Biomedical subjects

Marita Widar

Publications and source records attributed to Marita Widar.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Coping with long-term pain after a stroke.

The aim of this qualitative study was to describe pain, coping strategies, and experienced outcome of coping with long-term pain conditions after a stroke. Forty-three participants were interviewed: 15 with central post-stroke pain (CPSP), 18 with nociceptive pain, and 10 with tension-type headache. Analysis of the data was by content analysis. Pain-related problems described were incomprehensibility regarding the pain, disturbed sleep, fatigue, diminished capacity, mood changes, and stress in relationships. Different coping strategies were used; the most common were making the pain comprehensible, planning of activities, taking medications, communicating, and distractions. Changing body position, making comparison, and enduring the pain were common in central or nociceptive pain, rest and relaxation in tension-type headache. Communicating their pain gave a feeling of perplexity and resignation. Satisfaction was reported in the cases of consideration shown by others. Pain after a stroke requires specialized knowledge in order to understand the patient's experiences and to enhance coping.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2004

Health-related quality of life in persons with long-term pain after a stroke.

BACKGROUND: No study has, to our knowledge, previously been published on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a group suffering from long-term pain after a stroke. AIM: The aim of the present study was to describe HRQoL in persons with long-term pain after a stroke, and to compare this with different types of pain conditions, age, gender and household status. DESIGN: This study has a design combining qualitative and quantitative methods. METHODS: Forty three participants suffering from long-term pain after a stroke were included. A qualitative interview was performed and then analysed by means of latent content analysis. In addition, two self-report questionnaires, SF-36 and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD Scale), were used. RESULTS: The qualitative data revealed that physical and cognitive functioning, economic security and good relationships, support and having the ability to be together with family and friends were important factors with regard to experienced HRQoL. No significant differences were found in SF-36 and the HAD Scale with regard to the different types of pain. The older age group had decreased physical functioning in SF-36. The men had more decreased vitality than the women. CONCLUSION: The results show, that the participants in this study have a lower HRQoL due to their long-term pain than those in previous studies on stroke survivors. It is evident that further research is needed with longitudinal studies and larger populations to gain more knowledge and thereby provide better supportive care. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Awareness and understanding of the patients' perceptions and transitions with regard to their life situation and suffering from long-term pain after a stroke is important in order to support a maintained or increased HRQoL. This is also important after the acute stage and rehabilitation, including quality of life of the relatives, especially to older and dependent persons.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2002

Disability after a stroke and the influence of long-term pain on everyday life.

Pain after a stroke is a symptom often forgotten, unnoticed although it is reported to be a great problem in care. The aim of this study was to describe disability after a stroke and how long-term pain influences everyday life according to the Multidimensional Pain Inventory - Swedish language version (MPI-S) and to test the reliability of this instrument. Forty-three persons were investigated 2 years after the stroke incident: 15 with central post-stroke pain (CPSP), 18 with nociceptive pain mainly in the shoulder and 10 with tension-type headache. Data collection was performed through the MPI-S and a questionnaire regarding assistive devices, also structured interviews based on the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) staircase and the Self-report impairment questionnaire. The results show that the persons suffered moderate to severe pain. Almost half were dependent in ADL. The most often reported impairments and use of assistive devices concerned mobility and/or motion. This was most frequent in persons with nociceptive pain. There were significant differences in persons with central pain and nociceptive pain compared with tension-type headache with regard to mobility- and/or motion-related activities. No statistical differences emerged between age, gender, different types of pain and the MPI-S scales, nor any significant differences in degree of pain as between different types of pain according to the Self-report impairment questionnaire. The reliability analysis of the MPI-S shows good homogeneity in all scales except Interference, Life Control and Affective Distress. This is the first study with MPI-S on mainly older persons and on stroke patients, thus further research is needed on this instrument as well as on which specific activities evoke the pain. This is in order to offer adequate treatment, care and support to persons with pain after a stroke.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2002

Long-term pain conditions after a stroke.

The aim of this study was to classify and describe the characteristics of different long-term pain conditions after a stroke by clinical examination and pain assessment using the Pain-O-Meter and a Pain questionnaire. Pain was classified as central post-stroke pain (n = 15), nociceptive pain (n = 18), and tension-type headache (n = 10). In 65%, pain onset was within 1-6 months and the pain intensity revealed individual differences. Many pain descriptors was common, some were discriminating as burning in central and cramping in nociceptive pain, and pressing and worrying in headache. More than half with central or nociceptive pain had continuous or almost continuous pain. Cold was the factor mostly increasing the pain in central, physical movements in nociceptive pain, and stress and anxiety in headache. More than one-third had no pain treatment and two-thirds of those with central pain had no or inadequate prescribed pain treatment. The clinical findings support the classification of pain and describe discriminating and common pain characteristics in pain conditions after a stroke.

Adult↗