Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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The objective of this study was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of pregabalin vs usual care (UC) in outpatients with refractory neuropathic pain (NeP), treated according to routine medical practice in primary care settings in Spain. ⋯ This study showed that pregabalin may be cost-effective in the treatment of refractory NeP patients when compared with UC in routine medical practice in Spain.
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The primary objectives of the current study were to 1) confirm the three-factor model of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) items in a Japanese sample and 2) identify the catastrophizing subdomain(s) most closely associated with measures of pain and functioning in a sample of individuals with chronic pain. ⋯ The findings support the cross-cultural generalizability of the three-factor structure of the PCS and indicate that the PCS-assessed catastrophizing subdomains provide greater explanatory power than the PCS total score for understanding pain-related functioning.
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Prior to performing a cervical interlaminar epidural steroid injection (CIESI), knowledge of the depth from lamina to epidural space may assist in preventing cord injury. ⋯ While statistically significant correlations do exist between both quantitative external body characteristics and depth to cervical epidural space and T1vertebral lamina to depth of cervical epidural space for fluoroscopically guided interlaminar epidural steroid injections at C7-T1, even the most optimal regression models do not permit clinical confidence in predicted depth to epidural space.
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Among patients with hypogonadism-associated comorbidities, opioid users have the highest incidence of hypogonadism. Data from the Testim Registry in the United States were analyzed to determine the efficacy of testosterone replacement therapy in opioid users vs nonusers. ⋯ Testosterone replacement therapy increased serum testosterone in hypogonadal opioid users and nonusers alike. The data suggest that with testosterone replacement, hypogonadal opioid users might be expected to have similar improvements in sexual function and mood as opioid nonusers.