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What is the relationship between posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and pain sensitization in 10 to 18 year olds with chronic pain? Researchers explored this question and reported in the Journal of Pain Reports. 165 adolescents were recruited from chronic pain programs, their PTSS assessed through...
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Even though it seems counterintuitive, placebos work even when people know they’re placebos. That is, they work in adults. But what about the pediatric population? JAMA Pediatrics reports a small study of 30 children, 8 to 18 years old, with irritable bowel syndrome or functional abdominal pain...
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For children with urological issues, from an inability to empty their bladder to bladder exstrophy, fear and pain can play a major role. To help both the pediatric patient and their parents, a few places around the country are adding psychologists to support the family. “Families often come in...
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Kids need shots and shots can hurt. What can practitioners do to help their littlest patients? Specialists from the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles offer tips for both practitioners and parents of kids who will be facing needles. While being candid is key, there is no reason to instill fear...
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The Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research reports the potential benefits of combination therapy after posterior spinal fusion for idiopathic scoliosis in adolescents. While it is known that pain scores, postop opioid usage, and needed physical therapy are reduced through the use of gabapentin...
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A questionnaire answered by over 1600 cluster headache sufferers (who met the International Classification of Headache Disorders criteria) provided researchers with interesting information. The results, published in Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, revealed that:
- Even though pediatric...
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The journal of Pediatrics reports a study of the transition from medical use of opioids in children to nonmedical use later in life. What does early exposure lead to? Reviewers searched almost a dozen databases for patients under age 18 who underwent a short or unknown course of opioids, who later...
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Being told your child has a growth plate fracture can cause a parent to panic. It sounds scary, and prompt treatment is important. Luckily, the potential long term problems—lack of growth, deformity—may have better outcomes than expected. Growth plates harden last in the growth process and can be...
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A rose is a rose is a rose. And an emoji of a rose is even easier to “get.” There are over 3500 Unicode Standard emoji, including medical-specific ones such as a pill or a syringe. Newer added emoji include a stethoscope, microbe, and drop of blood. Authors of a JAMA commentary suggest even more...
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In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 135 people diagnosed with chronic migraine—aged 10 to 17 years, mostly female (79%) and mostly white (89%)—were assessed. Researchers sought to understand “predictors of improvement in headache days and migraine-related...