Power over pain - An interprofessional approach to chronic pain: Program feedback from a medically underserved community.

INTRODUCTION: The management of chronic pain is challenging. Biopsychosocial models recommend interprofessional approaches to treatment, but there is sparse information about participants' experiences of these programs, especially in medically underserved populations coping with the intersectionality of racial bias, low socioeconomic status, and psychosocial stressors. This study explored the perspectives and experiences of black participants with low socioeconomic status and concomitant psychosocial stressors in an outpatient interprofessional pain management program, Power over Pain. The program incorporates cognitive-behavioural techniques, creative arts therapies, pain education, and psychoeducation about stress management, self-care, exercise, and medication. METHOD: This study employed thematic analysis as the qualitative research method. We conducted semi-structured interviews with nine program participants. Interview questions focused on the impact of the program on participants' overall health and wellbeing and ability to manage chronic pain. RESULTS: Thematic analysis revealed the following treatment benefits as perceived by the participants: (a) moving from feeling stuck to feeling empowered, (b) enhanced understanding of chronic pain resulting in cognitive reframing and debunking certain myths and stigmas, (c) learning new pain management strategies, and (d) social support. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that the Power over Pain program may be an effective way to improve self-management and empower medically underserved people who have chronic pain.

The Effects of Gender-Blind Sexism on Rape Myth Acceptance: Results From a Nationally Representative Study.

This study uses a diverse sample that is nationally representative with regards to race and gender (N = 2,000) in an attempt to replicate and confirm Stoll, Lilley, and Pinter's previous finding that gender-blind sexism is correlated with rape myth acceptance. As in the original study, we hypothesized that higher scores on the Gender-Blind Sexism Inventory (GBSI) would be predictive of higher scores on Stoll et al.'s Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (RMA). Gender-blind sexism builds on previous models of contemporary sexism such as hostile and benevolent sexism, modern sexism, and neosexism. It also represents an extension of racialized social system theory that explores the ways contemporary sexism operates in an era of post-racial and post-gender politics via four frames: abstract liberalism, naturalization, cultural sexism, and minimization of sexism. Unlike in the original study, however, our sample also allowed us to control for scores on the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI), the Modern Sexism Scale (MS), and the Neosexism Scale (NS) in testing this relationship. Our analysis confirmed the hypothesis that gender-blind sexism is predictive of higher rape myth acceptance among participants. Moreover, this study indicates that the GBSI offers additional value over the ASI, MS, and NS, as it was the only index of sexism tested that revealed gender-group differences within its relationship to RMA. Compared to men, women's acceptance of rape myths was more responsive to shifts in the GBSI. We discuss the implications of our findings in terms of rape and sexual assault prevention and policy. We also provide some suggestions for how the GBSI could be used in future studies.

Gender-Blind Sexism and Rape Myth Acceptance.

The purpose of this article is to explore whether gender-blind sexism, as an extension of Bonilla-Silva's racialized social system theory, is an appropriate theoretical framework for understanding the creation and continued prevalence of rape myth acceptance. Specifically, we hypothesize that individuals who hold attitudes consistent with the frames of gender-blind sexism are more likely to accept common rape myths. Data for this article come from an online survey administered to the entire undergraduate student body at a large Midwestern institution (N = 1,401). Regression analysis showed strong support for the effects of gender-blind sexism on rape myth acceptance.

A clinical comparison of extraoral panoramic and intraoral radiographic modalities for detecting proximal caries and visualizing open posterior interproximal contacts.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare extraoral panoramic bitewings (BWs) to intraoral photostimulable phosphor (PSP) plate BWs for the detection of proximal surface caries and to establish if there was any difference between extraoral BWs, intraoral BWs and panoramic radiographs in visualizing open posterior interproximal contacts. METHODS: Extraoral panoramic and intraoral BW images were acquired on each of 20 patients, resulting in 489 total non-restored, readable surfaces that were evaluated by 4 observers. The ANOVA analysis to determine diagnostic variability between and within each subject was utilized. The surfaces included in the study extended from the distal of each canine to the last posterior contact in each arch with non-readable proximal surfaces excluded (i.e.surfaces where over half the enamel layer was overlapped or where those surfaces were not visible in one or both modalities). RESULTS: The statistical analysis indicated that the overall mean area under the receiver operating characteristic curves across all observers for the intraoral BWs and extraoral panoramic BWs were 0.832 and 0.827, respectively, and the difference of 0.005 was not significant at p = 0.7781. The percentage of non-readable proximal surfaces across the three modalities was 4.1% for intraoral BWs, 18.3% for extraoral panoramic BWs and 51.5% for the standard panoramic images. CONCLUSIONS: The investigators concluded there was no significant difference in posterior proximal surface caries detection between the modalities. Extraoral panoramic BWs were much better than panoramic radiographs in visualizing open posterior interproximal contacts, 81.7% vs 48.5%, but below the 95.9% value for intraoral BWs.

Evaluation and treatment of acute and chronic injuries to the capsular ligaments of the knee.

Injury to the capsular ligaments of the knee commonly occurs in conjunction with cruciate ligament injury. An untreated grade III sprain can lead to recurrent meniscal injury, failure of cruciate ligament reconstruction, and arthrosis. Careful clinical examination is necessary to identify injuries to discrete ligaments and estimate the severity of injuries not discernable on imaging studies. A classification system of capsular injury is useful to link the diagnosis to a treatment algorithm. Anatomically based surgical procedures for acute and chronic sprains of the posteromedial, anterolateral, and posterolateral capsular structures have been proven in long-term outcome studies. The goal is to restore the anatomy by repair (for an acute sprain) or capsular shift (for a chronic sprain), rather than to substitute extra-articular tendon routing.

Outcome measurement in the treatment of extensor mechanism difficulties of the knee.

The authors' underlying philosophy is to use a standardized data package to collect information prospectively. This allows for the clinical evaluation and research of extensor mechanism disabilities. The use of a system of data management allows meaningful follow-up comparisons. Thus, one patient at a time, a surgeon's experience is documented.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Athletic Medicine.

OBJECTIVE: To emphasize the importance of decreasing the response time by a trained target responder to increase the survival rate among athletes experiencing sudden cardiac arrest at an athletic event. BACKGROUND: Death due to sudden cardiac arrest that is witnessed is preventable in many cases. However, most people who experience this condition die because of a prolonged response time from onset of the fatal arrhythmia to defibrillation by trained treatment providers. If athletic trainers or other members of the athletic care medical team are trained as target responders and equipped with automated electronic defibrillators, they can immediately treat an athlete who experiences a sudden, life-threatening tachyarrhythmia. This prompt response to the life-threatening emergency should result in a higher survival rate. DESCRIPTION: We review the causes of sudden cardiac arrest during athletic events, note some unusual clinical presentations, discuss improved methods of response and new equipment for treatment, and define the athletic trainer's role as a target responder trained to treat people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest at an athletic event. CLINICAL ADVANTAGES: An athletic care team willing to become part of an emergency response team can help improve the survival rate of athletes experiencing sudden cardiac arrest at an athletic event.