Zhou and Gao (this issue) put forth an interesting hypothesis, namely, that money, in addition to social support, can reduce the experience of physical pain. Their hypothesis is based on the premise that social support is a “primary pain buffer”—in other words, social support is valued because it reduces the experience of pain—and that money is a secondary pain buffer that can reduce pain exper...

UNLABELLED The relationship between physical activity and central nervous system mechanisms of pain in fibromyalgia (FM) is unknown. This study determined whether physical activity was predictive of brain responses to experimental pain in FM using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Thirty-four participants (n = 16 FM; n = 18 Control) completed self-report and accelerometer measures o...

BACKGROUND There is limited knowledge about leisure time physical activity and the body mass index (BMI) as prognostic factors for recovery from persistent back pain. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of leisure time physical activity and BMI on recovery from persistent back pain among men and women in a general population. METHODS The study population (n=1836) in this longitu...

OBJECTIVES It is suggested that serious levels of fatigue are present in nearly half of patients with OA. However, it is unclear which dimensions of fatigue are involved, if fatigue is related to pain and physical function, and if fatigue is influenced by therapy. The aims of this study were to measure levels of different dimensions of fatigue before and after evidenced-based conservative treat...

Pain catastrophizing is known to contribute to physical and mental functioning, even when controlling for the effect of pain intensity. However, research has yet to explore whether the strength of the relationship between pain catastrophizing and pain-related outcomes varies across pain intensity levels (i.e., moderation). If this was the case, it would have important implications for existing ...

OBJECTIVE To assess the personal, physical and psychosocial factors associated with wrist or hand pain in Australian hospital-based nurses. METHODS Wrist or hand pain, associated disability and sickness absence, demographic, occupational, physical, psychosocial and personal factors among nurses working for three hospitals in Melbourne, Australia, were assessed in a cross-sectional study. Fact...

Fear-avoidance beliefs have been identified as an important psychosocial variable in patients with chronic disability doe to low back pain. The importance of fear-avoidance beliefs for individuals with acute low back pain has not been explored. Seventy-eight subjects with workrelated low back pain of less than 3 weeks’duration were studied. Measurements of pain intensity, physical impairment, d...

BACKGROUND Physical activity levels seem to play a role in patellofemoral pain (PFP); however, few studies have been conducted to confirm this hypothesis. OBJECTIVES To determine the reported pain levels of women with and without PFP who maintain different levels of physical activity; to determine the capability of these levels to predict pain; and to test the capability of two stair-negotiat...

Background. This investigation examined why some elderly women with severe pain symptoms and impairment in health status were not seen in a tertiary care pain center. Methods. Three groups of older ( 60 years) women were included in the study: women seeking chronic pain treatment at a multidisciplinary pain center (N = 49), and research volunteers from the same institution with (N = 28) and wit...

Acceptanceand mindfulnessbased interventions as MindfulnessBased Stress Reduction program (MBSR), MindfulnessBased Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) are new generation of CognitiveBehavioral Therapies for the treatment of chronic pain. To evaluate the effectiveness of acceptanceand mindfulnessbased interventions on patients with chronic pain, a systematic revi...