Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Correlation of (99m) Tc-DPD SPECT/CT Scan Findings and Diagnostic Blockades of Lumbar Medial Branches in Patients with Unspecific Low Back Pain in a Randomized-Controlled Trial.
Zygapophyseal joints are the origin of pain in up to 30% of those with unspecific chronic low back pain. Until recently, no reliable clinical tests have been found to identify the patients who would benefit from denervation of the zygapophyseal joints by medial branch blockades. ⋯ Compared with diagnostic infiltrations SPECT/CT scans showed only a moderate sensitivity and specificity and, therefore, may not be recommended as a first line diagnostic tool prior to diagnostic infiltrations.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Day-to-Day Changes of Auricular Point Acupressure to Manage Chronic Low Back Pain: A 29-day Randomized Controlled Study.
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a 4-week auricular point acupressure (APA) treatment on chronic low back pain (CLBP) outcomes and examine the day-to-day variability of CLBP in individuals receiving APA for CLBP over 29 days. ⋯ This study shows that APA is a promising pain management strategy that is not invasive and can be self-managed by participants for CLBP. Given the day-to-day fluctuation in ratings, the tighter ecologic assessment of pain scores and other treatment parameters are an important pragmatic aspect of the design of chronic pain studies.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Relationships Among Pain Quality, Pain Impact, and Overall Improvement in Patients with Postherpetic Neuralgia Treated with Gastroretentive Gabapentin.
To determine the effect of gastroretentive gabapentin (G-GR) and describe relationships among pain quality, pain impact, and overall-improvement scores in patients with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). ⋯ For patients with PHN, G-GR provided significant improvements in multiple measures of pain quality and pain-related functional impairment. There was a positive correlation between pain relief and improvement in patient function, with reduction in pain intensity among predictors of improvements in patients' lives. Such comprehensive analyses give an insight into numerous factors that may contribute to better management of PHN.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Placebo Responses to Original vs Generic ASA Brands During Exposure to Noxious Heat: A Pilot fMRI Study of Neurofunctional Correlates.
We studied the expectation effects associated with brands by labeling placebo interventions (original and generic analgesic) and investigating the potential differences in efficacy between the two placebos in dealing with noxious heat pain, as well as exploring the neurometabolic correlates of the placebo response. ⋯ Our data indicate a behavioral placebo response for the original brand only. Expectations by subjects appear to be triggered not only by the placebo treatment itself but also by the trusted brand, which thus serves as an enhanced placebo. Both processes appear to be based on fronto-cortical neural networks, as these areas showed significantly stronger activations with the original brand.