Der Schmerz
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Opioids efficiently alleviate pain and dyspnea. However, guidelines on symptom management with opioids differ, which may lead to an uncertainty concerning opioid indication and ethical implication among medical staff, especially when caring for COVID-19 patients. ⋯ DGP members perceived substantial uncertainty in the handling of M/O for medical fields outside PC. Uniform interdisciplinary guidelines for symptom control, more education, and involvement of a PC consultation team should be increasingly considered in the future.
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Entrapment neuropathies such as carpal tunnel syndrome, radiculopathies, or radicular pain are the most common peripheral neuropathies and also the most common cause for neuropathic pain. Despite their high prevalence, they often remain challenging to diagnose and manage in a clinical setting. ⋯ The contemporary assessment is discussed and diagnostic pitfalls highlighted. The evidence for the noninvasive and surgical management of common entrapment neuropathies is summarised and future areas of research are identified.
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Chronic pain patients represent the population with the highest use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Current data on the usage, prescription and reasons for using CAM in Germany remain unclear and have not yet been published. ⋯ The high use of CAM in chronic pain patients highlights the need for physicians to have adequate medical knowledge about each CAM modality and to communicate competently with the patients about them.