Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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The purpose of the study was to systematically review the historical therapeutics for chronic pain care directed at the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and to identify future trends and upcoming treatment strategies. ⋯ Despite a robust understanding of the DRG and its importance in acute nociception, as well as the development and maintenance of chronic pain, relatively poor evidence exists regarding current therapeutic strategies. Novel therapies like electrical and pharmacologic strategies are on the horizon, and more prospective study is required to better qualify the role of the DRG in chronic pain care.
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The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of artificial neural networks (ANNs) to predict, on the basis of clinical variables, the response of persons with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) to a standard, 4-week interdisciplinary pain program. ⋯ Properly trained ANNs can be a useful tool for optimal treatment selection at an early stage after diagnosis, thus contributing to minimize the lag until symptom amelioration and improving tertiary prevention in patients with FMS.
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The objective of the study was to collect data on the direct and indirect economic cost of chronic pain among patients attending a pain management clinic in Ireland. ⋯ The cost of chronic pain among intensive service users is significant, and when extrapolated to a population level, these costs represent a very substantial economic burden.
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Patients with lumbosacral spinal stenosis (LSS) do not always obtain satisfactory pain relief from transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TFESI) because perineural/epidural adhesions prevent the spread of injectate into the epidural space. Percutaneous adhesiolysis (PA) can eliminate the deleterious effects of adhesion. This study was to evaluate the effectiveness of PA among patients with LSS refractory to TFESI and to ascertain the prognostic factors determining PA efficacy. ⋯ PA may be a useful treatment in patients with LSS refractory to TFESI and reduce the surgical requirement. Previous surgery, spondylolisthesis, and foraminal stenosis may be associated with poor prognosis.