Uncovering emotional and network dynamics in the speech of patients with chronic low back pain.

BACKGROUND: Computational linguistics allows an understanding of language structure and different forms of expression of patients' perceptions. AIMS: The aims of this study were (i) to carry out a descriptive analysis of the discourse of people with chronic low back pain using sentiment analysis (SA) and network analysis; (ii) to verify the correlation between patients' profiles, pain intensity and disability levels with SA and network analysis; and (iii) to identify clusters in our sample according to language and SA using an unsupervised machine learning technique. METHODS: We performed a secondary analysis of a qualitative study including participants with chronic non-specific low back pain. We used the data related to participants' feelings when they received the diagnosis. The SA and network analysis were performed using the Valence Aware Dictionary and sEntiment Reasoner, and the Speech Graph, respectively. Clustering was performed using the K-means algorithm. RESULTS: In the SA, the mean composite score was -0.31 (Sd. = 0.58). Most participants presented a negative discourse (n = 41; 72%). Word Count (WC) and Largest Strongly connected Component (LSC) positively correlated with education. No statistically significant correlations were observed between pain intensity, disability levels, SA, and network analysis. Two clusters were identified in our sample. CONCLUSION: The SA showed that participants reported their feeling when describing the moment of the diagnosis using sentences with negative discourse. We did not find a statistically significant correlation between pain intensity, disability levels, SA, and network analysis. Education level presented positive correlation with WC and LSC.

Patients should not rely on low back pain information from Brazilian official websites: A mixed-methods review.

BACKGROUND: Websites from official organizations (e.g., Ministry of Health and Professional Councils) are assumed to be trustworthy sources of information. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the credibility, accuracy, and readability of low back pain (LBP) web-based content in Brazilian official websites. METHODS: Mixed-methods review. Google search was used for retrieving web-information about Brazilian trustworthy organizations. We assessed the URLs on three domains: credibility, accuracy, and readability of LBP contents. Qualitative analysis was performed using an open source platform in three stages: (1) organization into thematic units; (2) data exploration; and (3) interpretation of the data and summarization. RESULTS: We included 84 URLs. Accuracy was assessed for 58 URLs and none fully adhered to the guidelines. Credibility analysis was performed for 67 URLs. Disclosure of authorship was not mentioned in 58 (87%) of the URLs, 63 (94%) did not mention the sources of their information, none presented a declaration of conflict of interest, and 16 (24%) did not provide the date of creation. Readability was assessed for 72 URLs and was classified as "easy" to read in 65%. Six main themes emerged in the qualitative analysis: (1) Explanations and causes for LBP, (2) diagnosis, (3) recommendations about medication, (4) recommendations for coping and self-management, (5) performing exercises, and (6) recommendations for children and adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: The reading level is appropriate for patient-oriented information. However, Brazilian official websites demonstrated low credibility standards and while some of the content is partially supported by the current literature, there is also much inaccurate information about LBP.

"A journey to learn about pain": the development and validation of a comic book about pain neuroscience education for children.

BACKGROUND: Pain education resources for children using appropriate language and illustrations remain scarce. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to summarize the development process and testing for face and content validity of a structured comic book about pain education for children. METHODS: A first draft of a comic book was developed (Portuguese and English) based on pain education concepts. Experts in pediatric pain from different countries analyzed content, objectives, language, illustrations, layout, motivation, and cultural adjustment. A third draft developed in Portuguese considering experts' suggestions was presented to children and parents in Brazil. The total adequacy score was calculated from the sum of the scores obtained in each domain, divided by the maximum total score. Descriptive analysis is presented. RESULTS: The expert panel was composed of 11 (64.7%) physical therapists, and 6 (35.3%) psychologists. The total adequacy score (0-100%) was 87.74%. The third draft version of the comic book was presented to 28 children and the final version was presented to 16 children with a mean age of 9.6 years. Children were totally satisfied (n=4; 26.7%) or satisfied (n=9; 56.2%) with the story of the comic book. The readability of the comic book was considered suitable for grades 4 to 6 educational level. CONCLUSION: The comic book "A Journey to Learn about Pain" was validated for face and content validity by the expert panel and the Brazilian target population. This comic book is available in Portuguese and English and can be a potentially useful resource for children.

