Pain catastrophizing: A patient-centered approach to assessment.

ABSTRACT: Pain is a subjective experience and its perception and expression vary widely. Pain catastrophizing, which refers to patients' thoughts or feelings about their pain, may impact their communication of pain and nurses' subsequent response. This article discusses how nurses can more readily recognize, assess, and manage pain catastrophizing.

The Imperative for Racial Equality in Pain Science: A Way Forward.

Racial equity is imperative to the future and integrity of scientific inquiry. In 2020, citizens of the United States (and globally) witnessed one of the most vile and egregious experiences of police brutality and systemic racism in recent history, the public execution of a Black American man. While some may isolate this and other similar events from influencing the scientific endeavors of pain researchers, events such as this can have a direct impact on the study, lived experience, and expression of pain in Black Americans. To truly understand the biopsychosocial effects of inequality and injustice on pain disparities, we must consider the unintended consequences that our current research approaches have in limiting the reliability and validity of scientific discovery. As we reflect on our current research practices in an effort to improve pain science, this perspective article discusses ways to initiate positive change in order to advance the science of pain in more equitable ways, not just for Black Americans, but for all individuals that identify as part of an underrepresented group. PERSPECTIVE: Elimination of inequities in pain care and research requires the identification, naming, and mitigation of systemic discriminatory and biased practices that limit our understanding of pain disparities. Now is the time to divest from traditional research methods and invest in equitable and innovative approaches to support pain researchers in advancing the science and improving the lives of people with pain.

Managing osteoarthritis pain with smart technology: a narrative review.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a highly prevalent musculoskeletal condition worldwide. More than 300 million individuals are affected by OA, and pain is the most common and challenging symptom to manage. Although many new advances have led to improved OA-related pain management, smart technology offers additional opportunities to enhance symptom management. This narrative review identifies and describes the current literature focused on smart technology for pain management in individuals with OA. In collaboration with a health sciences librarian, an interdisciplinary team of clinician-scientists searched multiple databases (e.g. PubMed, CINAHL and Embase), which generated 394 citations for review. After inclusion criteria were met, data were extracted from eight studies reporting on varied smart technologies, including mobile health, wearables and eHealth tools to measure or manage pain. Our review highlights the dearth of research in this crucial area, the implications for clinical practice and technology development, and future research needs.