Introduction Key characteristics of musculoskeletal pain are (i) referred pain to distant somatic structures, (ii) deep-tissue hyperalgesia (general and localized), (iii) the transition from acute to chronic pain, and (iv) disturbed muscle function. Reliable methods for quantitative assessment of musculoskeletal characteristics are available that provide clinical mechanistic and quantitative in...

BACKGROUND Recent studies suggest an underlying three- or four-factor structure explains the conceptual overlap and distinctiveness of several negative emotionality and pain-related constructs. However, the validity of these latent factors for predicting pain has not been examined. METHODS A cohort of 189 (99 female, 90 male) healthy volunteers completed eight self-report negative emotionalit...

This paper presents 3 case reports of xiphodynia that presented to a chiropractic clinic. The paper examines aspects of xiphodynia including relevant anatomy of the xiphoid, as well as the incidence, aetiology, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. A brief overview of the mechanism of referred pain is presented.

OBJECTIVE Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate the factor structure of the Social Consequences of Pain (SCP) questionnaire in youth referred for specialty pain treatment. The existing four-factor structure (i.e., Positive Attention, Negative Attention, Activity Restriction, Privileges) was compared to an alternate three-factor structure merging Positive Attention and Privileges int...

BACKGROUND In patients with pain in the back, chest or abdomen, it may be difficult to differentiate nonmusculoskeletal causes from musculoskeletal causes. OBJECTIVE This article discusses the mechanisms of musculoskeletal referred pain and the key clinical features that help the practitioner differentiate such pain from nonmusculoskeletal pain, thereby informing appropriate management. DIS...

OBJECTIVE Multimodal rehabilitation programmes (MMRP) for chronic pain could be improved by determining which patients do not benefit fully. General distress and pain-related fear may explain variations in the treatment effects of MMRP. DESIGN Cohort study with a cross-sectional, prospective part. PATIENTS Chronic musculoskeletal pain patients referred to 2 hospital-based pain rehabilitatio...

OBJECTIVE Although numerous studies have independently examined ethnic differences in clinical and experimental pain, few have investigated differences in both sensitivity to controlled noxious stimuli and clinical pain reports in the same sample. The present experiment examined the effects of ethnicity (African American vs. white) on experimental pain tolerance and adjustment to chronic pain. ...

This article carefully itemizes the various anatomic structures that can evoke neck pain, putting in perspective what clinicians know, what they assume, and what they need to understand better about neck pain and pain referred from the neck. The critique of many of the accepted entities in the differential diagnosis of neck pain is crucial to an understanding of the causes of neck pain and an a...