Self-Guided Web-Based Pain Education for People With Musculoskeletal Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of web-based pain education programs without clinical support in patients with musculoskeletal pain. METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO were searched from inception to February 2020. Included studies were randomized clinical trials in which people with musculoskeletal pain were allocated to an experimental group that received web-based pain education as a standalone approach. Three review authors performed data extraction. The PEDro (Physiotherapy Evidence Database) scale was used to assess the methodological quality of the studies. The primary outcomes were pain intensity and disability. RESULTS: Six trials with a total of 1664 participants were included. There is moderate-quality evidence with a small effect size that web-based pain education programs, as a standalone approach, are better than minimal intervention (no intervention or booklets) for pain intensity (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -0.23; 95% CI = -0.43 to -0.04) in the short term and intermediate term (SMD = -0.26; 95% CI = -0.42 to -0.10). Regarding disability, there is low-quality evidence that web-based pain education programs are better than minimal intervention (SMD = -0.36; 95% CI = -0.64 to -0.07) in the short term. Web-based pain education added to usual care was no better than usual care alone in the intermediate or long term for primary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Web-based pain education for adults with musculoskeletal pain, as a standalone approach, was better than minimal intervention for pain intensity and disability in the short term, and for pain intensity in the intermediate term. Web-based pain education added to usual care did not provide additional benefits for primary outcomes in the intermediate or long term. IMPACT: Web-based pain education as a standalone intervention provided small improvements in pain intensity and disability in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Poorly resourced settings and overburdened health systems should consider this delivery method in the management of chronic musculoskeletal pain. LAY SUMMARY: If you have chronic musculoskeletal pain, your physical therapist might recommend web-based pain education as treatment to help you reduce pain intensity and disability.

Evaluation of an on-line resource for pain education by health professionals and people with musculoskeletal pain / Avaliação de um instrumento on-line para educação em dor por profissionais de saúde e pacientes com dor musculoesquelética

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Educational interventions delivered over the Internet have the potential to facilitate access to precise information for people with pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the opinion of health care professionals and the perception of pain comprehension and the behavior modification of patients with musculoskeletal pain related to the on-line resource "Caminho da Recuperação" (Path of Recovery). METHODS: Health care professionals and patients with musculoskeletal pain were selected through the Internet. The professionals judged the quality of the instrument's content considering the concepts of pain education based on neuroscience using a Likert scale. People with pain used an 11-point scale (the higher the value, the greater the perception) to evaluate how the on-line resource contributed to change. Data was presented through descriptive analysis. RESULTS: The samples were composed of 81 health care professionals and 170 individuals with pain. In the group composed of people with musculoskeletal pain, the perception of the pain comprehension presented the highest mean value (6.7 / 10) and the return to physical activity the lowest mean value (5.2 / 10). CONCLUSION: The on-line resource was rated as excellent by health care professionals in all items. People with pain have noticed a greater shift towards comprehending pain, behavior and negative thoughts. The lowest perceptions occurred in terms of return to daily activity, exercises and improving relationships.

RESUMO JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: As intervenções educativas via Internet apresentam potencial para facilitar o acesso a informações adequadas para as pessoas com dor. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a opinião de profissionais de saúde e a percepção da compreensão da dor e a modificação de comportamento de pacientes com dor musculoesquelética relacionadas ao instrumento on-line Caminho da Recuperação. MÉTODOS: Participaram do estudo profissionais de saúde e pacientes com dor musculoesquelética selecionados pela Internet. Os profissionais julgaram a qualidade do conteúdo do instrumento considerando os conceitos da educação em dor com base em neurociência usando uma escala Likert. As pessoas com dor utilizaram uma escala de 11 pontos (quanto maior o valor, maior a percepção) para avaliar o quanto o instrumento contribuiu para mudança. Os dados foram apresentados por meio da análise descritiva. RESULTADOS: Participaram 81 profissionais de saúde e 170 pessoas com dor. Para as pessoas com dor musculoesquelética a percepção do entendimento sobre a dor apresentou o maior valor médio (6,7/10) e o retorno para a atividade física o menor valor médio (5,2/10). CONCLUSÃO: O instrumento foi avaliado como excelente por profissionais de saúde em todos os itens. As pessoas com dor perceberam maior mudança para o entendimento da dor, o comportamento e os pensamentos negativos. As menores percepções ocorreram para retorno à atividade diária, aos exercícios e melhora dos relacionamentos.

Consensus on evidence-based medicine curriculum contents for healthcare schools in Brazil.

