Assessment of suitable referral, effectiveness and long-term outcomes of standard vs intensive pain management programmes for people with chronic pain

Background

Chronic pain is a leading cause of disability, often requiring multidisciplinary management. 2021 NICE guidance has questioned the quality of the evidence surrounding the efficacy of pain management programmes (PMPs), with only minor benefit demonstrated in psychological and physical outcomes. There is need for further high-quality evidence for the efficacy of PMPs for a range of chronic pain conditions and to identify barriers to successful management of chronic pain.

Objective

This service evaluation utilised routinely collected outcome data of 508 PMP attendees to investigate change in pain- and patient-related outcomes across two distinct PMPs; a standard and an intensive PMP, and establish their longer-term efficacy and appropriateness for patients with differing degrees of need.

Results

More people with chronic widespread pain, fibromyalgia, and osteoarthritis were referred to the intensive PMP (reflecting greater disability and distress in these conditions). Those referred to the intensive PMP demonstrated greater distress (such as more severe depression and anxiety), lower pain acceptance and poorer physical function. Improvements were observed in all outcomes across both PMPs (including physical function, pain catastrophising and pain acceptance). Depression and disability demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements in the intensive PMP, and pain severity showed clinically meaningful improvement in both PMPs. However, depression severity, disability, pain severity, and pain interference significantly deteriorated at 6-month follow-up for those on the intensive PMP, with pain severity increasing to a clinically meaningful degree (by more than 10%), though these outcomes remained better than at baseline.

Conclusion

This evaluation identified that people with chronic pain most at risk of deterioration in physical and psychological wellbeing after completing a PMP require early identification to mitigate such deterioration. Established and emerging PMPs need to be tailored to the needs of this group, particularly at follow-up to reduce risks of pain severity increasing, alongside establishing/reinforcing safeguards against deterioration post-PMP.

Sensory sparing does not change long-term outcomes in motor complete spinal cord injuries

BACKGROUND CONTEXT

In the acute postinjury setting, the prognostic value of sensory sparing among motor complete spinal injury patients has been well demonstrated. However, once final AIS grade is achieved 1 year postinjury, the value of sensory sparing alone has not been elucidated. We hypothesized that sensory sparing would lead to better outcomes in AIS B over AIS A patients at long-term, postrecovery follow-up.

PURPOSE

To evaluate for differences in medical, Physical and Social outcomes between AIS A and B patients at least 1 year postinjury.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective Cohort.

PATIENT SAMPLE

Adults over the age of 18 with AIS A or B spinal cord injury sustained between January 1, 1995 and September 13, 2019. Data Collected from the Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Database.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Self-reported Measures: PHQ-9 score; SCI-QOL Resilience Short Form score; VAS pain score; Life Satisfaction Score; Self-reported depression and sleep disturbances. Physiologic Measures: Body Mass Index, Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, Hyperlipidemia, Mortality, Incidence of Pressure Sores. Functional Measures: Bowel and Bladder Management; Illicit Substance use; Level of Education; Marital Status; Rehospitalization Rate.

METHODS

Patient data from the Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Database were extracted for patients with a final, recovered American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) grade of A or B at 1-year postinjury. Variables related to physical, mental and social functioning were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

A total of 2,562 AIS A and 675 AIS B patient met inclusion criteria. Occurrence of pressure ulcers was 7% less in AIS B versus A (34.5% vs. 41.9%, p=.003). There were no statistical differences between groups in pain, bowel or bladder accidents, urinary tract infections, or the level of assistance for bowel or bladder management. There was no statistical difference for PHQ-9 depression scores, SCI-QOL Resilience Scores, rates of suicidality or sleep disturbance. There was no difference for illicit drug or alcohol abuse, life satisfaction scores, perceived health, and marriage or divorce rates.

CONCLUSIONS

Except for a 7% reduction in pressure ulcer occurrence, there is no apparent long-term outcome advantage for motor complete spinal cord injury patients with AIS B sensory sparing over AIS A sensory complete. All other physical function domains were not different, nor were mental and social outcomes.

