Phantom limb pain following amputation is highly prevalent as it affects up to 80% of amputees. Many amputees suffer from phantom limb pain for many years and experience major limitations in daily routines and quality of life. Conventional pharmacological interventions often have negative side-effects and evidence regarding their long-term efficacy is low. Central malplasticity such as the invasion of areas neighbouring the cortical representation of the amputated limb contributes to the occurrence and maintenance of phantom limb pain. In this context, alternative, non-pharmacological interventions such as mirror therapy that are thought to target these central mechanisms have gained increasing attention in the treatment of phantom limb pain. However, a standardized evidence-based treatment protocol for mirror therapy in patients with phantom limb pain is lacking, and evidence for its effectiveness is still low. Furthermore, given the chronic nature of phantom limb pain and suggested central malplasticity, published studies proposed that patients should self-deliver mirror therapy over several weeks to months to achieve sustainable effects. To achieve this training intensity, patients need to perform self-delivered exercises on a regular basis, which could be facilitated though the use of information and communication technology such as telerehabilitation. However, little is known about potential benefits of using telerehabilitation in patients with phantom limb pain, and controlled clinical trials investigating effects are lacking. The present thesis presents the findings from the ‘PAtient Centered Telerehabilitation’ (PACT) project, which was conducted in three consecutive phases: 1) creating a theoretical foundation; 2) modelling the intervention; and 3) evaluating the intervention in clinical practice. The objectives formulated for the three phases of the PACT project were: 1) to conduct a systematic review of the literature regarding important clinical aspects of mirror therapy. It focused on the evidence of applying mirror therapy in patients with stroke, complex regional pain syndrome and phantom limb pain. 2) to design and develop a clinical framework and a user-centred telerehabilitation for mirror therapy in patients with phantom limb pain following lower limb amputation. 3) to evaluate the effects of the clinical framework for mirror therapy and the additional effects of the teletreatment in patients with phantom limb pain. It also investigated whether the interventions were delivered by patients and therapists as intended.
PurposeHalf of the patients experience pain during their ICU stay which is known to influence their outcomes. Nurses and physicians encounter organizational barriers towards pain assessment and treatment. We aimed to evaluate the association between adequate pain management and nurse to patient ratio, bed occupancy rate, and fulltime presence of an intensivist.Materials and methodsWe performed unadjusted and case-mix adjusted mixed-effect logistic regression modeling on data from thirteen Dutch ICUs to investigate the association between ICU organizational characteristics and adequate pain management, i.e. patient-shift observations in which patients' pain was measured and acceptable, or unacceptable and normalized within 1 h.All ICU patients admitted between December 2017 and June 2018 were included, excluding patients who were delirious, comatose or had a Glasgow coma score < 8 at the first day of ICU admission.ResultsCase-mix adjusted nurse to patient ratios of 0.70 to 0.80 and over 0.80 were significantly associated with adequate pain management (OR [95% confidence interval] of respectively 1.14 [1.07–1.21] and 1.16 [1.08–1.24]). Bed occupancy rate and intensivist presence showed no association.ConclusionHigher nurse to patient ratios increase the percentage of patients with adequate pain management especially in medical and mechanically ventilated patients.
A significant proportion of adolescents with chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) experience difficulties in physical functioning, mood and social functioning, contributing to diminished quality of life. Generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) is a risk factor for developing CMP with a striking 35-48% of patients with CMP reporting GJH. In case GJH occurs with one or more musculoskeletal manifestations such as chronic pain, trauma, disturbed proprioception and joint instability, it is referred to as generalized hypermobility spectrum disorder (G-HSD). Similar characteristics have been reported in children and adolescents with the hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS). In the management of CMP, a biopsychosocial approach is recommended as several studies have confirmed the impact of psychosocial factors in the development and maintenance of CMP. The fear-avoidance model (FAM) is a cognitive-behavioural framework that describes the role of pain-related fear as a determinant of CMP-related disability. Pubmed was used to identify existing relevant literature focussing on chronic musculoskeletal pain, generalized joint hypermobility, pain-related fear and disability. Relevant articles were cross-referenced to identify articles possibly missed during the primary screening. In this paper the current state of scientific evidence is presented for each individual component of the FAM in hypermobile adolescents with and without CMP. Based on this overview, the FAM is proposed explaining a possible underlying mechanism in the relations between GJH, pain-related fear and disability. It is assumed that GJH seems to make you more vulnerable for injury and experiencing more frequent musculoskeletal pain. But in addition, a vulnerability for heightened pain-related fear is proposed as an underlying mechanism explaining the relationship between GJH and disability. Further scientific confirmation of this applied FAM is warranted to further unravel the underlying mechanism. In explaining disability in individuals with G-HSD/hEDS, it is important to focus on both the physical components related to joint hypermobility, in tandem with the psychological components such as pain-related fear, catastrophizing thoughts and generalized anxiety.
