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Purpose: The Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire is a valid measure assessing self-efficacy in individuals with chronic pain. Short-form versions of the measure have been developed to decrease the assessment burden. However, few studies have evaluated the psychometric properties of the short forms in languages other than English. The aim of this study was to evaluate two 2-item short forms and one 4-item short form of the Japanese Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire in terms of internal consistency, criterion validity, structural validity, and construct validity.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. Data from 150 individuals with mixed chronic pain at a pain management center in a university hospital were extracted from clinical records and analyzed. The data included the information of the original version and short forms of the Japanese Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, and other pain-related measures assessing pain intensity, pain interference, anxiety, depression and pain catastrophizing.Results: Item statistics supported the item selection for each of the three short forms. All the short forms demonstrated adequate internal consistency and criterion validity. With respect to construct validity, one of the 2-item short forms failed to meet the criterion regarding the change in the magnitude of correlation with a depression scale. The 4-item short form met all the criteria including structural validity.Conclusion: The study findings provide evidence for the reliability and validity of 2- and 4-item versions of the Japanese Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for use in clinical and research settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: While non-noxious local cooling is widely used in physical medicine, its effect on muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) and cardiovascular regulation are not clear. The purpose of the present study was to assess the responses of MSNA, blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and local blood flow during non-noxious local cooling.Methods: The study included two protocols. Both protocols consisted of 10-min rest in supine position, followed by 15-min local cooling (15 °C) of the shin and anterior foot, and 20-min recovery. MSNA of the right common peroneal nerve, BP, HR, and shin skin temperature (TSK) were recorded in eight men in the first protocol, while leg blood flow (LBF) was measured in the same subjects by strain-gauge plethysmography in the second protocol.Results: TSK gradually decreased from 31.5 ± 0.02 to 16.0 ± 1.01 °C (mean ± SEM) during local cooling, and gradually increased after the end of local cooling. No subject complained of pain, and BP and HR remained constant. The MSNA burst rate increased significantly (p < 0.05) to 141.1 ± 12.5 % during local cooling, but decreased significantly (p < 0.05) to 73.6 ± 5.9 % during the recovery period. Total MSNA also increased to 148.0 ± 14.2 % (p < 0.05) during local cooling, and decreased to 74.0 ± 13.9 % (p < 0.05) at recovery. LBF remained constant through the experiment.Conclusions: The results suggest that MSNA is activated by non-noxious local cooling, and attenuated after the end of local cooling without any changes in HR and BP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was designed to assess the effects of local heat (LH) application on postganglionic muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) measured by microneurography in healthy men. In the first protocol, MSNA of the left peroneal nerve, blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and skin temperature of the shin (TSK) were recorded in nine men. In the second protocol, leg blood flow (LBF) was measured in the same subjects by strain-gauge plethysmography. In both protocols, after 10 min of rest in the supine position, a heated hydrocollator pack was applied to the shin and anterior foot for 15 min and recovery was monitored over a period of 20 min. TSK gradually increased from 31.7 ± 0.1 to 41.9 ± 0.5°C (mean ± SEM) during LH. No subject complained of pain, and BP and HR remained constant. The MSNA burst rate (16.1 ± 2.1 beats/min) during the control period decreased significantly (P < 0.05) to 72.0 ± 2.3% during LH. Total MSNA also decreased to 59.2 ± 2.6% (P < 0.05) during LH, but both immediately returned to baseline at recovery. In contrast, LBF in the left leg significantly and immediately increased (P < 0.05) after LH application and remained significantly elevated until the end of the recovery period. These results suggest that: (1) LH application significantly attenuates MSNA without any changes in HR and BP. (2) Other factors in addition to MSNA seem to control regional blood flow in the lower extremity during LH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To clarify the optimal management of rehabilitative intervention for limited glenohumeral joint mobility (LGHM) arising from adhesive capsulitis, particularly focusing on the frequency of sessions for joint mobilization and the self-exercise compliance, the functional results of 120 patients with LGHM were prospectively investigated as follows: Differences in improved angle of the shoulder joint (IA) and the time required to reach the range of motion plateau point ( T) were compared by (1) age, (2) gender, (3) handedness, (4) duration before rehabilitative intervention, (5) frequency of sessions for joint mobilization by physical therapists in the hospital setting, and (6) self-exercise compliance in the home setting. The lengths of therapy and follow-up were 4.6 and 5.9 months, respectively. IA significantly decreased in the 71-year-old and above group. There were no significant differences in IA between male and female. IA of the dominant-handed group was significantly higher than that of the non-dominant-handed group. There were no significant differences in T in each item. IA of the group that had experienced more than 7 months of the condition was significantly low. Although the frequency of joint mobilization by physical therapists in the hospital setting showed no relationship with IA or T, IA was significantly higher and T was significantly shorter in the group that performed self-exercise every day than in the groups that performed less. In conclusion, early intervention and self-exercise in the home setting are more important factors than session frequency of joint mobilization in the hospital setting for the successful management of rehabilitation for LGHM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]