What is available to support pain management in Parkinson's: a scoping review protocol.

OBJECTIVE: A scoping review will be undertaken to examine and map the available evidence that has been produced in relation to pain management in Parkinson's, with a focus on behavioural interventions, resources and/or how professionals support people with Parkinson's self-management of pain. METHODS: This review will be based on the methodological framework given by Arksey and O'Malley's (2005), including enhancements by Levac et al., Peters et al. and the Joanna Briggs Institute. We will include studies from PubMed, SCOPUS, CINAHL, MEDLINE Web of Science, APA PsycINFO and ASSIA from January, 2010 onwards. Both quantitative and qualitative data will be analysed separately to identify the characteristics of support for pain management available, orientation of the approach and any identifiable behaviour change components and their outcomes. The COM-B behaviour change model and Theoretical Domains Framework will provide a theoretical framework for synthesising evidence in this review. CONCLUSION: This scoping review will help to explore studies focusing on the evidence supporting a range of interventions relating to the management of pain experienced by people living with Parkinson's. The focus will be on describing what is available to support self-management, identify what behaviour change components have been used and their effectiveness, identify barriers and enablers to pain management and explore gaps in current provision of pain management. This review will identify implications and priorities for the follow-up phases to the larger 'Pain in Parkinson's' Project which is designed to support clinicians and individuals living with Parkinson's.

An exploration of primary care healthcare professionals' understanding of pain and pain management following a brief pain science education.

BACKGROUND: Persistent pain is a leading cause of disability worldwide yet implementation of clinical guidelines that recommend a biopsychosocial approach remains a challenge in clinical practise. Limited pain understanding amongst clinicians may be partly responsible for this. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: 1) Qualitatively explore the experience of receiving PSE, understanding of PSE and operationalisation of PSE-related principles in routine clinical practice. 2) Quantitatively explore pain knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours of general practitioners (GPs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) before and after pain science education (PSE). METHODS: An exploratory, single-site, mixed-methods study in north-east England. Fifteen NPs/GPs completed questionnaires and a case-vignette before and after a 70-min face-to-face PSE lecture. Qualitative data were thematically analysed from two focus groups after the intervention. RESULTS: Clinicians' relatively high prior levels of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour were similar after PSE. Qualitative themes described facilitation of self-reflection on pain management behaviours, and difficulties in operationalising PSE principles in practise including: limited patient rapport; short appointment times; patients' passive and often oppositional biomedical treatment expectations; and clinicians' lack of readily understandable language to communicate with patients. CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the value of PSE perceived by these clinicians who were already favourably inclined towards biopsychosocial pain management. They sought more resources for their personal learning and for communication with patients. Even with such favourable disposition, the practicalities and environment of clinical practice impeded the operationalisation of PSE-related principles. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was prospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.Gov ( NCT04587596 ) in October 2020.

International, multi-disciplinary, cross-section study of pain knowledge and attitudes in nursing, midwifery and allied health professions students.

BACKGROUND: Persistent pain is a highly prevalent, global cause of disability. Research suggests that many healthcare professionals are not well equipped to manage pain, and this may be attributable at least in part to undergraduate education. The primary aim of this study was to quantify and compare first and final year nursing, midwifery and allied health professional (NMAHP) students' pain related knowledge and attitudes. The secondary aim was to explore what factors influence students' pain related knowledge and attitudes. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 1154 first and final year healthcare students, from 12 universities in five different countries completed the Revised Neurophysiology of Pain Quiz (RNPQ) [knowledge] and the Health Care Providers Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale (HC-PAIRS) [attitudes]. RESULTS: Physiotherapy was the only student group with statistically and clinically improved pain related knowledge [mean difference, 95% CI] (3.4, 3.0 to 3.9, p = 0.01) and attitudes (-17.2, -19.2 to 15.2, p = 0.01) between first and final year. Pain education teaching varied considerably from course to course (0 to 40 h), with greater levels of pain related knowledge and attitudes associated with higher volumes of pain specific teaching. CONCLUSIONS: There was little difference in pain knowledge and attitudes between all first and final year NMAHP students other than physiotherapy. This suggests that for most NMAHP disciplines, undergraduate teaching has little or no impact on students' understanding of pain. There is an urgent need to enhance pain education provision at the undergraduate level in NMAHPs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study protocol was prospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.Gov NCT03522857 .

