use of biofeedback, myofascial trigger point release, [...]

Illness behavior in patients on long-term sick leave due to chronic musculoskeletal pain

Patricia Olaya-Contreras; Jorma Styf Background and purpose Methods for identification of patients with illness behavior in orthopedic settings are still being debated. The purpose of this study was to test the association between illness behavior, depressed mood, pain intensity, self-rated disability, and clinical status in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP). Methods We examined 174 [...]

The Brain in Chronic CRPS Pain: Abnormal Gray-White Matter Interactions in Emotional and Autonomic Regions

PY. Geha, MN. Baliki, RN. Harden, WR. Bauer, TB. Parrish, AV. Apkarian Chronic complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a debilitating pain condition accompanied by autonomic abnormalities. We investigated gray matter morphometry and white matter anisotropy in CRPS patients and matched controls. Patients exhibited a disrupted relationship between white matter anisotropy and whole-brain gray matter [...]