Chronische pijn is een groot, complex en duur probleem en heeft een grote impact op de kwaliteit van leven van patiënten, dagelijks functioneren, stemming en ziekteverzuim. Er zijn verschillende interventies ontwikkeld die met name gericht zijn op het beïnvloeden en veranderen van het gedrag waarbij zelfmanagement een belangrijke rol speelt. Echter het bestendigen van resultaten op lange termijn blijkt een groot probleem en leidt zelfs tot terugval naar “oud” gedrag waardoor patiënten opnieuw vaak kostbare hulp gaan zoeken. Er zijn twee additionele interventies ontwikkeld in een eerder RAAK-project (SOLACE) ter voorkoming van deze terugval: “Do It Your Self” en “Waarde gerichte Doelen” , echter de werkzaamheid van deze interventies op de lange termijn is niet onderzocht. Een eerste feasibility studie lijkt veelbelovend met positieve effecten naar de bruikbaarheid van deze interventies in de betrokken revalidatiecentra. Vanuit dit werkveld maar ook vanuit de patiënten kwam nadrukkelijk de vraag om deze interventies op effectiviteit te toetsen. Dit heeft geleid tot de onderzoeksvraag; “Is een additionele interventie (do it yourself en/of waarde gerichte doelen) gericht op het blijven toepassen van aangeleerde vaardigheden na een succesvol doorlopen pijn programma effectief in het bestendigen van de resultaten op de lange termijn en leidt dit tot een afname van het zorggebruik.” Het onderzoek wordt uitgevoerd in twee werkpakketten; (1) het ontwikkelen van een bruikbare app voor de ontwikkelde interventies in samenwerking met DIO Design en (2) een effectiviteit studie in de revalidatiecentra Adelante in Hoensbroek en Maastricht, Libra R&A locatie Weert en Heliomare Revalidatie in Wijk aan Zee. De doelstelling van het consortium is om de samen met zorgprofessionals, patiënten, beroepsvereniging en ontwerpers een product ter voorkoming van terugval verder te ontwikkelen en te toetsen. Na afronding van dit project zijn de op effectiviteit getoetste additionele interventies, DIY en WD, klaar om landelijk te worden uitgerold.
Veel patiënten met chronische pijn vallen na revalidatie toch een keer terug naar ‘oud’ gedrag. In het project SOLACE zijn twee strategieën ontwikkeld om terugval te voorkomen. Deze interventies leken effectief in de betrokken revalidatiecentra. Maar werken ze ook op de lange termijn?Doel Het doel van project Agrippa (Additional intervention for self-management in chronic pain patients) is om strategieën die terugval na revalidatie voorkomen verder te ontwikkelen en te toetsen. Dit doen we samen met zorgprofessionals, patiënten met chronische pijn, beroepsverenigingen en ontwerpers. Na afronding van dit onderzoek kunnen de strategieën landelijk in de praktijk worden gebracht. Resultaten Dit onderzoek loopt nog. Na afronding vind je hier een samenvatting van de resultaten. Looptijd 01 februari 2019 - 01 februari 2021 Aanpak Het onderzoek bestaat uit twee onderdelen: 1. We ontwikkelen een app waarin de twee interventies ‘Do It Your Self’ en ‘Waardegerichte Doelen’ worden opgenomen. 2. We toetsen de effectiviteit van de app in drie revalidatiecentra. Meer informatie Voor meer informatie bezoek je de uitgebreide projectpagina Agrippa.
This PD project aims to gather new knowledge through artistic and participatory design research within neighbourhoods for possible ways of addressing and understanding the avoidance and numbness caused by feelings of vulnerability, discomfort and pain associated with eco-anxiety and chronic fear of environmental doom. The project will include artistic production and suitable forms of fieldwork. The objectives of the PD are to find answers to the practice problem of society which call for art that sensitises, makes aware and helps initiate behavioural change around the consequences of climate change. Rather than visualize future sea levels directly, it will seek to engage with climate change in a metaphorical and poetic way. Neither a doom nor an overly techno-optimistic scenario seem useful to understand the complexity of flood risk management or the dangers of flooding. By challenging both perspectives with artistic means, this research hopes to counter eco-anxiety and create a sense of open thought and susceptibility to new ideas, feelings and chains of thought. Animation and humour, are possible ingredients. The objective is to find and create multiple Dutch water stories, not just one. To achieve this, it is necessary to develop new methods for selecting and repurposing existing impactful stories and strong images. Citizens and students will be included to do so via fieldwork. In addition, archival materials will be used. Archives serve as a repository for memory recollection and reuse, selecting material from the audiovisual archive of the Institute of Sound & Vision will be a crucial part of the creative work which will include two films and accompanying music.