Exercise treatment effect modifiers in persistent low back pain: an individual participant data meta-analysis of 3514 participants from 27 randomised controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Low back pain is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Exercise therapy is widely recommended to treat persistent non-specific low back pain. While evidence suggests exercise is, on average, moderately effective, there remains uncertainty about which individuals might benefit the most from exercise. METHODS: In parallel with a Cochrane review update, we requested individual participant data (IPD) from high-quality randomised clinical trials of adults with our two primary outcomes of interest, pain and functional limitations, and calculated global recovery. We compiled a master data set including baseline participant characteristics, exercise and comparison characteristics, and outcomes at short-term, moderate-term and long-term follow-up. We conducted descriptive analyses and one-stage IPD meta-analysis using multilevel mixed-effects regression of the overall treatment effect and prespecified potential treatment effect modifiers. RESULTS: We received IPD for 27 trials (3514 participants). For studies included in this analysis, compared with no treatment/usual care, exercise therapy on average reduced pain (mean effect/100 (95% CI) -10.7 (-14.1 to -7.4)), a result compatible with a clinically important 20% smallest worthwhile effect. Exercise therapy reduced functional limitations with a clinically important 23% improvement (mean effect/100 (95% CI) -10.2 (-13.2 to -7.3)) at short-term follow-up. Not having heavy physical demands at work and medication use for low back pain were potential treatment effect modifiers-these were associated with superior exercise outcomes relative to non-exercise comparisons. Lower body mass index was also associated with better outcomes in exercise compared with no treatment/usual care. This study was limited by inconsistent availability and measurement of participant characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides potentially useful information to help treat patients and design future studies of exercise interventions that are better matched to specific subgroups. PROTOCOL PUBLICATION: https://doi.org/10.1186/2046-4053-1-64.

An Exploration of the Experiences and Educational Needs of Patients With Failed Back Surgery Syndrome Receiving Spinal Cord Stimulation.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the experience of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for patients with failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS). METHODS: Adults with FBSS referred for SCS underwent semistructured interviews at three time points: before their SCS trial, after the trial, and three months after receiving the SCS implant. The face-to-face interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. RESULTS: Twelve adults (8 male, 4 female, aged 38-80 years, pain duration 1-26 years) were recruited. Six themes were identified; 1) What should I expect? 2) Varied outcomes, 3) Understanding pain and this new treatment, 4) Experiences of the SCS journey, 5) Getting used to the device, and 6) Finding out what I need to know. Participants' expectations were varied and the procedures were broadly viewed as minor surgery. Participants' expectations about SCS were not limited to pain relief and included reductions in medication, better sleep, and increased physical activity. Participants' understanding of pain and how SCS purports to work was limited. Throughout the process, practical challenges were identified such as the surgical wound management and battery recharging. Participants received information from multiple sources and identified a range of key information needs including a quick-start guide on how to operate the device and a list of dos and don'ts. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, participants' understanding of SCS was limited. The value participants placed on understanding of the process varied markedly. A list of practical informational needs has been identified. Bespoke, user-friendly, informational tools should be developed from this list to enhance the patient experience of SCS.

The Effect of Pain Neuroscience Education on Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation Students' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Clinical Recommendations Toward Athletes With Chronic Pain.

Context: Pain education is a fundamental part of a holistic approach to athlete injury management. Objective: To investigate the effect of pain neuroscience education (PNE) on sports therapy and rehabilitation students (1) knowledge of persistent pain, (2) attitudes toward athletes with persistent pain, and (3) clinical recommendations for athletes with persistent pain. Design: Parallel groups, single-blind randomized control trial. Setting: A university in the United Kingdom. Participants: Sixty-one undergraduate and postgraduate sports therapy and rehabilitation students. Interventions: The PNE session (intervention group) provided detailed information on the neuroscience of persistent pain, the modulating role of psychosocial factors on pain biology, and how this information could be used to inform clinical practice. The red flags (control group) session provided information on screening patients with persistent pain for serious/sinister pathologies. Each education session lasted 70 minutes. Outcome measures: (1) Knowledge-the Revised Pain Neurophysiology Questionnaire; (2) Attitudes-the Health Care Pain Attitudes and Impairment Relationship Scale; and (3) Clinical recommendations-an athlete case vignette. Results: Posteducation, the PNE group had a greater increase in pain neuroscience knowledge (mean difference 3.2; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 2.1 to 4.3; P < .01) and improved attitudes (mean difference -10.1; 95% CI, -16.6 to -3.6; P < .01). In addition, students in the PNE group were more likely to make appropriate clinical recommendations (odds ratio [OR]; 95% CI) regarding return-to-work (OR = 6.1; 95% CI, 1.1 to 32.3; P = .03), exercise (OR = 10.7; 95% CI, 2.6 to 43.7; P ≤ 01), and bed rest (OR = 4.3; 95% CI, 1.5 to 12.8; P = 01). Conclusion: A brief PNE session can, in the immediate term, increase sports therapy and rehabilitation students' knowledge of pain neuroscience, improve attitudes toward athletes with pain, and shift their clinical recommendations in line with current guidelines. Such changes could lead to enhanced rehabilitation for athletes with persistent pain.

