Journal of pain research
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Journal of pain research · Jan 2013
Long-term opioid treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain: unproven efficacy and neglected safety?
For the past 30 years, opioids have been used to treat chronic nonmalignant pain. This study tests the following hypotheses: (1) there is no strong evidence-based foundation for the conclusion that long-term opioid treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain is effective; and (2) the main problem associated with the safety of such treatment - assessment of the risk of addiction - has been neglected. ⋯ There is no strong evidence-based foundation for the conclusion that long-term opioid treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain is effective. The above identified signs indicating neglect of addiction associated with the opioid treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain were present.
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Journal of pain research · Jan 2013
Feasibility and analgesic efficacy of the transversus abdominis plane block after single-port laparoscopy in patients having bariatric surgery.
The transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is a technique increasingly used for analgesia after surgery on the anterior abdominal wall. We undertook this study to determine the feasibility and analgesic efficacy of ultrasound-guided TAP blocks in morbidly obese patients. We describe the dermatomal spread of local anesthetic in TAP blocks administered, and test the hypothesis that TAP blocks decrease visual analog scale (VAS) scores. ⋯ Ultrasound-guided TAP blocks in morbidly obese patients are feasible and result in satisfactory analgesia following SPSG in the immediate postoperative period.
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Journal of pain research · Jan 2013
Comparison of the transport of QX-314 through TRPA1, TRPM8, and TRPV1 channels.
It has been demonstrated that N-ethyl-lidocaine (QX-314) can target the transient receptor protein vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) nociceptors when coadministered with capsaicin, resulting in a selective block of the nociceptors. Capsaicin is problematic in therapeutic use because it induces firing of nociceptors. The present study aimed to search for substitutes for capsaicin. We also examined the transportability of QX-314 into nociceptive neurons, through the pores of transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1), transient receptor potential melastatin-8 (TRPM8), and TRPV1. ⋯ These results indicate that TRPA1 and TRPM8 are ineffective in the transport of QX-314 compared with TRPV1.
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Journal of pain research · Jan 2013
Psychological factors: anxiety, depression, and somatization symptoms in low back pain patients.
To determine the prevalence of low back pain (LBP), investigate the sociodemographic characteristics of patients with LBP, and examine its association with psychological distress such as anxiety, depression, and somatization. ⋯ The prevalence of LBP in this study sample was comparable with other studies. Furthermore, psychological distress such as anxiety, depression, and somatization were more prevalent in LBP patients compared to patients without LBP.
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Journal of pain research · Jan 2013
Spinal nerve injury causes upregulation of ErbB2 and ErbB3 receptors in rat dorsal root ganglia.
It is generally known that peripheral nerve injury causes changes in expression of some growth factors in the dorsal root ganglion. Altered expression of ErbB receptors, a well-known growth factor in somatic cells, reportedly follows peripheral nerve injury in the spinal dorsal horn; however, it remains unknown whether the expression of these receptors is altered in the dorsal root ganglion after nerve injury. ⋯ We also demonstrated that peripheral nerve injury induced significant increases in ErbB2 and ErbB3 in the ipsilateral dorsal root ganglion as compared with uninjured nerve. Expression changes in ErbB receptors appear to play important roles in nerve injury and subsequent nerve regeneration.