OBJECTIVES: Healthcare professionals need to take into account their knowledge, skills and attitudes to develop a focused clinical question, perform an effective search of the literature, critically appraise the evidence, and apply to the clinical context and evaluate the effectiveness of the process. To date, there is a lack of consensus on evidence-based medicine (EBM) curriculum for undergraduate healthcare students in Brazil. The aim of this study was to develop a consensus on EBM curriculum contents for healthcare schools in Brazil considering expert opinion. DESIGN: Modified three-round Delphi methodology. SETTING: Online survey. PARTICIPANTS: The expert panel was composed of 40 healthcare professionals from different specialties. Most of the participants (n=24; 60%) were female with the age between 30 and 44 years. Participants were also experts in the field of epidemiology, biostatistics or public health. The mean experience of experts in teaching EBM was 9.5 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: An online questionnaire consisting of 89 items related to EBM was sent to the experts. The experts ranked each item of EBM curriculum considering the importance of each item as omitted, mentioned, explained or practised. The last section of the questionnaire was composed of 'additional content' where the experts evaluated only if an item should be included or not, the form of offering the EBM contents and the total workload (in hours/semester). Open-ended questions were present in each section to give the opportunity to experts to insert suggestions. Items that reached values greater than or equal to 70% of agreement among experts was considered definitive for the curriculum. Items between 51% and 69% of agreement were included for the next round and those items with less than or equal to 50% of agreement were considered unnecessary and were excluded. In the third round, the EBM contents were classified according to the degree of consensus as follow: strong (≥70% of agreement), moderate (51%-69% of agreement) and weak (50% of agreement) based on the maximum consensus reached. RESULTS: Of the 89 initial contents, 32 (35.9%) reached a strong degree of consensus, 23 (25.8%) moderate degree of consensus, two (2.2%) weak degree of consensus and 35 items were not recommended (≤50% of agreement). The workload suggested by experts should be between 61 and 90 hour/semester and an EBM curriculum should be offered with epidemiology and biostatistics as prerequisites. Regarding the importance of each item, 29 (72.5%) should be explained and 25 (27.5%) should be practised with exercises. CONCLUSIONS: The consensus on an EBM curriculum for Brazilian healthcare schools consists of 54 items. This EBM curriculum also presents the degree of consensus (strong, moderate and weak), the importance of each item (mentioned, explained and practised with exercises). A total workload of between 60 and 90 hours per semester was suggested and the EBM curriculum should be offered with epidemiology and biostatistics as prerequisites, but also EBM contents should be included within other disciplines throughout the entire undergraduate course.

ConheceDOR: the development of a board game for modern pain education for patients with musculoskeletal pain / ConheceDOR: desenvolvimento de um jogo de tabuleiro para educação moderna em dor para pessoas com dor musculoesquelética

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Chronic pain is one of the main challenges for health systems. Pain education and self-motivated strategies have great potential in the treatment of people with chronic pain, especially by modifying beliefs and behavior. The development of board games for educational purposes can contribute to the learning of pain concepts and behavioral strategies. The objective of this study was to develop a board game (ConheceDor) to be used as an intervention tool for pain education. CONTENTS: The systematic review for the development of the game ConheceDor, considered the following search strategy: "chronic pain", "musculoskeletal pain", "health education", "patient education", "neuroscience education", "pain education", "therapeutic neuroscience education". The primary outcomes considered were pain intensity and disability. Fifteen studies were included, with a total of 1,486 participants. Six studies reported reduction on pain of at least 10%, and two studies reported an improvement of at least 30% on disability. For the development of the game, we elaborated the layout of the board, the rules and other components (dice, cards, and pins). The cards of the game included the contents commonly used in the randomized controlled trials: negative thoughts, pain neurophysiology, stress management, and relaxation, coping and exercises. CONCLUSION: The development of the present board game was based on the critical appraisal of the content of educational strategies present in the literature. The board game can be a potent resource to be applied in clinical practice in people with musculoskeletal pain.

RESUMO JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: A dor crônica é um dos principais desafios para os sistemas de saúde. As estratégias comportamentais e a educação em dor apresentam grande potencial no tratamento de pessoas com dor crônica, especialmente pela modificação de crenças e do comportamento. Os jogos de tabuleiro podem ser uma estratégia educativa que contribui para a aprendizagem dos conceitos sobre dor e estratégias comportamentais. O objetivo deste estudo foi desenvolver um jogo de tabuleiro (ConheceDor) como ferramenta de intervenção para educação em dor. CONTEÚDO: A revisão sistemática para o desenvolvimento do jogo ConheceDor, considerou a estratégia de busca com os descritores "chronic pain", "musculoskeletal pain", "health education", "patient education","neuroscience education", "pain education", "therapeutic neuroscience education". Os desfechos primários considerados foram a intensidade da dor e a incapacidade. Foram incluídos 15 estudos com um total de 1.486 participantes. Seis estudos apresentaram redução da dor de pelo menos 10% e dois estudos atingiram uma melhora de pelo menos 30% na incapacidade. Para o desenvolvimento do jogo foram elaborados o layout do tabuleiro, as regras e os demais componentes (dados, cartas, pinos). As cartas do ConheceDor incluíram os temas mais utilizados nos estudos identificados que foram: pensamentos negativos, neurofisiologia da dor, manuseio do estresse e relaxamento, enfrentamento e exercícios físicos. CONCLUSÃO: A criação de um jogo de tabuleiro considerou uma análise crítica da literatura dos conteúdos das estratégias educativas presentes nos ensaios clínicos. O desenvolvimento dessa intervenção pode ser um recurso para ser aplicado na prática clínica em pessoas com dor musculoesquelética.