Perceptions of adults with overweight/obesity and chronic musculoskeletal pain: An interpretative phenomenological analysis.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To gain insight into the lived experience of adults with overweight/obesity and chronic musculoskeletal pain. Knowledge gained will inform healthcare professionals about the complexity of the weight-pain relationship and enable more effective engagement with this population. BACKGROUND: Quantitative studies show links between weight and pain. Adults with overweight/obesity are more likely to experience comorbidity; however, qualitative research describing the complexities of the relationship is limited. METHODS: A purposive sample of adults with overweight/obesity and chronic musculoskeletal pain participated in face-to-face interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. RESULTS: Eighteen adults (16 female) aged 29-71, body mass index ≥25-46, participated in this study. Three superordinate themes emerged: "pain as a motivator and barrier to weight loss"; "fear of weight causing more damage"; and "activity is positive." Pain motivates some individuals to lose weight while simultaneously inhibiting weight loss efforts. Participants' perception that extra pressure caused by their weight further damaged joints contributed to fear and catastrophising. Fear is often exacerbated by healthcare professionals' descriptions of musculoskeletal damage, or participants' perception of healthcare professionals' attitude towards people with overweight/obesity. Conversely, individuals acknowledged the benefits of increased activity. CONCLUSION: Adults with overweight/obesity and chronic musculoskeletal pain in this study identified a bidirectional relationship between their weight and pain that challenged their weight loss efforts. Overweight/obesity contributed to fear and catastrophising, which resulted in avoidance of exercise that would have assisted their weight loss. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Healthcare professionals need to understand the complex relationship between weight and pain, and their patients' understanding of that relationship. Healthcare professionals should use therapeutic communication to reduce the fear of weight causing damage, and thus promote physical activities that will contribute to weight loss. It is also important to ensure that the language used with this patient group does not stigmatise individuals, or cause or exacerbate fear of normal movement.

Tactile acuity training for patients with chronic low back pain: a pilot randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain can disrupt the cortical representation of a painful body part. This disruption may play a role in maintaining the individual's pain. Tactile acuity training has been used to normalise cortical representation and reduce pain in certain pain conditions. However, there is little evidence for the effectiveness of this intervention for chronic low back pain (CLBP). The primary aim of this study was to inform the development of a fully powered randomised controlled trial (RCT) by providing preliminary data on the effect of tactile acuity training on pain and function in individuals with CLBP. The secondary aim was to obtain qualitative feedback about the intervention. METHODS: In this mixed-methods pilot RCT 15 individuals were randomised to either an intervention (tactile acuity training) or a placebo group (sham tactile acuity training). All participants received 3 sessions of acuity training (intervention or sham) from a physiotherapist and were requested to undertake daily acuity home training facilitated by an informal carer (friend/relative). All participants also received usual care physiotherapy. The primary outcome measures were pain (0-100visual analogue scale (VAS)) and function (Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ)). Participants and their informal carers were invited to a focus group to provide feedback on the intervention. RESULTS: The placebo group improved by the greatest magnitude for both outcome measures, but there was no statistically significant difference (Mean difference (95%CI), p-value) between groups for change in pain (25.6 (-0.7 to 51.9), p = 0.056) or function (2.2 (-1.6 to 6.0), p = 0.237). Comparing the number of individuals achieving a minimally clinically significant improvement, the placebo group had better outcomes for pain with all participants achieving ≥30% improvement compared to only a third of the intervention group (6/6 vs. 3/9, p = 0.036). Qualitatively, participants reported that needing an informal carer was a considerable barrier to the home training component of the study. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot RCT found tactile acuity training to be no more effective than sham tactile acuity training for function and less effective for pain in individuals with CLBP. That the intervention could not be self-applied was a considerable barrier to its use. TRIAL REGISTRATION ISRCTN: ISRCTN98118082.

