Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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For interlaminar cervical epidural steroid injections (CESI) the lateral fluoroscopic view (LAT) is often considered to improve needle localization. However, the contralateral-oblique view (CLO) is a useful alternative with potential advantages to improve identification of cervical anatomy and needle depth assessment. The authors explored the attitudes and perceptions of pain medicine fellows currently training in two ACGME-accredited pain medicine fellowship programs regarding the use of these two types of fluoroscopic views. ⋯ For interlaminar CESI, using the CLO is perceived to provide better definition of anatomy and yet is easier to learn. Trainees may become more confident in performing interlaminar CESI with the CLO. We encourage all fellowship programs to include the CLO technique for interlaminar CESI as part of the training.
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Multicenter Study
Radiofrequency intradiscal biacuplasty for treatment of discogenic lower back pain: a 12-month follow-up.
Discogenic low back pain (LBP) affects a considerable number of patients suffering from chronic LBP. Recently, a growing interest has emerged in minimally invasive treatment options for discogenic LBP. Intradiscal biacuplasty (IDB), which uses cooled radiofrequency technology to ablate nociceptors in the posterior aspect of the intervertebral disc, is one such option. We previously presented 6-month results of a randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled study. Now, we present the unblinded, 12-month follow-up data for treatment patients and 6-month data for cross-over subjects from the original sham group. ⋯ Clinically significant improvements after IDB initially reported at 6 months were maintained at 9 and 12 months. The cross-over subjects had similar improvement in all outcome measures at all observed time points.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Use of a medication quantification scale for comparison of pain medication usage in patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).
To correlate the amount and types of pain medications prescribed to CRPS patients, using the Medication Quantification Scale, and patients' subjective pain levels. ⋯ There appears to be only a weak correlation between amount of pain medication prescribed and patients' reported subjective pain intensity within this limited patient population. The Medication Quantification Scale is a viable tool for the analysis of pharmaceutical treatment of CRPS patients and would be useful in further prospective studies of pain medication prescription practices in the CRPS population worldwide.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Pregabalin in the treatment of herpetic neuralgia: results of a multicenter Chinese study.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy, impact on quality of life, and safety of pregabalin for the treatment of acute herpetic neuralgia (AHN) and subacute herpetic neuralgia (SHN). ⋯ Both combination therapy with oxycodone plus pregabalin and oxycodone monotherapy were effective and safe for herpetic neuralgia. In addition, subjects on combination therapy showed shortened time to pain relief, reduced pain intensity, and greater improvement than oxycodone alone.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Short-term effects of bright light therapy in adults with chronic nonspecific back pain: a randomized controlled trial.
The present trial evaluated incorporation of bright light therapy in the treatment of chronic nonspecific back pain (CNBP). ⋯ The present randomized controlled trial shows that light therapy even in low dose could improve depressive symptoms and reduce pain intensity in CNBP patients. Further research is needed for optimizing parameters of frequency, dose, and duration of therapeutic light exposure.