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Background: Systemic inflammation, particularly the elevation of interleukin-6 (IL-6), plays an important role in the maintenance and progression of knee osteoarthritis. Insomnia, being highly prevalent in knee osteoarthritis, is understood to be a risk factor for systemic inflammation. The present study examined if cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) would reduce circulating IL-6 levels to a larger extent than the active control condition via greater improvement in sleep maintenance disturbance at mid-treatment, among individuals with knee osteoarthritis and insomnia disorder. Methods: This is an ancillary study (N = 64) from a larger double-blind, randomized, active controlled clinical trial. Serum IL-6 was measured at baseline, post-treatment, and 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Sleep was measured by daily sleep diaries. Results: Overall, there was no significant IL-6 trajectory differences between CBT-I and the active control (p =.64). Compared to the active control, CBT-I demonstrated greater improvement in sleep maintenance disturbance at mid-treatment (p =.01), which, in turn, was significantly associated with lower levels of IL-6 at 3-month follow-up (p <.05). Sleep maintenance disturbance at mid-treatment did not significantly predict changes in IL-6 levels at post-treatment (p =.43) and 6-month follow-up (p =.90). Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that CBT-I can be efficacious in improving sleep maintenance disturbance among individuals with knee osteoarthritis and insomnia disorder. However, no convincing evidence was found that CBT-I can substantially reduce IL-6 levels via improvement in sleep. CBT-I alone may not be effective in reducing systematic inflammation in this clinical population. Trial Registration: NCT00592449. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People living with HIV (PLWH) experience higher rates of comorbid chronic pain conditions compared to the general population. Managing HIV and chronic pain, two stigmatized health conditions, can exacerbate physical and psychological suffering. The current qualitative study was designed to increase our understanding of the experience of living with HIV and chronic pain. Twenty participants were recruited from a hospital-based immunology center to participate in individual in-depth qualitative interviews. The interviews focused on the experience of living with (or managing) chronic pain for PLWH. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and double-coded. Several themes emerged from our applied thematic analysis of the transcripts. The primary theme was that pain remained poorly managed among PLWH. Patients engaged in a variety of pain management strategies and described benefits from both traditional pain management interventions (e.g., pharmacology, physical therapy) as well as non-traditional approaches (e.g., medical marijuana, cannabidiol products, and spirituality). Other themes that emerged included barriers related to health insurance and the need to validate the patient pain experience. PLWH and chronic pain described compounding effects of managing two chronic health conditions, including perceived immune system over-activation, heightened awareness of illness, and negative mindset. More research is needed to improve care for those managing these often co-occurring health conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease of the central nervous system, leading to neurodegeneration and manifesting as a variety of symptoms. These can include "invisible" symptoms, not externally evident to others, such as fatigue, mood disorders, cognitive impairments, pain, bladder/bowel dysfunction, sexual dysfunction, and vision changes. Invisible symptoms are highly prevalent in people living with MS, with multifactorial etiology and potential to impact the disease course. Patient experiences of these symptoms include both physical and psychosocial elements, which when unaddressed negatively influence many aspects of quality of life and perception of health. Despite the high impact on patient lives, gaps persist in awareness and management of these hidden symptoms. The healthcare provider and patient author experiences brought together here serve to raise the profile of invisible symptoms and review strategies for a team-based approach to comprehensive MS care. We summarize the current literature regarding the prevalence and etiology of invisible symptoms to convey the high likelihood that a person living with MS will contend with one or more of these concerns. We then explore how open communication between people living with MS and their care team, stigma mitigation, and shared decision-making are key to comprehensive management of invisible symptoms. We recommend validated screening tools and technological advancements that may be incorporated into MS care to regularly monitor these symptoms, offering insight into how healthcare providers can both educate and listen to patients, with the goal of improved patient quality of life. By pairing clinical knowledge with an understanding and consideration of the patient perspective, providers will be equipped to foster a patient-centered dialogue that encourages shared decision-making. CobCdBdg-4RS3rqX92xoSZ Invisible symptoms of MS Graphical Plain Language Summary: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Patient-generated treatment goals describe what patients value, yet the content of these goals, and the relationship among goal types, goal accomplishment, and treatment outcomes has received little examination. We used inductive sorting to categorize patient-generated goals made by 147 adults receiving cognitive-behavioral therapy for chronic pain. The resulting goal categories were: Physical Activity (29.0%), Functional Status (24.6%), Wellness (16.3%), Recreational Activities (11.3%), House/Yard Work (9.7%), Socializing (7.1%), and Work/School (2.0%). Next, we examined associations between number of goals by category, goal accomplishment, and clinically meaningful improvements in pain-related interference, pain intensity and depressive symptoms. Improvement in all outcome domains was related to goal accomplishment. Additionally, depressive symptoms were related to number of Physical Activity, House/Yard Work, Recreational Activities, and Wellness goals, whereas improved pain-intensity was significantly related to House/Yard Work. Classifying patient-generated goals facilitates investigation of the relationships among goal type, goal accomplishment and treatment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migraine can impact every aspect of a person's functioning. Psychological comorbidities, cognitive constructs, and behavioral responses to pain greatly impact the perception of migraine pain, treatment efficacy and outcome, and overall quality of life and functioning. Current considerations for migraine treatment emphasize the utility of the biopsychosocial model in understanding and treating migraine, noting both the importance of addressing psychological factors such as cognitive beliefs as well as psychiatric comorbidities. The guidelines for migraine treatment implicate opioid therapy as a second or third tier treatment. Guidelines and recommendations for the safe use of opioid medications among patients with