Functional intermuscular reduction in spasticity for people with multiple sclerosis

Background

Eighty-five percent of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) incur gait impairments debilitating enough to significantly impact their function.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to determine if a novel combination of intermuscular electrical stimulation, followed by functional electrical stimulation combined with supported bodyweight treadmill training, would improve gait, decrease spasticity and fatigue, and improve muscle strength.

Methods

Using a pre-post experimental design, we implemented this combination six-week protocol in 16 individuals with MS. We completed summary statistics and longitudinal pre-post results using Wilcoxon sign rank tests with Bonferroni adjustment.

Results

Participants responded with median increases of 29.4 feet (p < 0.0001) during the Six Minute Walk Test, median decreases of 0.7 s (p = 0.0011) in the 25-Foot Walk Test, median increases of 3.8 toe taps to fatigue (p = 0.0306) and median increases of 5.0 heel raises (p = 0.0093). Significant changes were noted in the Modified Ashworth Scale, both after intermuscular electrical stimulation (median change = −0.5 p = 0.0039) and after treadmill walking (median change = −0.5, p < 0.0005).

Conclusions

Results of this novel protocol suggest this intervention combination has the potential to decrease spasticity, and improve gait speed and endurance in individuals with MS. Observed changes in mobility occurred without accompanying increases in fatigue.

Physical Growth of Patients with Hereditary Tyrosinaemia Type I: A Single-Centre Retrospective Study

In a retrospective review, we aimed to assess long-term growth in 17 patients (n = 11 males) with hereditary tyrosinaemia type I (HTI). Median age at assessment was 15.6 years (5.7-26.6 years) and median age at diagnosis was 1 month (range: 0-16 months), with 35% (n = 6/17) symptomatic on presentation. From the age of 8 years, there was a noticeable change in median height, weight, and body-mass-index [BMI]-z-scores. Median height-for-age z-scores were consistently ≤ -1 (IQR -1.6, -0.5) during the first 8 years of life but increased with age. Weight-for-age z-scores ranged between -1 to 0 (IQR -1.2, 0.1) in the first 8 years; then increased to > 0.5 (IQR -0.3, 1.3) by age 16 years, and BMI-for-age z-scores ranged from 0 to 1 (IQR -0.7, 1.3) up to 8 years, and >1 (IQR -0.2, 1.9) until 16 years. The percentage of overweight and obesity was lowest in children aged < 5 years, and consistently > 40% in patients aged between 7 to 16 years. The prescribed total protein intake was associated with improved height growth (p < 0.01). Impaired growth in early life improved with age achieving normal population standards. Further studies are needed to investigate factors that influence growth outcome in HTI patients.

Effectiveness of Multimodal Training on Functional Capacity in Frail Older People: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

In this meta-analysis, we investigated the effect of resistance training (RT) alone or included in a multimodal training on physical frailty outcomes, and whether different variables of RT prescription affect these outcomes. We identified 15 relevant studies searching through MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, SPORTDiscus, and PEDro database. Postintervention standardized mean difference scores were computed and combined using fixed effects meta-analysis. Analyses have shown positive effects of interventions on maximum strength, gait speed, and Timed Up and Go test. Further analyses have shown significant greater effect of shorter periods on maximum strength. Regarding RT prescription, percentage of one-repetition maximum showed significant effect on physical variables, whereas RT based on rate of perceived effort presented lower effect in the Timed Up and Go test. Although multimodal training is an effective intervention to increase physical capacity, caution should be taken regarding the period and the method to control RT intensity to optimize enhancements in frail older people.

Palliative care outcome measures in COPD patients: a conceptual review

In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), palliative care is appropriate in very advanced stages based on recognition of its need when conventional therapy is no longer able to control symptoms, disease morbidity, or to improve/maintain an acceptable quality of life. Palliative care aims to improve quality of life, or, if applied specifically at the end-of-life, to ensure comfortable care. In COPD palliative care effectiveness of interventions should be quantified with outcome measures able to better capture the holistic nature of approaches and not only the specific features of disease. These should include: physical outcomes, psychological outcomes, social outcomes, spiritual outcomes. Such measures are discussed in this review along with arguments supporting their use.