answersLogoWhite

0

There is encouraging new evidence that suggests hand-held technology can help patients get a grip on pain management. Many fibromyalgia patients may want to consider using small electronic devices or PDAs to monitor, track, and record their daily symptoms. By tracking their experiences in this way, physicians are finding it is easier to make connections between a patient's level of stress, perceived pain, fatigue, and other influential emotional issues.

Fibromyalgia is a complicated physical condition that can make finding a treatment solution very difficult for doctors and patients. Researchers from The Journal of Pain, may have discovered a new technique that can help--using PDAs and other electronic devices to record and monitor patient progress and setbacks.

The study was organized by researchers from both the University of Washington and the University of Utah. In all, 81 female participants with fibromyalgia helped researchers better understand how things like pain, emotions, and stress are interrelated. Each study participant was provided a PDA to record important information related to pain, sleep, emotions, and other concerns for a combined thirty days.

Theories and Conclusions

The scientist involved in the study hypothesized that by immediately recording the issues patients and doctors could develop more advantageous treatment regimens. Traditionally, patient self-assessments would be performed in the doctor's office at a scheduled appointment, based mostly on the patient's ability to recall information. This method proved to be ineffective at times, as recall is sometimes influenced by a patient's present circumstances.

The good news is that the study offers hope to patients and doctors who are working together to battle chronic pain conditions including fibromyalgia. It also illustrates the connection between negative moods, stress, fatigue and a worsening of pain.

By using PDAs for daily reporting, experts are hopeful they can get more reliable data to use when treating patients with fibromyalgia.

User Avatar

Wiki User

14y ago

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

To a patients pain is to offer some temporary releif?

Medicines help patients find temporary relief from pain. When patients have severe pain they may be prescribed morphine to help the feel better..


What are the most common forms of pdas?

The most common forms of PDAs are Smartphones, palm PDAs and pocket PCs.


What form of pain do leprosy patients suffer from?

Although patients with leprosy are commonly thought not to suffer pain, neuroapthic pain caused by inflammation of peripheral nerve endings is increasingly recognized as a major complication of the disease in many patients.


What causes bursitis patients to feel pain?

Inflammation causes pain on movement.


does beauty really come from pain?

depends on how you handle the pain


When is psychotherapy recommended for patients with low back pain?

Psychotherapy is recommended for patients whose back pain is associated with a somatoform, anxiety, or depressive disorder.


What are the causes of facet joint pain?

There will be various questions on the ultrasound technician test, including how to handle patients with safety and communication. There will also be questions about how to do certain ultrasounds and using the different medical instruments.


Why do patients taking pain medication become stressed?

For patients being treated for pain, knowing the duration of activity of an analgesic leads to anxiety about the return of pain when the drug wears off. This anxiety can make the pain more severe.


Does M. pneumoniae cause ear pain?

About 20% of patients may have ear pain


What is the prognosis for acute back pain?

The prognosis for most patients with acute low back pain is excellent. About 80% of patients recover completely in 4-6 weeks.


What did a 1990 study in Pain Journal reveal about nurses' evaluations of pain?

In a 1990 study reported in the journal Pain, nurses were found to overestimate the severity of pain in patients with severe burns. In most other studies, nurses and physicians ascribe a lower pain severity than do patients.


What chiropractic techniques can be used to treat pain?

Chiropractors treat patients by manipulating joints and the spine. It is believed that pain, especially back pain, is caused by misalignment of the spine. This form of treatment is most effective in patients with persistent back pain and neck problems.