Acceptability and feasibility of virtual reality to promote health literacy in primary care from the health professional's view: A qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: The development of health literacy is important in the management of chronic pain and virtual reality may be an effective medium for its development. This study aims to understand the usability and acceptability of a virtual reality-based pain education system for the facilitation of health literacy. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with health professionals who had used a VR-based pain education system within their clinical practice, to explore perceptions of feasibility. Data collection and analyses were informed by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology and the Integrated Model of Health Literacy. RESULTS: From 10 participants, the VR-based system was considered feasible in providing immersive experiential learning which addressed patient understanding and health-related communication. CONCLUSION: VR appears to be perceived as an acceptable and feasible technology to support the development of health literacy in people with chronic pain. Its largest perceived benefit was its capacity to provide an immersive and entertaining alternative to conventional methods of pain education. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Virtual reality is considered as a feasible method of facilitating patient understanding and health-related communication related to chronic pain. Feasibility of such a tool relies clinically on time available, social expectations of VR, and the role of immersive and experiential learning within the management of chronic pain.

The experiences of physiotherapists delivering pain science education via an interpreter: a mixed-methods online survey.

OBJECTIVE: To explore physiotherapist's experiences of delivering Pain Science Education (PSE) via an interpreter to people with persistent pain. METHOD: A cross-sectional online survey study of UK Physiotherapists. The study protocol was registered on the Open Science Framework Registry. Seventy-seven physiotherapists with experience of delivering PSE via an interpreter completed the survey between January 16, 2023 and May 24, 2023. Feelings of stress and confidence the messages of PSE had been understood when delivering PSE with and without an interpreter were assessed on an 11-point Likert scale. In addition, drop-down, multi-selection lists were presented with barriers and facilitators to delivering PSE via an interpreter. Thematic analysis was undertaken of open text fields which allowed participants to elaborate on their responses. RESULTS: Physiotherapists were less confident the information had been understood -2.3 (-2.8 to -1.8) mean difference (95% Confidence Interval) and more stressed 2.3 (1.7 to 2.9) when delivering PSE via an interpreter compared to doing so without an interpreter (p < .001). From the open-text data, the overarching theme was Trust in the Interpretation with three sub-themes: 1) Family vs Professional Interpreter, 2) Therapist and Interpreter Relationship, and 3) Strong Preference for Face-Face Interpretation. CONCLUSIONS: UK Physiotherapists are less confident that patients understand the messages of PSE when delivered via an interpreter and they find it significantly more stressful than delivering PSE in English. Almost all participants encountered barriers to delivering PSE via an interpreter. Future research needs to explore the experience of patients and interpreters within this clinical context.

Utilisation and experience of emergency medical services by patients with back pain: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Back pain is recognised as a common reason for people to access emergency medical services (EMS). EMS focus on identifying and treating serious and life-threatening conditions. Back pain frequently has a non-specific cause, however back pain is also a symptom for potentially serious pathology best suited for management by EMS. OBJECTIVES: This scoping review explores how and why patients with back pain access EMS, the care provided, and patients' and clinicians' perceptions of EMS. METHODS: The established methodology advocated by the Joanna Briggs Institute was followed. Literature was identified via a comprehensive search of six databases as well as grey literature searching. Data was extracted to form a narrative review supported by summary tables and figures. RESULTS: The review included 144 papers across the last 36 years, with half the papers published since 2018, the majority from the USA and Australia. Rates of back pain presentation range from 1 to 9% depending on the definition used, with the rate of serious pathology higher than in primary care. Patients present due to concerns about their condition, positive perceptions of the care provided by EMS and difficulty in accessing primary care. Imaging and opioids are widely used, blood markers may aid diagnosis of serious pathology, whilst physiotherapists in Emergency Departments may support management of patients without serious pathology. CONCLUSIONS: Back pain is a common reason for EMS presentation. Whilst non-specific back pain is the most common diagnosis further research to support the recognition and care of serious cases would be beneficial.

The Test-Retest Reliability of Pain Outcome Measures in People With Phantom Limb Pain.

