F-3-01-05
CHRONIC PAIN AND SEXUAL PERFORMANCE: A SELF REPORT
Trilok N. Monga: Uma Monga; (Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Radiation Oncology, VA Medical Center; Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA)
Purpose: To describe sexual performance in patients with chronic pain.
Methods: Seventy patients responded to a mailed questionnaire. Sixty-two patients were male. Age range for male and female patients was 32-74 (mean 50.9) and 29-70 years (mean 41.8) respectively. Derogatis Inventory of Sexual Functioning was used.
Results: Only 33 patients were engaged in coital activity. Twenty- four (73%) of these patients had low back pain. Twenty-nine (88%) patients reported that pain extremely interfered in sexual intercourse. Majority (85%) of the patients preferred "top" position for sexual intercourse. Many reported using multiple positiOnS. The next commonly practiced position was "lying on back" (73%). Twelve patients performed intercourse while sitting on a chair. Sixty-four percent reported worsening of pain during intercourse. Seventy-six percent were dissatisfied with sexual activity due to fear of performance, and 56% reported fear of pain during intercourse.
Conclusions: Majority of these patients were experiencing problems in sexual functioning. However, most of the sexually active patients still preferred "male superior" position for sexual intercourse. It is important to discuss sexuality issues, and suggest alternative positions to prevent pain and minimize fear in these patients.
F-3-02-01
APPLICATION OF LOW REACTIVE-LEVEL LASER THERAPY (LLLT) IN THE FUNCTIONAL TRAINING OF CEREBRAL PALSY PATIENTS
Yoshimi Asagai, Hidekazu Suzuki, Yutaka Miyata (Shinano Handicapped Children's Hospital) Yukio Miura, (Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tokyo Medical College) Toshio Ohshiro (Japan Medical Laser Laboratory)
Abstract; We incorporated low reactive-level laser therapy(LLLT) into our CP rehabilitation and training program in 1991. The study involved a patient population of 150, with spastic CP. The age of the patients ranged from 10 months to 20 years. The laser used was a GaAlAs diode laser, giving output powers in continuous wave of 100 mW, at a wavelength of 810 nm. Biopsy of the skeletal muscle was performed in 9 patients with cerebral palsy. With the exception of those with severe joint contracture, laser therapy effectively suppressed tonic muscle spasms. The effect of a single session of LLLT lasted from one hour to several hours in patients with severe CP. It could be applied in conjunction with conventional functional therapies, thereby enhancing the effect of the latter. After radiation, proliferation of intramuscular capillaries was noted at the radiation site. No degenerative changes were found in the skeletal muscle.