Association between pain drawing and psychological factors in musculoskeletal chronic pain: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: It has been speculated that there is an association between pain area and psychological factors in chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions; however, this relation is not well established. PURPOSE: To investigate the association between pain distribution and psychological factors in chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review. METHODS: We searched the following databases using optimized search strategies: MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science and Cochrane. Studies were included if they investigated the relation between pain area using a pain drawing (PD) and psychological factors measured by any consistent available method. RESULTS: Eleven articles were included. A total of 1301 participants with different musculoskeletal pain conditions, including low back pain, whiplash-associated disorders and fibromyalgia took part in the studies. In three studies, the correlation between pain area and depression was weak (r = 0.15, p = N/A; r = 0.26, p < 0.05; r = 0.25, p = 0.01). Depression seemed to be a risk factor for pain in more body areas in one study (relative risk = 6.09, 95% CI = 1.1-33.5; p < 0.05). The relation between pain area and other psychological factors such as anxiety, kinesiophobia, catastrophizing, memory disturbances and concentration difficulties was also reported. CONCLUSIONS: A definitive answer on the relation of psychological factors and pain area is not available; the findings suggest that only depression might have a weak relation with pain area. Future studies that investigate sensory, psychological, emotional, cognitive and behavioral aspects, and also more accurate methods of PD assessment, are needed.

Transcultural adaptation of the Injustice Experience Questionnaire into Brazilian Portuguese / Adaptação transcultural do Injustice Experience Questionnaire para o português do Brasil

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It has been proposed that some individuals with musculoskeletal pain may perceive themselves as victims of injustice. Perception of injustice can have a significant impact on several pain-related outcomes, major depressive symptoms, disabilities, and absenteeism. The objective of this study consisted of a transcultural adaptation of the original instrument in English, Injustice Experience Questionnaire into a final version to be used in Brazil. METHODS: The whole translation process consisted of translation, back-translation and the review by a committee of experts. The pre-test was applied to 90 participants (41 participants with chronic musculoskeletal pain). For the psychometric analysis, the translated version was applied to 120 participants with chronic musculoskeletal pain. The internal consistency was verified by the Cronbach's alpha coefficient, and the construct validity was analyzed using factorial exploratory analysis. RESULTS: After the conclusion of the pre-test, there were no difficulties in understanding the translated questionnaire by more than 20% of the sample. The Cronbach alpha calculation for the 12 items of the Injustice Experience Questionnaire/Port-BR was 0.86 [CI (95%) = 0.83 to 0.90; p<0.001]. CONCLUSION: The questionnaire's Portuguese version proved to be easily understandable showing good semantic validation. Nevertheless, further studies should address other psychometric characteristics of this instrument.

RESUMO JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: Tem sido proposto que algumas pessoas com dor musculoesquelética podem desenvolver um sentimento de injustiça. A percepção da injustiça pode ter um impacto significativo em uma série de desfechos relacionados à dor, sintomas depressivos maiores, incapacidades e absenteísmo. O objetivo deste estudo consistiu em uma adaptação transcultural do instrumento original em inglês do Injustice Experience Questionnaire para uma versão final a ser utilizada no Brasil. MÉTODOS: Todo o processo consistiu em tradução, retrotradução e revisão pelo comitê de especialista. O pré-teste foi aplicado a 90 participantes (41 participantes com dor crônica musculoesquelética). Para a análise psicométrica, a versão traduzida foi aplicada a 120 participantes com dor crônica musculoesquelética. A consistência interna foi verificada pelo coeficiente alfa de Cronbach e a validade do construto foi analisada por meio de análise exploratória fatorial. RESULTADOS: Após a conclusão do pré-teste, não houve dificuldades em entender cada item do questionário traduzido por mais de 20% da amostra. O cálculo alfa de Cronbach para os 12 itens do Injustice Experience Questionnaire/Port-BR foi de 0,86 [IC (95%) = 0,83 a 0,90; p<0,001]. CONCLUSÃO: A versão em português do questionário mostrou-se facilmente compreensível com boa validação semântica. No entanto, estudos adicionais devem abordar outras características psicométricas desse instrumento.