OBJECTIVES: To quantify the test-retest reliability of 3 patient-reported outcome measures of pain for people living with phantom limb pain (PLP) and assess the impact of test-retest errors on future research and clinical decisions. METHODS: Thirty-nine participants (30 males), mean (SD) age: 55 (16), mean (SD) years postamputation: 6.8 (8.3), reported their PLP levels on a visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain intensity, the revised short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ-2), and a pain diary, on 2 occasions 7 to 14 days apart. Mean systematic change, within-subjects SD, limits of agreement (LOA), coefficient of variation, and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were quantified alongside their respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). RESULTS: Systematic learning effects (mean changes) were not clinically relevant across the VAS, SF-MPQ-2, and pain diary. Within-subject SDs (95% CI) were 11.8 (9.6-15.3), 0.9 (0.7-1.2), and 8.6 (6.9-11.5), respectively. LOA (95% CI) were 32.6 (26.5-42.4), 2.5 (2-3.3), and 23.9 (19.2-31.8), respectively. ICCs (95% CI) were 0.8 (0.6-0.9), 0.8 (0.7-0.9), and 0.9 (0.8-0.9), respectively, but may have been inflated by sample heterogeneity. The test-retest errors allowed detection of clinically relevant effect sizes with feasible sample sizes in future studies, but individual errors were large. DISCUSSION: For people with PLP, a pain intensity VAS, the SF-MPQ-2, and a pain diary show an acceptable level of intersession reliability for use in future clinical trials with feasible sample sizes. Nevertheless, the random error observed for all 3 of the pain outcome measures suggests they should be interpreted with caution in case studies and when monitoring individuals' clinical status and progress.

LogMyScan: A pilot evaluation study of a mobile phone-based ultrasound logbook application.

Introduction: We developed a mobile phone logbook application called LogMyScan. The study objectives were to evaluate a number of domains as per the technology acceptance model. Methods: A prospective pilot cohort study was conducted using a version of LogMyScan and reported according to Statement on Reporting of Evaluation studies in Health Informatics. Prospective participants were directed to a website which provided information and links. Participants were recruited via email distribution lists and social media. A task list was provided, which included entering simulated scan data and navigating the application, prior to completing a questionnaire. Questions were aligned to technology acceptance model domains, and Cronbach's alpha was calculated to assess reliability. Results: There were 49 participants and 7 were unable to complete the image upload and editing step. Levels of agreement for usability, educational and governance/security aspects were generally good. The desirability of existing and proposed features was high for images and video clip handling, feedback and reflection and less for motivational notifications and benchmarking. Comments identified some limitations and issues on the Android platform. Cronbach's alpha demonstrated good to excellent reliability: 0.87 (95% confidence interval, 0.79-0.91) for usability, educational and governance/security and 0.86 (95% confidence interval, 0.78-0.91) for desirability of existing and proposed features. Conclusion: There was generally high perceived ease of use, usefulness, attitude towards use and behavioural intention to use LogMyScan. Further research is needed to evaluate LogMyScan for future iterations, allowing recruitment of a larger number of participants and evaluating user expectations prior to using, and at timed intervals after using.

We Are All in This Together-Whole of Community Pain Science Education Campaigns to Promote Better Management of Persistent Pain.

Persistent pain is a major public health issue-estimated to affect a quarter of the world's population. Public understanding of persistent pain is based on outdated biomedical models, laden with misconceptions that are contrary to best evidence. This understanding is a barrier to effective pain management. Thus, there have been calls for public health-based interventions to address these misconceptions. Previous pain-focussed public education campaigns have targeted pain beliefs and behaviours that are thought to promote recovery, such as staying active. However, prevailing pain-related misconceptions render many of these approaches counter-intuitive, at best. Pain Science Education improves understanding of 'how pain works' and has been demonstrated to improve pain and disability outcomes. Extending Pain Science Education beyond the clinic to the wider community seems warranted. Learning from previous back pain-focussed and other public health educational campaigns could optimise the potential benefit of such a Pain Science Education campaign. Pain Science Education-grounded campaigns have been delivered in Australia and the UK and show promise, but robust evaluations are needed before any firm conclusions on their population impact can be made. Several challenges exist going forward. Not least is the need to ensure all stakeholders are involved in the development and implementation of Pain Science Education public messaging campaigns. Furthermore, it is crucial that campaigns are undertaken through a health equity lens, incorporating underrepresented communities to ensure that any intervention does not widen existing health inequalities associated with persistent pain. PERSPECTIVE: Public misconceptions about pain are a significant public health challenge and a viable intervention target to reduce the personal, social, and economic burden of persistent pain. Adaptation of Pain Science Education, which improves misconceptions in a clinical setting, into the public health setting seems a promising approach to explore.

