• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.131-135
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• 2008

Background: There has recently been a rapid increase in the number of pain clinics and significant advancement in the treatment of pain in Korea. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify possible problems associated with pain clinics and to use this information to help design future pain clinics. This assessment was conducted from the perspective of professional ballet dancers, who are at high risk for pain like other athletes. Methods: One-hundred professional ballet dancers responded to questionnaires designed to ascertain their preference for different types of clinics, the extent of the pain they experience, and their overall opinion of pain clinics. Results: All of the respondents complained of pain in one or more sites and reported that they had visited some type of clinic for treatment at least once. Overall, the respondents preferred using the following methods to treat pain: orthopedic surgery (76 dancers), oriental medicine (49 dancers), and therapy at pain clinic (48 dancers). Fifty-three percent of the 48 dancers who had received treatment at pain clinics were satisfied with their treatment. Forty-four percent of the 52 dancers who had not been treated at a pain clinic had no knowledge of the existence of such facilities. Conclusions: This survey revealed that, although professional ballet dancers have a high prevalence of pain, many have no knowledge of pain clinics. Therefore, efforts should be made by pain clinics to make information regarding their facilities widely available to professional ballet dancers so they can serve the widest range of clientele.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.185-193
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• 1997

The purpose of this study was to investigate the neurophysiological mechanisms, assessment of muscle spasm and treatments that could apply to clinical field. Spasm is a painful pattern of contraction of muscle caused by chronic or acute trauma, excessive tension, or organic disorders. Aside from pain, muscle spasm creates shortenning of muscles and limits motion. Untreated spasm and protective immobility due to pain lead to decreased local blood flow in the muscles and result in a vicious cycle of muscle spasm and paul. The assessment of muscle spasm involve muscle tone assessment, tissue compliance, and joint ROM. Each of these aessessments utilize as a part of the patient's condition Clinical managements involve drug management and physical therapy. Expecially, physical therapy is one of the most important techniques to reduce muscle spasm. Physical therapy includes applying heat and cold, electrical stimulation, massage, and traction. This investigation should entourage phisical therapists to experiment further with various techniques to reduce muscle spasm.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.173-182
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• 2012

Background: Fibromyalgia (FM) is characterized by chronic widespread pain with a low pain threshold. The aim of this study was to compare two criteria for the diagnosis and assessment of FM and to analyze the correlation and agreement between the 1990 and 2010 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) preliminary diagnostic criteria for FM. Methods: We studied 98 patients who had already been diagnosed as having FM using the 1990 criteria or 2010 preliminary criteria. Tender point examination, FM impact questionnaire (FIQ) and pain visual analog scale (VAS) were obtained. According to the preliminary criteria, FM was quantified as WPI (widespread pain index) and the SS scale (symptom severity) and the two criteria were compared. Results: Among 98 patients, 78.6% of the patients were diagnosed with the 1990 ACR criteria and 93.9% of the patients were diagnosed with the ACR preliminary diagnostic criteria, and there was also significant agreement between the two criteria (P < 0.01). There was a correlation with the WPI and the tender point, with the SS and the FIQ, and with the sum of the WPI and SS and the FIQ. Conclusions: The ACR preliminary diagnostic criteria for FM were in agreement with the 1990 ACR criteria during the disease course. The preliminary criteria were the more sensitive method than the 1990 criteria. In addition, the 2010 criteria might have advantages since it is easy to assess the physical and psychological symptoms and can be quantified. Therefore, the ACR preliminary diagnostic criteria for FM could be used more conveniently for clinical diagnosis and follow up evaluation after starting management of FM.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.294-304
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• 2020

