Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
-
Large-scale procedural safety data on pterygopalatine fossa nerve blocks (PPFBs) performed via a suprazygomatic, ultrasound-guided approach are lacking, leading to hesitancy surrounding this technique. The aim of this study was to characterize the safety of PPFB. ⋯ We have not identified clinically significant adverse effects from PPFB performed with an ultrasound-guided suprazygomatic approach in a large cohort in the hospital setting. PPFBs are a safe and well-tolerated pain management strategy; however, prospective multicenter studies are needed.
-
To evaluate the effectiveness of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (dronabinol [DRO]) as an add-on treatment in patients with refractory chronic pain (CP). ⋯ Add-on treatment with DRO in patients with refractory CP was well tolerated and associated with a significant improvement.
-
Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a genetic blood disorder affecting over 1 million people globally. The aim of this analysis is to explore the pain burden of patients with SCD in two countries: the United States and Ghana. ⋯ US patients with SCD have a higher pain burden than Ghanaian patients. Further studies should investigate underlying contributors to pain burden in these populations and further explore the etiology of geographic differences in pain.
-
Greater trochanteric pain syndrome is a common cause of lateral hip pain. Corticosteroid injections are commonly utilized as nonsurgical interventions; however, they are not effective for all patients. This technical case report describes a method for treating greater trochanteric pain syndrome by utilizing cooled radiofrequency ablation. ⋯ Cooled radiofrequency ablation of the trochanteric branch of the nervus femoralis is a potential treatment for greater trochanteric pain syndrome. This procedure provides a potential steroid-sparing interventional treatment based on reproducible fluoroscopic landmarks.