Effects of Nature-Based Multisensory Stimulation on Pain Mechanisms in Women with Fibromyalgia… 2023, Gungormus, et al

I could not resist posting this one….

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Effects of Nature-Based Multisensory Stimulation on Pain Mechanisms in Women with Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial, 2023, Pain Management Nursing, Gungormus DB, et al.

Abtract:

Background: The term "nature-based sensory stimuli" refers to the sensory information produced by biotic and abiotic agents from natural environments. The literature has reported the beneficial effects of these agents on various pain dimensions in non-clinical populations.

Aims: To evaluate the potential analgesic effects of nature-based multisensory stimulation in women with fibromyalgia syndrome.

Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial with a 1:1 allocation ratio was conducted. Forty-two women with fibromyalgia syndrome interacted with either different plant species with flowers, stones, and soil organic matter or their synthetic imitations for 30 minutes. Outcome measurements were performed before and after the intervention, including clinical pain intensity using the Numeric Rating Scale, cold pain thresholds using the Cold Pressor Test, mechanical hyperalgesia and wind-up using a monofilament, and pressure pain thresholds using a pressure algometer.

Results: Analyses revealed group × time interactions for clinical pain intensity (F = 7.915, p = .008), cold-water immersion time (F = 7.271, p = .010), mechanical hyperalgesia (F = 4.701, p = .036), and pressure pain threshold (p ≤ .017). Between-group differences were found in clinical pain intensity (p = .012), cold pain thresholds (p = .002), and pressure pain thresholds (p < .05). The experimental group exhibited reduced clinical pain intensity (p = .001) and increased pressure pain thresholds (p ≤ .034).

Conclusions: Women with fibromyalgia syndrome may benefit from multisensory stimulation using biotic and abiotic agents from natural environments for 30 minutes. Interacting with flowering plants and soil components appears to induce analgesic effects.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37495473/

I could not access the full paper…

 

I can see the headline now:

People with fibromyalgia can't tell plastic from real flowers.
Or so it is claimed.

 

Yes, they couldn't write "Women with fibromyalgia", because nobody would be surprised.

 

This is one of the stupidest papers I've seen in a while.

 

The subtle irony of my post was perhaps lost?

 

I have to admit that I did nearly water my cousin's plastic orchid once when renting her apartment in the Alps.

 

Reminds me of the Israeli study of flower arranging to combat FM pain (as well as a boost for their cut flower industry, no doubt).

I am taking offense at this stupid research and others of FM (my primary condition). Trivializes the mostly female FM population as well as the condition itself.

 

Wow! I can't help but think of how differently men with erectile dysfunction are treated. They are prescribed a pill and told, here, take this, bye, rather than being endlessly psychoanalyzed, even if the cause of their condition is from a mental rather than a physical cause. Must be nice. I'm speaking tongue in cheek since these are 2 such different conditions, but still.

 

If you can genuinely blind people to being out in a forest, you may be a wizard.

Except it's way dumber. Just way, way dumber than this. They just made them "interact" with things. Good grief exactly how low is their opinion of patients that they think this is serious?

This gets pretty close to making an allowance for patients to slap them in the face, and put some weight into it. It's just dripping with complete and total disrespect and infantilization.

 

And wow is the competition for this ferocious. It's truly a race to the bottom with this ridiculous ideology.

 

I haven't read this but it makes me think a "meta-blinding" should be done. I.e. someone external to the study group secretly co-ordinates with just one of the technical staff to de-placebo the groups without telling anyone else. Everyone thinks that the placebo group is interacting with plastic flowers etc, they analyse and write up the results and - at the very end - tada! your entire study was pure bias.

 

pdf: http://www.painmanagementnursing.org/article/S1524904223001285/pdf

 

Hawthornes would presumably have been particularly effective, whether or not they were plastic.

 

Dainty creatures hawthorns - Blackthorn now that's a serious attention getter.