Therapy students' recommendations of physical activity for managing persistent low back pain in older adults.

Negative views of older adults can lead to suboptimal care. For older adults with persistent low back pain (LBP), promotion of physical activity by health care professionals is important. Health care professionals' views of older adults are influenced by their training. This study aimed to compare recommendations for physical activity for managing persistent LBP offered by students in physiotherapy and occupational therapy to an older person vs. a younger person. In a cross-sectional online survey, participants (N = 77) randomly received a vignette of either a 40-yr-old or 70-yr-old patient with persistent LBP. Other than age, the vignettes were identical. There was no difference between the younger and older vignettes in the likelihood of participants making overall appropriate physical activity recommendations--63% vs. 59%, OR (95% CI) = 1.19 (0.48-2.99), p = .71--although there was a trend toward age bias on recommendations specific to daily activity. Postqualification education may be where ageist views need to be addressed.

Perspectives on the insidious nature of pain metaphor: we literally need to change our metaphors.

Metaphorical language is used to convey one thing as representative or symbolic of something else. Metaphor is used in figurative language but is much more than a means of delivering "poetic imagination". A metaphor is a conceptual tool for categorising, organizing, thinking about, and ultimately shaping reality. Thus, metaphor underpins the way humans think. Our viewpoint is that metaphorical thought and communication contribute to "painogenicity", the tendency of socio-ecological environments (settings) to promote the persistence of pain. In this perspectives article, we explore the insidious nature of metaphor used in pain language and conceptual models of pain. We explain how metaphor shapes mental organisation to govern the way humans perceive, navigate and gain insight into the nature of the world, i.e., creating experience. We explain how people use metaphors to "project" their private sensations, feelings, and thoughts onto objects and events in the external world. This helps people to understand their pain and promotes sharing of pain experience with others, including health care professionals. We explore the insidious nature of "warmongering" and damage-based metaphors in daily parlance and demonstrate how this is detrimental to health and wellbeing. We explore how metaphors shape the development and communication of complex, abstract ideas, theories, and models and how scientific understanding of pain is metaphorical in nature. We argue that overly simplistic neuro-mechanistic metaphors of pain contribute to fallacies and misnomers and an unhealthy focus on biomedical research, in the hope of developing medical interventions that "prevent pain transmission [sic]". We advocate reconfiguring pain language towards constructive metaphors that foster a salutogenic view of pain, focusing on health and well-being. We advocate reconfiguring metaphors to align with contemporary pain science, to encourage acceptance of non-medicalised strategies to aid health and well-being. We explore the role of enactive metaphors to facilitate reconfiguration. We conclude that being cognisant of the pervasive nature of metaphors will assist progress toward a more coherent conceptual understanding of pain and the use of healthier pain language. We hope our article catalyses debate and reflection.

Emergency department use by people with back pain: An investigation.

Background: Demand on emergency departments (EDs) is rising, at least in part due to patients with conditions suitable for management in primary care. Pain experienced in the back region is a common reason for patients to seek help and much of the established literature on back pain suggests serious pathologies are rare and the majority of patients can be safely treated in primary care. Emerging international data suggests that patients who present to ED complaining of back pain do not reflect those in primary care, with a higher rate of serious pathologies and non-spinal causes. This exploratory study seeks to quantify the prevalence of people attending ED with back pain, to describe their characteristics and the characteristics of their attendance. Methods: This observational study is a retrospective analysis of patients attending EDs within an NHS Trust in the North East of England presenting with back pain from 1/10/2017 to 30/09/2018. Results: Of 212,020 attendances, 3872 (2%) patients presented complaining of back pain on arrival. 36% of patients had no official diagnosis recorded, 5% were categorised as having a potentially serious spinal pathology, 22% had a non-spinal pathology diagnosis and 23% were categorised as simple backache. The majority (56%) had no recorded investigations, 19% received plain radiography, 5% received either CT/MRI, 18% had blood investigations and 17% had cardiac monitoring or electrocardiogram. Most individuals self-presented. NHS 111, primary care and community care referrals accounted for 24% of attendances. Conclusion: Back pain was a relatively common ED attendance and represented a variety of conditions including non-spinal causes. This suggests that the population of patients with back pain attending ED are a different subgroup to those presenting to primary care. Care should be taken applying primary care guidance to this group and there may be a need for emergency care specific back pain guidelines.

