Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Review Multicenter Study Meta Analysis
Systematic safety review and meta-analysis of procedural experience using percutaneous access to treat symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis.
This systematic safety review reports multicenter safety results of symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) patients treated with percutaneous lumbar decompression. ⋯ In this safety review, percutaneous lumbar decompression proved to be a safe procedure. Compared with other more invasive lumbar decompression techniques, percutaneous lumbar decompression has demonstrated significantly better safety. This high level of safety is particularly vital for the rapidly growing elderly LSS patient population with increased treatment risks related to comorbid medical issues.
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Comparative Study
Representations of symptom history in women with fibromyalgia vs chronic low back pain: a qualitative study.
To compare fibromyalgia (FM) and chronic non-specific low back pain (LBP) patients' narratives about symptom onset. This investigation aimed to better understand how patients with FM relate to their pain problem and the physicians in charge of making the diagnosis. ⋯ The narratives of patients with FM expressed high psychological loads and dramatic connotations and emphasized legitimacy issues. In contrast, patients with LBP stressed overload, wear and tear, and treatment inefficacy. The combination of chronicity and lack of specificity may render FM and LBP prone to raise skepticism in the therapists. Investigating and discussing patients' perceptions allows overcoming the apparent uniformity of patients' complaints. It contributes defining realistic and shared treatment goals and help therapists cope with pain chronicity.
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Effective treatment of phantom limb pain (PLP, pain felt in the part of the body of an amputated limb) is still difficult to achieve, and improved treatment is needed. It is therefore of paramount interest to understand the current practice of PLP therapy outside pain centers. ⋯ Our results suggest that there are primary needs for better information about PLP pathophysiology and treatment not only for patients but also for caregivers. Limited therapeutic success reveals a further need for increased research in PLP management.