The sacroiliac joints connect the base of the sacrum to the ilium. When inflamed, they are suspected to cause low back pain. Inflammation of the sacroiliac joints is called sacroiliitis. The severity of the pain varies and depends on the degree of inflammation. Sacroiliitis is a hallmark of seronegative spondyloarthropathies. The presence or absence of chronic sacroiliitis is an important clue in the diagnosis of low back pain. This article aims to provide a concise overview of the anatomy, physiology, and molecular biology of sacroiliitis to aid clinicians in the assessment and management of sacroiliitis. For this narrative review, we evaluated articles in English published before August 2019 in PubMed. Then, we selected articles related to the painful manifestations of the sacroiliac joint. From the retrieved articles, we found that chronic sacroiliitis may be caused by various forms of spondyloarthritis, such as ankylosing spondyloarthritis. Sacroiliitis can also be associated with inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, gout, tuberculosis, brucellosis, and osteoarthritis, indicating common underlying etiological factors. The pathophysiology of sacroiliitis is complex and may involve internal, environmental, immunological, and genetic factors. Finally, genetic factors may also play a central role in progression of the disease. Knowing the genetic pre-disposition for sacroiliitis can be useful for diagnosis and for formulating treatment regimens, and may lead to a substantial reduction in disease severity and duration and to improved patient performance.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.398-406
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was done to develop and test the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Pain Assessment Checklist for Seniors with Limited Ability to Communicate (PACSLAC-K) in assessing pain of elders with dementia living in long-term care facilities. Methods: The PACSLAC-K was developed through forward-backward translation techniques. Survey data were collected from 307 elders with dementia living in 5 long-term care facilities in Korea. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, Spearman's rho, paired t-test, ROC (receiver operation characteristic) curve with the SPSS/WIN (20.0) program. Results: The PACSLAC-K showed high internal consistency (.90), interrater reliability (.86), intrarater reliability (.93), and high concurrent validity (.74) in paired t-test with PAINAD. Discriminant validity also showed a significant difference compared with no pain. The PACSLAC-K showed a sensitivity of .93, specificity of .88, and Area Under the Curve of .95 in the ROC curve. Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrate that PACSLAC-K is useful in assessing pain for elders with dementia living in long-term care facilities.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.49-55
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• 2020

Purpose: This study investigated the association between the objective indicator of masticatory function assessment and the masseter muscle thickness (MMT) using ultrasound imaging. Methods: A total of 99 subjects (males: 24, females: 75, mean age: 76) were analyzed. The maximum bite force (MBF) was measured with a pressure-sensitive sheet and an image scanner. The mixing ability index (MAI) was calculated by image analysis after asking the subjects to chew a wax specimen. The MMT during rest and clenching were obtained with a diagnostic ultrasound system, and the difference in MMT during rest and MMT during clenching was defined as the difference in masseter muscle thickness (DMMT). Multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the independent variables affecting MBF and MAI. Results: The MBF showed correlation with the number of remaining teeth (β=0.346, p=0.002) and DMMT (β=0.251, p=0.011). The MAI correlated with only the number of remaining teeth (β=0.476, p<0.001). Conclusions: The DMMT reflects the state of masseter muscle contraction, and can be used as a predictor as well as the number of teeth when assessing masticatory function.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.168-178
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• 2004

The purposes of this paper were to investigate the effect of active treatment compared with a conservative treatment and to provide the information for physical therapy in patients suffering from chronic neck pain. Forty female subjects who were diagnosed with cervical radiculopathy participated in this study and were divided into the conservative and active treatment groups. The active treatment group consisted of 20 patients who were treated with therapeutic modalities and active neck exercise program during the admission (15 days) and one month after discharge. The conservative treatment group consisted of 20 patients who were not received with active neck exercise program. The assessment tools were made using visual analogue scale(VAS), neck disability index(NDI) and modified Zung depression scale(MZDS). All subjects were measured three times: before the admission, at discharge, and at one month after discharge. Data were compared by groups using independent t-test. VAS, NDI and MZDS scores measured at admission and discharge were not significantly different between the groups. On the assessment performed one month after discharge, VAS and NDI scores were significantly lower for the active treatment group compared with those of the conservative treatment group(p<0.05), but MZDS score was not significantly different between the groups. In the comparison of two treatment methods for chronic neck pain, active treatment was more effective than conservative treatment. The findings of the study indicate that active treatment in chronic neck pain has a positive effect in relieving pain and restoring neck function.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2021

