Journal of pain research
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Journal of pain research · Jan 2012
Fluoroscopic caudal epidural injections in managing chronic axial low back pain without disc herniation, radiculitis, or facet joint pain.
Chronic low back pain without disc herniation is common. Various modalities of treatments are utilized in managing this condition, including epidural injections. However, there is continued debate on the effectiveness, indications, and medical necessity of any treatment modality utilized for managing axial or discogenic pain, including epidural injections. ⋯ Caudal epidural injections of local anesthetic with or without steroids are effective in patients with chronic axial low back pain of discogenic origin without facet joint pain, disc herniation, and/or radiculitis.
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Journal of pain research · Jan 2012
Extended pain relief trial utilizing infiltration of Exparel(®), a long-acting multivesicular liposome formulation of bupivacaine: a Phase IV health economic trial in adult patients undergoing open colectomy.
The majority of surgical patients experience significant levels of pain after a procedure. While opioid analgesics have been a mainstay of postsurgical analgesic regimens, recent evidence has supported the use of multimodal therapy as a way to decrease opioid usage with its concomitant opioid-related adverse events. The goal of multimodal therapy is to minimize the negative effects of these events on clinical and economic outcomes. The purpose of this study was to assess the opioid burden and health economic outcomes in patients undergoing open colectomy who received a liposomal bupivacaine-based multimodal analgesic regimen as compared with a standard opioid-based regimen for postsurgical pain. ⋯ This study confirmed that a liposomal bupivacaine-based multimodal analgesic regimen resulted in less opioid consumption, lower hospital costs, and a shorter length of stay than a standard opioid-based analgesic regimen for postsurgical pain in patients undergoing open colectomy.
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Journal of pain research · Jan 2012
Fluoroscopic lumbar interlaminar epidural injections in managing chronic lumbar axial or discogenic pain.
Among the multiple causes of chronic low back pain, axial and discogenic pain are common. Various modalities of treatments are utilized in managing discogenic and axial low back pain including epidural injections. However, there is a paucity of evidence regarding the effectiveness, indications, and medical necessity of any treatment modality utilized for managing axial or discogenic pain, including epidural injections. ⋯ In the successful groups (those with at least 3 weeks of relief with the first two procedures), the improvement was 84% in Group I and 71% in Group II. For those with chronic function-limiting low back pain refractory to conservative management, it is concluded that lumbar interlaminar epidural injections of local anesthetic with or without steroids may be an effective modality for managing chronic axial or discogenic pain. This treatment appears to be effective for those who have had facet joints as well as sacroiliac joints eliminated as the pain source.
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Journal of pain research · Jan 2012
Tramadol/paracetamol fixed-dose combination in the treatment of moderate to severe pain.
Pain is the most common reason patients seek medical attention and pain relief has been put forward as an ethical obligation of clinicians and a fundamental human right. However, pain management is challenging because the pathophysiology of pain is complex and not completely understood. Widely used analgesics such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and paracetamol (acetaminophen) have been associated with adverse events. ⋯ The current guideline-based paradigm for pain treatment recommends NSAIDs for ongoing use with analgesics such as opioids to manage flares. However, the treatment model should evolve how to use low-dose combination products to manage pain with occasional use of NSAIDs for flares to avoid long-term and high-dose treatment with these analgesics. A next step in pain management guidelines should be targeted therapy when possible, or low-dose combination therapy or both, to achieve maximal efficacy with minimal toxicity.
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Journal of pain research · Jan 2012
Predictors of duloxetine adherence and persistence in patients with fibromyalgia.
Adherence to medication for the treatment of fibromyalgia (FM) is predictive of lower overall health-care costs, and thus a lower burden on both patients and providers. The objectives of this study were to examine the predictors of adherence to and persistence with duloxetine therapy among commercially insured FM patients, and to identify subgroups of patients with high duloxetine persistence and adherence. ⋯ Patients with high adherence to and persistence with duloxetine were significantly older and had prior antidepressant use.