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Pain Management

Periodical

RAND Review: January-February 2019

This issue spotlights (1) research on how faith-based organizations promote health and well-being in underserved communities and (2) the Pardee RAND Graduate School's new approach to policy and training the next generation of policy experts.

Jan 7, 2019
Journal Article

Nearly Thirty Percent of Physicians' Opioid Prescriptions Lack a Pain Diagnosis

Medical use of opioids has increased dramatically over the past two decades, far exceeding increases in the prevalence of pain. No pain diagnosis was recorded at 28.5 percent of physician visits in which an opioid was prescribed.

Sep 14, 2018
Infographic

Managing Pain with Alternative Therapies

About 126 million adults report having pain in the past three months. Alternative and integrative therapies, such as acupuncture, mindfulness (meditation), and Tai Chi, may help some individuals manage their pain. This infographic compiles information from hundreds of reviews of the evidence on the effect of these three therapies on different types of pain.

Aug 24, 2018
Report

Determining the Appropriateness of Spinal Manipulation and Mobilization for Chronic Low Back Pain

As part of a larger study, back pain experts discussed and rated the appropriateness of spinal manipulation and mobilization for chronic low back pain. Ratings were higher for mobilization than manipulation, and rates of agreement increased after panelists met to discuss the issues.

Jul 24, 2018
Report

Determining the Appropriateness of Spinal Manipulation and Mobilization for Chronic Neck Pain

As part of a larger study, RAND researchers assessed the appropriateness of spinal manipulation and mobilization for chronic neck pain. Ratings were higher for mobilization than for manipulation, and rates of agreement increased after panelists met to discuss the issues.

Jul 24, 2018
Journal Article

Massage for Pain: An Evidence Map

More research is needed to establish confidence in the effect of massage therapy for pain.

Jun 27, 2018
Journal Article

Do Sleep and Psychological Distress Mediate the Association Between Neighborhood Factors and Pain?

Understanding how sleep problems, psychological distress, and neighborhood characteristics contribute to pain can help shape interventions to reduce pain-related disparities.

Jun 27, 2018
Journal Article

Veteran Experiences Seeking Non-Pharmacologic Approaches for Pain

Veterans are interested in complementary non-pharmacologic approaches to manage pain but they cite a range of barriers to access, including poor communication with providers and poor care coordination.

Jun 1, 2018
Journal Article

"It Encourages Them to Complain": A Qualitative Study of the Unintended Consequences of Assessing Patient-Reported Pain

This article describes potential unintended consequences of implementing routine pain screening in primary care.

Apr 11, 2018
Journal Article

Benefits and Harms of Cranial Electrical Stimulation for Chronic Painful Conditions, Depression, Anxiety, and Insomnia: A Systematic Review

There is insufficient evidence that cranial electronic stimulation has clinically important effects on fibromyalgia, headache, neuromusculoskeletal pain, joint pain, depression, or insomnia; low-strength evidence suggests a modest benefit for anxiety and depression.

Mar 22, 2018
Journal Article

The Evaluation of Medical Inpatients Who Are Admitted on Long-term Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain

Outpatient guidelines can help hospitalists evaluate inpatients on long-term opioid therapy, but more work is needed to help providers make decisions for inpatients that balance effective pain treatment and opioid risk reduction.

Feb 13, 2018
Journal Article

Cost-effectiveness of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Versus Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Usual Care Among Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain

CLBP is expensive in terms of healthcare costs and lost productivity. Mind-body interventions have been found effective for back pain, but their cost-effectiveness is unexplored.

Jan 31, 2018
Journal Article

Barriers to Using Nonpharmacologic Approaches and Reducing Opioid Use in Primary Care

Decreasing the reliance of VA providers on opioid prescribing for chronic pain requires local availability of nonpharmacologic pain therapies (NPTs) as well as provider efficacy in prescribing NPTs.

Dec 14, 2017
Journal Article

A Cost-Analysis of an Interdisciplinary Pediatric Chronic Pain Clinic

An interdisciplinary approach to management of chronic pediatric pain can reduce costs for hospitals and insurers.

Dec 14, 2017
Journal Article

The Impact of Practice Guidelines on Opioid Utilization for Injured Workers

Guidelines designed to reduce the prescription of opioids following an injury did not reduce opioid use.

Dec 7, 2017
Journal Article

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Services in the Military Health System

Complementary and alternative medicine services are offered in the majority of military treatment facilities to address service members' pain and mental health needs.

Oct 31, 2017
Journal Article

Challenges to Teaming for Pain in Primary Care

Better understanding task distribution related to chronic pain assessment and management can help improve team-based pain care.

Aug 23, 2017
Journal Article

Development and Feasibility of a Structured Goals of Care Communication Guide

Studies demonstrate the benefits of discussing goals of care and advance care planning, yet many patients with serious illness do not engage in such discussions with healthcare providers.

May 30, 2017
Report

Preventing, Identifying, and Treating Prescription Drug Misuse Among Active-Duty Service Members

This report presents the framework of an analytic tool that can help the military predict future trends in PDM based on current demographics of active-duty service members and rates of injury and prescribing of prescription drugs.

Jan 4, 2017
Journal Article

Integrative Pain Management Centers in the Military: The Challenges

Integrative medicine might be the appropriate model for pain management in the military; however, the structural and process elements to bring it about are not yet in place or fully understood.

Oct 10, 2016

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RAND Topic:
Pain Management

Topic Synonyms:
Pain Relief

Research conducted by

RAND Health Care