This study aimed to evaluate and compare the pre-emptive analgesic efficacy of injected ketorolac to that of other agents for impacted third molar surgical removal in a healthy population. PubMed, Ovid SP, Cochrane databases were filtered from 1980 to July 2020 for potential papers using relevant MeSH terms and pre-specified inclusion and exclusion criteria independently by reviewers. Studies that compared pre-emptive intramuscular or intravenous administration of ketorolac to other agents were evaluated. The outcomes sought were self-reported postoperative pain (patient-perceived pain), median duration for rescue analgesic medication, total number of analgesics consumed in the recovery period, and global assessment (overall patient satisfaction) after the recovery period. Six studies were included in the final evaluation. The outcome of pain perception and the number of analgesics taken were significantly lower in the ketorolac group (intramuscular or intravenous) in most of the studies (n=5) than in the group of other drugs. The mean time for rescue analgesia intake was higher for the ketorolac group, and global assessment scores were also better in the ketorolac group. Although the included studies show significantly better outcomes such as postoperative pain, median time taken for rescue medication, total number of analgesics taken, and overall patient satisfaction with injected ketorolac group in comparison to injected diclofenac, dexamethasone, and tramadol, definitive conclusions cannot be made regarding the superiority of injected Ketorolac as a pre-emptive agent. A greater number of randomized control trials with a proper protocol are needed to make definitive conclusions.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.82.1-82.10
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• 2020

Background: The clinical presentation of horses with back pain (BP) vary considerably with most horse's willingness to take part in athletic or riding purpose becoming impossible. However, there are some clinical features that are directly responsible for the loss or failure of performance. Objectives: To investigate the clinical features of the thoracolumbar region associated with BP in horses and to use some of the clinical features to classify equine BP. Methods: Twenty-four horses comprised of 14 with BP and 10 apparently healthy horses were assessed for clinical abnormality that best differentiate BP from normal horses. The horses were then graded (0-5) using the degree of pain response, muscular hypertonicity, thoracolumbar joint stiffness and overall physical dysfunction of the horse. Results: The common clinical features that significantly differentiate horses with BP from non-BP were longissimus dorsi spasm at palpation (78.6%), paravertebral muscle stiffness (64.3%), resist lateral bending (64.3%), and poor hindlimb impulsion (85.7%). There were significantly (p < 0.05) higher scores for pain response to palpation, muscular hypertonicity, thoracolumbar joint stiffness and physical dysfunction among horses with BP in relation to non-BP. A significant relationship exists between all the graded abnormalities. Based on the cumulative score, horses with BP were categorized into mild, mild-moderate, moderate and severe cases. Conclusions: BP in horse can be differentiated by severity of pain response to back palpation, back muscle hypertonicity, thoracolumbar joint stiffness, physical dysfunctions and their cumulative grading score is useful in the assessment and categorization of BP in horses.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.5-23
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was conducted to determine the validity and reliability of performance measurement tools based on the nursing process for prevention and management of pressure ulcers, falls and pain. Methods: The performance measurement tools were reviewed by a panel of experts and refined on the basis of the panel's suggestions. The validity of the performance measurement tools was measured by surveying hospital nurses. The reliability of these tools was tested by having nursing experts use the tools in five nursing units to assess nursing performance in prevention and management of pressure ulcers, falls and pain. Results: The performance measurement tools in this study were found to be acceptable as tools to evaluate quality of nursing care in pressure ulcers, falls and pain. The reliability of the performance measurement tools was acceptable. Conclusion: These results indicate that the performance measurement tools developed in this study are valid and reliable instruments to monitor and improve quality of nursing care in prevention and management of pressure ulcers, falls and pain.