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Objectives Identify key informational and educational items (“messages”) to provide to physicians (general practitioners and specialists) and physiotherapists for the management of pain induced by exercise and mobilization (PIEM). Develop checklists to improve this management in daily practice. Material and methods The Delphi method for consensus-building was used to identify informational and educational messages for health professionals who deal with PIEM. Informed by the results of an extensive qualitative study, a panel of experts from 5 medical and paramedical disciplines concerned with PIEM and a representative of a patients’ association were interviewed individually and iteratively in order to obtain a single, convergent opinion. Results Delphi consultation helped to determine 9 areas corresponding to 54 key messages of information and education for doctors and physiotherapists who deal with PIEM. These messages relate to: defining, characterizing, identifying, and evaluating PIEM; identifying factors that may cause or increase this pain; informing the patient in order to avoid misinterpretation of PIEM; preventing and treating PIEM; and dealing with it during physical therapy sessions. The method also enabled us to develop 2 synthetic instruments (checklists) — 1 for physicians and 1 for physiotherapists — to help with the management of this pain. Conclusion Consulting a panel of experts comprising different categories of actors dealing with PIEM on the basis of a thorough qualitative diagnosis in order to identify messages for a training program makes it possible to harmonize programs with the expectations of patients and the problems encountered by professionals. The formulation of this program and the institutionalization of two checklists should enable health professionals to identify, qualify, and deal more effectively with PIEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction/Background This study aimed to assess whether the contribution of chronic conditions to disability prevalence varies according to educational attainment and to disentangle the contributions of the prevalence and disabling impact of chronic conditions to educational disparities in the French household population 25 years and older. Material and method Data of the 2009-09 Disability Health Survey were examined ( n = 23,348). The disability indicator was the Global Activity Limitation Indicator (GALI). The attribution method based on an additive hazard model was used to estimate educational differences in disabling impacts and in the contributions of diseases to disability. Counterfactual analyses were used to disentangle the contribution of differences in disease prevalence vs. disabling impact. Results In men, the main contributors to the absolute difference in disability prevalence were arthritis (contribution to disability prevalence: 5.7% (95% CI 5.4–6.0) for low-educated vs. 3.3% (3.0–3.9) for high-educated men), spine disorders (back/neck pain, deformity) (3.8% (3.6–4.0) vs. 1.9% (1.8–2.1)), chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (2.4% (2.3–2.6) vs. 0.6% (0.5–0.7)) and ischemic heart/peripheral artery diseases (4.1% (3.9–4.3) vs. 2.4% (2.2–3.0)). In women, arthritis (9.5% (9.1–9.9) vs. 4.5%, (4.1–5.2)), spine disorders (4.5% (4.3–4.7) vs. 2.1% 1.9–2.3) and psychiatric diseases (3.1% (3.0–3.3) vs. 1.1% (1.0–1.3)) contributed most to education gap in disability. The educational differences were equally explained by differences in the disease prevalence and in their disabling impact. Conclusion Public health policies aiming to reduce existing socioeconomic disparities in disability should focus on musculoskeletal, pulmonary, psychiatric and ischemic heart diseases, reducing their prevalence as well as their disabling impact in lower socioeconomic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To assess the efficacy and safety of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibition with infliximab (IFX) in treating recurrent and disabling chronic sciatica pain associated with post-operative peridural lumbar fibrosis. Methods A double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled study randomized 35 patients presenting sciatica pain associated with post-operative peridural lumbar fibrosis to 2 groups: IFX ( n = 18), a single intravenous injection of 3 mg/kg IFX; and placebo n = 17), a single saline serum injection. The primary outcome was a 50% reduction in sciatica pain on visual analog scale (VAS) at day 10. Secondary outcomes were radicular and lumbar VAS pain at day 0 and radicular and lumbar VAS pain, Québec disability score, drug sparing effect and tolerance at days 10, 30, 90, and 180. Results At day 10, the placebo and IFX groups did not differ in the primary outcome (50% reduction in sciatica pain observed in 3 [17.6%] vs 5 [27.8%] patients, p = 0.69). The number of patients reaching the Patient Acceptable Symptom State for radicular pain was significantly higher in the placebo than IFX group after injection (12 [70.6%] vs 5 [27.8%], p = 0.01). The 2 groups were comparable for all other secondary outcomes. Conclusion Treatment with a single 3-mg/kg IFX injection for post-operative peridural lumbar fibrosis-associated sciatica pain does not significantly reduce radicular symptoms at day 10 after injection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction/Background/Objective Chronic diseases are the leading cause of mortality and disability worldwide. Exercise therapy has been found effective for mortality, disability and well-being in many chronic conditions. Burden of treatment may reduce patient compliance and treatment efficacy. We aimed to develop and validate a self-reporting questionnaire assessing the burden of exercise therapy for patients with chronic conditions. Material and method We conducted semi-structured interviews with patients to develop items of the questionnaire. The dimensional structure of the questionnaire was assessed by principal component analysis. Construct validity of the instrument was assessed by exploring convergent validity with the Treatment Burden Questionnaire (TBQ) and divergent validity with pain, self-efficacy, treatment satisfaction and health state. Reliability was assessed with the Cronbach alpha coefficient, a test–retest method using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman plotting. Results A preliminary list of items was developed from semi-structured interviews with 28 patients and reviewed by two expert physicians. Items obtained were reduced. Then, a sample of 163 patients was used to measure the psychometrics of the Exercise Therapy Burden Questionnaire (ETBQ), consisting of 10 items. Principal component analysis extracted one dimension. The Cronbach alpha was 0.86 [0.82–0.89]. Test–retest reliability ( n = 24 patients) was good, with ICC 0.93 [0.85–0.97], and Bland–Altman analysis did not reveal a systematic trend. The ETBQ showed expected convergent validity with the TBQ (r s = 0.52) and expected divergent validity with pain (r s = 0.37), self-efficacy (r s = −0.34), treatment satisfaction (r s = −0.49) and perceived health state (r s = −0.28). Conclusion The ETBQ is the first questionnaire assessing exercise therapy burden in patients with chronic conditions. Its psychometric properties are promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]