Der Schmerz
-
The concept of chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPC) is relatively unknown in German pain medicine. ⋯ Pain physicians can play a role in the management of patients with endometriosis and COPCs. A multimodal therapy should include physiotherapy and pain-related psychological treatment and possibly centrally acting pain modulation medication.
-
Endometriosis is one of the most common diseases in women of reproductive age. Despite characteristic symptoms such as dysmenorrhea, chronic abdominal pain, dysuria, dyschezia and dyspareunia, the average latency until diagnosis is around 10 years. In addition to the individual limitations, the disease also has economic and health policy relevance. The complaints are followed by reductions in working hours, cyclically recurring short-term sick leave or presenteeism with reduced performance. ⋯ Interdisciplinary cooperation is essential in the treatment of patients with (suspected) endometriosis. This team should include all necessary disciplines in a cross-sectoral network. This is most likely to be achieved in a certified structure.
-
Review
[Management of endometriosis pain : Stage-based treatment strategies and clinical experience].
Endometriosis is associated with various types of intense pain. In addition to nociceptive pain, there is also a nociplastic reaction with central sensitization. Atypical symptoms such as acyclic lower abdominal pain, radiating pain, non-specific bladder and intestinal complaints or even depression are frequent as are classic cyclical complaints such as severe dysmenorrhea, cyclical lower abdominal pain, dyspareunia, dysuria and dyschezia. In cases of a diverse range of symptoms, patients often consult not just gynecologists but specialists from other disciplines (e.g., internal medicine, gastroenterology, orthopedics, pain therapy, psychology). ⋯ The use of multimodal treatment strategies regarding the complex pathophysiological aspects of this disease might be helpful in significantly improving the quality of life of endometriosis patients.
-
Radiofrequency denervation has been established for many years as an important minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of chronic pain conditions. Positive experiences of many users for various indications are contrasted by a nonuniform evidence. With meticulous patient selection and correct assessment of the indications a longer term reduction of pain, a reduced need for analgesics and an improvement in the quality of life can be achieved. ⋯ The summarized recommendations of the expert group are based on the available evidence and on the clinical experiences of Austrian centers that frequently implement the procedure. The position paper contains recommendations on patient selection and proven indications. We discribe safety aspects, complications, side effects and contraindications.