Der Schmerz
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Comparative Study
[Is supplemental ear acupuncture for surgical tooth removal with local anesthesia effective? : A pilot study].
The application of ear acupuncture can contribute to a reduction of acute pain. Data on the application of ear acupuncture following oral surgery in odontology is insufficient. ⋯ Despite a potential bias and methodological limitations of the study design, the results of this investigation suggest that ear acupuncture influences the experience of pain and anxiety in the postoperative period after tooth removal. As a treatment method with low adverse effects ear acupuncture can contribute to postoperative pain control, especially in patients with preoperative anxiety.
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Chronic pain is one of the most reported health problems in patients suffering from spinal cord injuries and is described by the patients as one of the most burdensome sequelae of paraplegia. Various types of pain, such as nociceptive, neuropathic and other types of pain can occur. ⋯ These aspects necessitate a multimodal pain management approach in this patient group. This article presents an overview of the occurrence, importance and pathophysiology of chronic pain following spinal cord injury as well as diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
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Interdisciplinary pain therapy is nowadays the state of the art for the treatment of chronic unspecific back pain. The aim of this article is to present the retrospective analysis of the data from a 1-week intensive outpatient multimodal interdisciplinary pain therapy group program for treatment of patients with chronic unspecific back pain. ⋯ Interestingly, the results showed a significant improvement of almost all evaluated parameters even after a period of 12 months (unfortunately only data for 41 patients were available). In our opinion this improvement is due to the special constellation of the presented program, which with 1 week is relatively short but very intensive with 34 h of treatment. In addition, the program is integrated into a long-term multimodal outpatient treatment, a concept in which the multimodal treatment is individually continued after the 1‑week program. On the other hand, the results especially after 12 months have to be interpreted particularly in this context.
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Following the amendment of the Medical Licensure Act (ÄAppO) in 2012, pain medicine was introduced as a mandatory subject for students during undergraduate medical training. Medical schools were required to define and to implement adequate curricular and formal teaching structures based on interdisciplinary and multiprofessional requirements according to the curriculum for pain medicine of the German Pain Society. These aspects were considered in the new interdisciplinary curriculum for pain medicine, the so-called Mainz model. ⋯ The interdisciplinary course in pain medicine was successfully introduced into the degree program based on the curriculum of the German Pain Society and the Kern cycle. With educational support, interdepartmental and multiprofessional collaboration the process of implementation of new interdisciplinary courses can be facilitated. In the future, the question how to increase the amount of practical lessons without increasing the load on teaching resources has to be resolved. Blended learning modules, such as a combination of E‑learning and practical lessons are currently being studied in smaller cohorts.
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Despite many positive developments, postoperative pain and its treatment is still not always given the necessary attention. Severe pain after surgical procedures affects a significant proportion of patients. ⋯ This multidisciplinary paper which was initiated by the Austrian Society for Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care and the Austrian Pain Society and developed together with numerous specialist and professional societies dealing with the subject aims at supporting the organization of perioperative pain management structures and to make best use of proven concepts. Additional recommendations describe specific interventions for selected types of intervention.