Global and regional estimates of clinical and economic burden of low back pain in high-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Low back pain (LBP) is a common health problem, and the leading cause of activity limitation and work absence among people of all ages and socioeconomic strata. This study aimed to analyse the clinical and economic burden of LBP in high income countries (HICs) via systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: A literature search was carried out on PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, AMED, and Scopus databases was from inception to March 15th, 2023. Studies that assessed the clinical and economic burden of LBP in HICs and published in English language were reviewed. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment scale (NOS) for cohort studies. Two reviewers, using a predefined data extraction form, independently extracted data. Meta-analyses were conducted for clinical and economic outcomes. Results: The search identified 4,081 potentially relevant articles. Twenty-one studies that met the eligibility criteria were included and reviewed in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The included studies were from the regions of America (n = 5); Europe (n = 12), and the Western Pacific (n = 4). The average annual direct and indirect costs estimate per population for LBP ranged from € 2.3 billion to € 2.6 billion; and € 0.24 billion to $8.15 billion, respectively. In the random effects meta-analysis, the pooled annual rate of hospitalization for LBP was 3.2% (95% confidence interval 0.6%-5.7%). The pooled direct costs and total costs of LBP per patients were USD 9,231 (95% confidence interval -7,126.71-25,588.9) and USD 10,143.1 (95% confidence interval 6,083.59-14,202.6), respectively. Discussion: Low back pain led to high clinical and economic burden in HICs that varied significantly across the geographical contexts. The results of our analysis can be used by clinicians, and policymakers to better allocate resources for prevention and management strategies for LBP to improve health outcomes and reduce the substantial burden associated with the condition. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/#recordDetails?, PROSPERO [CRD42020196335].

The Association of Pain with Incident Falls in People with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Evidence from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have a higher prevalence of pain and a greater risk of falls than their healthy peers. As pain has been associated with an increased risk of falls in older adults, this study investigated the association between pain and falls in people with COPD compared to healthy controls. Data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing were used to establish an association between pain and falls when modelled with a generalised ordinal logistic regression and adjusted for sex, age, wealth, and education (complete case analysis only; n = 806 COPD, n = 3898 healthy controls). The odds were then converted to the predicted probabilities of falling. The predicted probability of falling for people with COPD was greater across all pain categories than for healthy controls; for COPD with (predicted probability % [95%CI]), no pain was 20% [17 to 25], with mild pain was 28% [18 to 38], with moderate pain was 28% [22 to 34] with severe pain was 39% [30 to 47] and for healthy controls with no pain was 17% [16 to 18], mild pain 22% [18 to 27], moderate pain 25% [20 to 29] and severe pain 27% [20 to 35]. The probability of falling increased across pain categories in individuals with COPD, with the most severe pain category at a nearly 40% probability of falling, indicating a potential interaction between COPD and pain.

Does pain duration and other variables measured at baseline predict re-referral of low back pain patients managed on an evidence-based pathway? A cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between baseline pain duration and the likelihood of re-referral of patients with low back pain (LBP) managed on the evidence-based North East of England Regional Back Pain and Radicular Pain Pathway (NERBPP). STUDY DESIGN: Longitudinal, observational cohort study. METHODS: In all, 12,509 adults with LBP were identified as having been discharged from the pathway, between May 2015 and December 2019. To quantify any association between baseline pain duration and the likelihood of re-referral, two statistical modelling approaches, were used: logistic regression models for odds ratios and generalised linear models with a binomial link function in order to quantify risk differences. RESULTS: Twenty-five percent of patients with LBP, who were discharged, re-referred for management over a 4.5-year period. A large difference in pain duration of 2 SD days was statistically associated with re-referral, with an odds ratio of 1.22 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.44) and a risk difference of 3.6% (95% CI: 0.6, 6.6). Nevertheless, the predictive value of an individual's pain duration was found to be weak for re-referral. Higher baseline disability [odds ratio of 1.40 (95% CI: 1.07, 1.83)] and a younger age at baseline [odds ratio of 0.73 (95% CI 0.61, 0.86)] were also associated with an increased risk of re-referral. CONCLUSIONS: Baseline pain duration, disability and younger age are statistically associated with re-referral onto the NERBPP. However, the value of these variables for predicting an individual's risk of re-referral is weak. CONTRIBUTION OF PAPER.