BACKGROUND: Pain intensity, functional status and beliefs and attitudes towards pain are dynamic elements involved in the experience of chronic pain. Lidocaine infusion (LI) is a therapeutic intervention used to relieve pain. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this study was to determine if people with chronic pain who received LI and reported a decrease in pain intensity at 4 days post-infusion differed from those who did not report a decrease in pain intensity with respect to the following: a) baseline beliefs and attitudes towards pain; b) changes in belief and attitudes towards pain; c) and changes in functional status. This study also investigated if these differences were associated with being a novel or repeat LI user. A secondary objective was to estimate the sample size required for a larger study. METHODS: This project was an exploratory study. Thirty-three subjects were monitored for pain intensity using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) just before the infusion, and then at four days, two weeks, and three weeks after the infusion. The subjects were separated into groups depending on the criteria of whether or not they had: a) criterion-based pain intensity decrease or not on the fourth day post infusion, and b) received a previous LI or not. Since no subjects who received their first LI reported pain intensity decrease four days later, three groups emerged from this classification: first time LI users with no pain decrease, repeat LI users with no pain decrease, and repeat LI users with pain decrease. The subjects completed two self-administered questionnaires the Survey of Pain Attitudes (SOPA-32) and the Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (SMFA) - before the infusion, and at two and three weeks post-infusion. The most important change at two or three weeks post-infusion was used for comparison purposes. RESULTS: No significant changes in function (SMFA) were found. However, changes in specific beliefs and attitudes towards pain (SOPA-32) were associated with the group variable as follows: 1) All three groups showed a significantly stronger belief that 'others, especially family members, should be solicitous in response to their experience of pain' after the infusion. 2) Those who received their first LI and did not report pain intensity decrease also showed a significantly stronger belief that 'medications are an appropriate treatment for chronic pain' after the infusion. 3) Subjects who had previous LI and did not report pain intensity decrease were the only ones to believe significantly less that 'medications are an appropriate treatment for chronic pain' and more 'in a medical cure for their pain problem' after the infusion. 4) Subjects who had previous LI and did report pain intensity decrease had a significantly stronger belief in the appropriateness of medications and that 'that they should avoid exercise' after the infusion. 5) Finally, subjects who believed more that 'medications are an appropriate treatment for chronic pain' and less 'that they should avoid exercise' at baseline, had significantly higher chances of experiencing decrease in pain intensity 4 days after a LI. CONCLUSION: The impact of a LI on the individuals' beliefs and attitudes towards pain differs depending if their pain intensity decreased or not four days after the infusion, and if they had previous LI or not. By contrast, their pre-infusion beliefs and attitudes profile impacts on the efficacy of this intervention. Because of the small sample size, the heterogeneity of the subjects in terms of the localization of their pain, and our choice of measurement tool, it is not possible to determine if LI impacts on function. Nevertheless, this exploratory study generated some novel observations and questions that are of great interest for future research. A particular question of interest would be to determine if repeated LI fosters a more passive attitude towards pain management. It was also determined that a sample size of 70 subjects per group would be necessary for future research on this question. / Keywords: Chronic pain, lidocaine, beliefs and attitudes towards pain, function, pain intensity.

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A perspectiva dos fisioterapeutas que desenvolvem programas de educação postural com crianças bem jovens é que essas medidas de prevenção primária possam reduzir, a longo prazo a prevalência de dores nas costas.Esse estudo experimental, verificou os efeitos da educação postural comparando duas estratégias educacionais utilizando-se da pedagogia de uma história em quadrinhos (HQ) na retenção de informações desses hábitos posturais e de um circuito demonstrativo (CD), onde as crianças vivenciavam cada postura correta e incorreta. O programa de educação postural foi aplicado em três sessões educativas em escolares das 2ª e 3º séries, com idades entre 7-11 anos, de uma Escola Municipal, no Estado de São Paulo. A amostra consistiu de 80 crianças nos grupos HQ e CD. As sessões tiveram a duração de uma hora e serviram para transmitir noções básicas sobre: anatomia, biomecânica e fisiopatologia de dores na coluna vertebral e hábitos posturais corretos nas seguintes situações: postura sentada, postura em pé, postura deitada, transporte de mochila, técnica de levantamento e transferência de objetos. O conhecimento dos hábitos posturais foi verificado por intermédio de questionários aplicados antes do início do programa e após um período de 6 meses do término da pesquisa. Os resultados do estudo indicaram que para todas as variáveis estudadas não foram detectadas diferenças no aprendizado e memorização dos hábitos posturais corretos em ambos os sexos que se submeteram às duas metodologias de ensino, exceto no jeito de dormir, onde o índice de aumento das respostas corretas foi de 23% para o Circuito, enquanto o HQ apresentou apenas 7% / OBJECTIVE: This experimental study compared two educational strategies using the pedagogy of a comic book story (HQ) and a demonstration circuit (CD), to teach instructions for correct posture habits. METHOD: 80 students from the 2nd and 3rd grades of an elementary school in São Paulo city were studied using a questionnaire before and after the education program, and also six months after the end of the research, to assess the retention of the correct habits. RESULTS: The correct rates after the instructions increased 90% for both education strategies, except for the sleeping posture, which had more correct responses in the CD education practice. CONCLUSION: In the comparison between the comic book story and the demonstration circuit education strategies, both were effective in the memorization of correct postural habits

A perspectiva dos fisioterapeutas que desenvolvem programas de educação postural com crianças bem jovens é que essas medidas de prevenção primária possam reduzir, a longo prazo a prevalência de dores nas costas.Esse estudo experimental, verificou os efeitos da educação postural comparando duas estratégias educacionais utilizando-se da pedagogia de uma história em quadrinhos (HQ) na retenção de informações desses hábitos posturais e de um circuito demonstrativo (CD), onde as crianças vivenciavam cada postura correta e incorreta. O programa de educação postural foi aplicado em três sessões educativas em escolares das 2ª e 3º séries, com idades entre 7-11 anos, de uma Escola Municipal, no Estado de São Paulo. A amostra consistiu de 80 crianças nos grupos HQ e CD. As sessões tiveram a duração de uma hora e serviram para transmitir noções básicas sobre: anatomia, biomecânica e fisiopatologia de dores na coluna vertebral e hábitos posturais corretos nas seguintes situações: postura sentada, postura em pé, postura deitada, transporte de mochila, técnica de levantamento e transferência de objetos. O conhecimento dos hábitos posturais foi verificado por intermédio de questionários aplicados antes do início do programa e após um período de 6 meses do término da pesquisa. Os resultados do estudo indicaram que para todas as variáveis estudadas não foram detectadas diferenças no aprendizado e memorização dos hábitos posturais corretos em ambos os sexos que se submeteram às duas metodologias de ensino, exceto no jeito de dormir, onde o índice de aumento das respostas corretas foi de 23% para o Circuito, enquanto o HQ apresentou apenas 7% / OBJECTIVE: This experimental study compared two educational strategies using the pedagogy of a comic book story (HQ) and a demonstration circuit (CD), to teach instructions for correct posture habits. METHOD: 80 students from the 2nd and 3rd grades of an elementary school in São Paulo city were studied using a questionnaire before and after the education program, and also six months after the end of the research, to assess the retention of the correct habits. RESULTS: The correct rates after the instructions increased 90% for both education strategies, except for the sleeping posture, which had more correct responses in the CD education practice. CONCLUSION: In the comparison between the comic book story and the demonstration circuit education strategies, both were effective in the memorization of correct postural habits