Neck Pain Associated With a Bony Metastatic Tumor.

A 78-year-old man was referred to physical therapy with a 5-month history of nontraumatic neck pain and reductions in active bilateral rotation without radiculopathy. Radiography and computed tomography taken 2 months prior demonstrated age-related multilevel degenerative disc disease. Following physical therapy with no improvement in symptoms, magnetic resonance imaging with contrast and bone scintigraphy were ordered by the physician. An expansile lesion in the right lateral mass of the atlas on magnetic resonance imaging was consistent with a metastatic activity. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017;47(7):509. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.6135.

Transcultural adaptation into Portuguese of an instrument for pain evaluation based on the biopsychosocial model / Adaptação transcultural para a língua portuguesa de um instrumento de orientação para avaliação da dor

Abstract Introduction: Pain is an individual experience influenced by multiple interacting factors. The "biopsychosocial" care model has gained popularity in response to growing research evidence indicating the influence of biological, psychological, and social factors on the pain experience. The implementation of this model is a challenge in the practice of the health professional. Objective: To perform the transcultural adaptation of the SCEBS method into Brazilian Portuguese. Methods: The instrument was translated and applied to 50 healthy subjects and 50 participants with non-specific chronic pain in the spine. The process of cross-cultural adaptation included the following steps: transcultural adaptation, content analysis of the scale, pre-test, revision, back-translation review, cross-cultural adaptation, revised text correction and final report. Results: The translated and adapted 51-item Portuguese version of the SCEBS method produced an instrument called SCEBS-BR. In the assessment by the target population, 50 adult users of the Brazilian Unified Health System answered the questionnaire and showed good understanding of the instrument on the verbal rating scale. Conclusion: The SCEBS-BR was proved to be easily understandable, showing good semantic validation regardless of schooling level or age, and can be considered adequate for clinical use.

Resumo Introdução: A dor é uma experiência individual influenciada por aspectos multifatoriais. O modelo de cuidado "biopsicossocial" adquiriu popularidade em resposta à crescente evidência de pesquisas indicando a influência de fatores biológicos, psicológicos e sociais na experiência de dor. A implantação deste modelo é um desafio na prática do profissional de saúde. Objetivo: Realizar a adaptação transcultural do Método SCEBS para o português do Brasil. Métodos: O instrumento foi traduzido e aplicado a 50 indivíduos saudáveis e 50 pacientes com dor crônica não específica na coluna. O processo de adaptação transcultural incluiu as seguintes etapas: adaptação transcultural, análise de conteúdo da escala, pré-teste, revisão, revisão de back-translation, adaptação transcultural, correção de texto revisada e relatório final. Resultados: A versão portuguesa traduzida e adaptada de 51 itens do método SCEBS produziu um instrumento denominado SCEBS-BR. Na avaliação da população-alvo, 50 usuários adultos do Sistema Único de Saúde responderam ao questionário e mostraram boa compreensão do instrumento na escala de classificação verbal. Conclusão: O SCEBS-BR demonstrou ser facilmente compreensível, mostrando boa validação semântica independentemente do nível de escolaridade ou idade e considerado adequado para o uso clínico.

Measuring the Pain Area: An Intra- and Inter-Rater Reliability Study Using Image Analysis Software.

Pain drawings have frequently been used for clinical information and research. The aim of this study was to investigate intra- and inter-rater reliability of area measurements performed on pain drawings. Our secondary objective was to verify the reliability when using computers with different screen sizes, both with and without mouse hardware. Pain drawings were completed by patients with chronic neck pain or neck-shoulder-arm pain. Four independent examiners participated in the study. Examiners A and B used the same computer with a 16-inch screen and wired mouse hardware. Examiner C used a notebook with a 16-inch screen and no mouse hardware, and Examiner D used a computer with an 11.6-inch screen and a wireless mouse. Image measurements were obtained using GIMP and NIH ImageJ computer programs. The length of all the images was measured using GIMP software to a set scale in ImageJ. Thus, each marked area was encircled and the total surface area (cm(2) ) was calculated for each pain drawing measurement. A total of 117 areas were identified and 52 pain drawings were analyzed. The intrarater reliability between all examiners was high (ICC = 0.989). The inter-rater reliability was also high. No significant differences were observed when using different screen sizes or when using or not using the mouse hardware. This suggests that the precision of these measurements is acceptable for the use of this method as a measurement tool in clinical practice and research.