British journal of pain
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British journal of pain · May 2017
Schoolbags and back pain in children between 8 and 13 years: a national study.
Schoolbag weight in schoolchildren is a recurrent and contentious issue within the educational and health sphere. Excessive schoolbag weight can lead to back pain in children, which increases the risk of chronic back pain in adulthood. There is limited research regarding this among the Maltese paediatric population. ⋯ The presence of back pain was statistically related to gender, body mass index (BMI), school and bag weight to body weight ratio. After adjusting for other factors, self-reported back pain in schoolchildren is independently linked to carrying heavy schoolbags. This link should be addressed to decrease the occurrence of back pain in this age group.
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British journal of pain · Nov 2016
Effect of adding intrathecal morphine to a multimodal analgesic regimen for postoperative pain management after laparoscopic bariatric surgery: a prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial.
Pain control after bariatric surgery is a major challenge. Our objective was to study the efficacy and safety of intrathecal (IT) morphine 0.3 mg added to bupivacaine 0.5% for postoperative pain after laparoscopic bariatric surgery. ⋯ The addition of IT morphine to a multimodal analgesic regimen after laparoscopic bariatric surgery was an effective and safe method that markedly reduced postoperative pain, systemic opioid consumption and length of hospital stay.
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British journal of pain · Nov 2016
Ultrasound-guided alcohol neurolysis of lateral femoral cutaneous nerve for intractable meralgia paresthetica: a case series.
Meralgia paresthetica is a rare sensory entrapment neuropathy which leads to burning, tingling and numbness in the antero-lateral aspect of thigh. Mostly it runs a benign course, and responds to conservative measures. We present a case series of six patients with intractable meralgia paresthetica with severe pain over antero-lateral thigh along the distribution of lateral cutaneous nerve of thigh which was further confirmed by nerve conduction study. ⋯ This case series shows ultrasound-guided lateral femoral cutaneous nerve neurolysis is a safe and effective treatment for intractable meralgia paresthetica and also provides prolonged pain relief and is a good option in avoiding the surgery. Summary points The literature on neurolysis is rare, with only few case reports. This is the first case series on this topic, and it will greatly improve the evidence that ultrasound-guided neurolysis can also be used for intractable meralgia paresthetica patients who do not respond to conservative measures before proceeding to surgery.
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British journal of pain · May 2016
'Pseudofailure' of spinal cord stimulation for neuropathic pain following a new severe noxious stimulus: learning points from a case series of failed spinal cord stimulation for complex regional pain syndrome and failed back surgery syndrome.
Failure of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) may be due to hardware problems, migration of electrodes and, in the long-term, plasticity in the spinal cord with habituation to the stimulation current. We describe a series of seven patients who experienced acute therapeutic loss of SCS effects following an acute nociceptive event unrelated to primary pathology. There were no hardware problems. ⋯ We conclude that SCS may seem to fail following a separate strong nociceptive stimulus. Stimulation may be regained with reprogramming or following a period with stimulation switched off. We would, therefore, advise against removal of SCS hardware in the first instance.
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British journal of pain · May 2016
Perceptions of phantom limb pain in lower limb amputees and its effect on quality of life: a qualitative study.
Phantom limb pain (PLP) is a prevalent complication post-amputation. Currently, qualitative literature exploring the experience of PLP in amputees is sparse, and little is known about whether the educational needs of amputees are being met. ⋯ PLP can be a severe and annoying experience acting as a reminder of amputees' circumstances. Information provided about PLP is inadequate, with some amputees still perceiving PLP as mental and imaginary. Education about PLP and awareness and accessibility to non-pharmacological interventions needs to be improved.