Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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To determine whether ranolazine, a new anti-angina medication, could be an effective analgesic agent in complete Freund's adjuvant-induced inflammatory pain. ⋯ Ranolazine's potential as a new option for managing both angina and chronic inflammatory pain warrants further study.
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Comparative Study
An open pilot study assessing the benefits of quetiapine for the prevention of migraine refractory to the combination of atenolol, nortriptyline, and flunarizine.
Migraine is a prevalent neurological disorder. Although prevention is the core of treatment for most, some patients are refractory to standard therapies. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to evaluate the use of Quetiapine (QTP) in the preventive treatment of refractory migraine, defined as previous unresponsiveness to the combination of atenolol, nortriptyline, and flunarizine. ⋯ Although limited by the open design, this study provides pilot data to support the use of QTP in the preventive treatment of refractory migraine. Controlled studies are necessary to confirm these observations.
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This study aimed to describe prescribing and administration of opioids in a tertiary referral teaching hospital. Secondary aims were assessment of staff knowledge of opioid pharmacology and available preparations, and of perceived barriers limiting opioid use. ⋯ The majority of participants had incomplete pain relief and the maximum prescribed doses of opioids were not administered. Reported barriers included staff knowledge of opioid dose titration and opioid preparations, and time constraints. Identified barriers included poor knowledge of opioid preparations.
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The sacroiliac joint is a common source of chronic low back pain. We recently described the use of cooled radiofrequency (RF) electrodes for performing lateral branch neurotomy to treat sacroiliac joint pain. The procedure involves lesioning the lateral branches of the posterior primary rami at S1-S3, and the L5 dorsal ramus (L5DR). While the cooled RF electrode has been adopted as a means for lesioning the lateral branches, conventional RF electrodes are used to lesion the L5DR. The objective of this technical report is to evaluate the acute safety of denervating the L5DR using cooled RF electrode. ⋯ This review demonstrates the acute safety of using cooled RF for L5DR denervation with no report of significant or unusual patient complications. To establish frequency of complication associated with the treatment, a larger registry is required.
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This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of trans-electric nerve stimulation (TENS) for phantom limb pain applied to contralateral limb (nonamputated limb). ⋯ Both patients showed a significant improvement in their perception of phantom limb pain and sensations that was maintained at one-year follow-up. A randomized blinded controlled trial to confirm these positive outcomes is required.