chronic pain emphasize the importance of screening prior to prescribing opioid medications. Chronic opioid therapy has been shown to further levels of disability, decrease quality of life, and correlate to psychiatric comorbidities, concerns that are already present in migraine patients. While opioid treatment provides an alternative for persons with contraindications for alternative migraine treatments, it is critical that opioids be used sparingly and exclusively in conjunction with comprehensive assessment and integration of psychological treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic pain affects more individuals than does cancer, heart disease, and diabetes combined. Yet, our treatment options remain remarkably limited. Often, highly effective psychotherapeutic approaches are limited by many barriers such as access, reimbursement, and acceptability; however, resilience-based positive activity interventions could offer a promising alternative. These interventions are engaging, non-stigmatizing, and do not require a mental health professional for their provision. This article reviews the new, but limited, research exploring the use of positive activity interventions for the treatment of patients with chronic pain. The related psychological and biological mechanisms are addressed, as are suggestions for more systematically evaluating the potential for positive activity interventions to become an adjunct to or stand-alone intervention strategy for patients with chronic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which aims to validate the theory that veterans who participated in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for chronic pain experience less pain intensity, a reduction in illness- and wellness-focused coping approach and a willingness to apply a self-management plan. Topics include the Stepped Care Model of Pain Management endorsed by the U.S. Veterans Affairs (VA) and outcome measures which include the Readiness questionnaire, and Oswestry disability index (ODI).

It is not uncommon for a patient to appear at a therapist's practice and describe experiencing chronic pain together with difficulties sleeping. Sufferers often report high levels of continuous pain, daytime sleepiness, difficulties concentrating, negative mood states, difficulties with daily functioning and a general dissatisfaction with their lives. This article discusses the current state of sleep and pain therapies, looks at three clinical cases in which patients suffered from primary insomnia and chronic pain, and proposes a treatment protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic pain is a serious and complex health issue. Patients dealing with chronic pain demonstrate multifarious behavioral and cognitive responses to their widely varying individual experiences. How can we, as health professionals, best serve these patients? In this paper, we discuss the place of pain within the historical conceptualization of health and normalcy, and the more current biopsychosocial model. We also review contemporary theories on how cognition plays a vital role in the psychological processing of stimuli, including pain. We focus on the significant interactions between catastrophizing appraisals of pain and the chronic pain experience, including increases in pain perception, pain sensitivity, depression and disability. In light of these significant interactions, we assert that catastrophizing must be specifically addressed in the treatment of chronic pain. We therefore explore the mechanisms through which catastrophizing comes to influence the pain experience, and its etiology. Then, with an understanding of cognitive processing of stimuli, along with the causes and consequences of catastrophizing, we suggest several targets of treatment for catastrophizing in chronic pain. We explore how the cognitive models meet or fail to meet those targets. We conclude with suggestions for further research on the topic of catastrophizing and chronic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic pain is a complex disorder to which medical and psychological factors both contribute and react. While there are numerous chronic pain conditions, they share certain experiences. This review examines some of the psychological factors that are common to the pain experience and some of the psychologically-based treatments that have been utilized in conduction with medical treatments for pain. In light of the fact that there is not yet a 'gold standard' in this regard, it ends with the challenge to develop coherent and effective multi-model treatments that draw upon the successes that have been demonstrated so far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Of Review: The purpose of this review is to evaluate and summarize recent empirical research investigating motivational factors for management of chronic pain and headache disorders.Recent Findings: Research on motivation for non-pharmacological treatment of chronic pain and headache disorders has identified factors that influence initiation of and adherence to treatment. To address common factors that inhibit initiation of treatment (i.e., cost, time commitment), several electronic treatments have been developed. Self-efficacy is the most commonly studied psychosocial influence on treatment adherence, with evidence that it is positively correlated with adherence. Other studies have sought to improve adherence to treatment using motivational interviewing interventions. There is currently limited research on how to enhance motivation for initial adherence to non-pharmacological treatment for chronic pain and headache disorders. Instead of enhancing motivation, researchers have looked to reduce barriers to treatment with electronic health treatments; however, many of these studies have focused on intervention feasibility, rather than efficacy or effectiveness. Numerous studies have identified a relationship between self-efficacy and treatment adherence. Although motivational interviewing interventions have been shown to improve adherence to treatment, there is little evidence that they improve treatment outcomes. Recommendations for further investigation include improving interventions to enhance accessibility and adherence to treatment with the goal of improving outcomes, as well as identifying ways to improve treatment initiation and adherence in patients who are currently engaged in long-term opioid therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Of Review: Psychological approaches to the management of chronic pain have proven to be very effective in allowing patients to better manage their symptoms and with overall functioning.Recent Findings: Cognitive functional therapy (CFT) is centered on a three-step process, beginning with cognitive training, then progressing to functional movement training and exposure with control, and ending with physical activity and lifestyle changes. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as a technique focuses on identifying and changing maladaptive behaviors, thought patterns, and situations that contribute to psychiatric dysfunction, which may lead to further progression of pain. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive update of recent advances in the use of both CFT and CBT for the management of chronic pain conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]