Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Prospectively evaluate the clinical outcomes of acute cervical radiculopathy with respect to soft disc herniations vs osteophytes. ⋯ The majority of patients, but not all patients, with acute radiculopathies improved with time. This was seen with both soft disc herniations and osteophytes.
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This article presents findings from a large prospective examination of Canadian medical cannabis patients, with a focus on the impacts of cannabis on prescription opioid use and quality of life over a 6-month period. ⋯ This study provides an individual-level perspective of cannabis substitution for opioids and other prescription drugs, as well as associated improvement in quality of life over 6 months. The high rate of cannabis use for chronic pain and the subsequent reductions in opioid use suggest that cannabis may play a harm reduction role in the opioid overdose crisis, potentially improving the quality of life of patients and overall public health.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Feasibility of Auricular Field Stimulation in Fibromyalgia: Evaluation by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Randomized Trial.
To evaluate the feasibility of recruitment, preliminary efficacy, and acceptability of auricular percutaneous electrical nerve field stimulation (PENFS) for the treatment of fibromyalgia in veterans, using neuroimaging as an outcome measure and a biomarker of treatment response. ⋯ There was a trend toward improved pain and function among veterans with fibromyalgia in the ST + PENFS group as compared with the ST control group. Pain and functional outcomes correlated with altered rs-fcMRI network connectivity. Neuroimaging results differed between groups, suggesting an alternative underlying mechanism for PENFS analgesia.