Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Chronic pain is a significant health problem strongly associated with a wide range of physical and mental health problems, including addiction. The widespread prevalence of pain and the increasing rate of opioid prescriptions have led to a focus on how physicians are educated about chronic pain. This critical scoping review describes the current literature in this important area, identifying gaps and suggesting avenues for further research starting from patients' standpoint. ⋯ The findings highlight significant discrepancies between the prevalence of chronic pain in society and the low priority assigned to educating future physicians about the complexities of pain and the social context of those afflicted. This suggests the need for better pain education as well as attention to the "hidden curriculum."
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To investigate the prevalence of chronic pain and opioid management among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). ⋯ Based on a systematic review of the current literature, there is fair evidence for the high prevalence of chronic pain among patients with CKD, which is not being effectively managed, probably due to underprescription of analgesics or opioids in the CKD population. Clinicians are in need of additional and well-designed randomized control trials that focus on the indications for opioid therapy, appropriate opioid doses and dosing intervals, outcomes with adequacy of symptom control, and reporting on the incidence of adverse side effects.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) with Anatomically Guided (3D) Neural Targeting Shows Superior Chronic Axial Low Back Pain Relief Compared to Traditional SCS-LUMINA Study.
The aim of this study was to determine whether spinal cord stimulation (SCS) using 3D neural targeting provided sustained overall and low back pain relief in a broad routine clinical practice population. ⋯ Our results suggest that 3D neural targeting SCS and its associated hardware flexibility provide effective treatment for both chronic leg and chronic axial low back pain that is significantly superior to traditional SCS.
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More than 100 million adults in the United States experience chronic pain, and prescription opioids are the third most widely prescribed class of medications. Current opioid overdose prevention efforts almost exclusively target illicit opioid users, and little is known about the experience of overdose among patients being treated for chronic pain (CP) with a prescription opioid. ⋯ Opioid overdose occurs at a high rate among CP participants, and this group is relatively uninformed about risk factors for overdose. Established SOAPP-R and DSM thresholds provide an opportunity to identify participants at elevated risk for having experienced an opioid overdose. These data support development of additional concentrated efforts to prevent overdose among chronic pain patients.