Pain physician
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Epidural steroid injections are commonly used in managing radicular pain. Most complications related to epidural injections are minor and self-limited. Flushing is considered as one such minor side effect. Flushing has been studied using various steroid preparations including methylprednisone, triamcinolone, and betamethasone but its frequency has never been studied using dexamethasone. ⋯ Flushing is commonly reported following epidural steroid injections. With an incidence of 28%, injections using dexamethasone 16 mg by interlaminar epidural route appear to be associated with more flushing reaction than previously reported with other steroid preparations. Additionally, female participants are more likely to experience flushing though the reactions seem to be self-limiting with resolution by 48 hours.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Comparative outcomes of a 2-year follow-up of cervical medial branch blocks in management of chronic neck pain: a randomized, double-blind controlled trial.
Cervical therapeutic intraarticular facet joint injections, therapeutic medial branch blocks, and radiofrequency neurotomy have been applied in managing chronic neck pain of cervical facet joint origin. However, the effectiveness of these modalities continues to be debated. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical effectiveness of therapeutic cervical medial branch blocks with or without steroids. ⋯ NCT00332722.
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The treatment of chronic pain, therapeutic opioid use and abuse, and the nonmedical use of prescription drugs have been topics of intense focus and debate. After the liberalization of laws governing opioid prescribing for the treatment of chronic non-cancer pain by state medical boards in the late 1990s, and with the introduction of new pain management standards implemented by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) in 2000, opioids, in general, and the most potent forms of opioids including Schedule II drugs, in particular, have dramatically increased. Despite the escalating use and abuse of therapeutic opioids, nearly 15 to 20 years later the scientific evidence for the effectiveness of opioids for chronic non-cancer pain remains unclear. ⋯ Average sales of opioids per person have increased from 74 milligrams in 1997 to 369 milligrams in 2007, a 402% increase. Surveys of nonprescription drug abuse, emergency department visits for prescription controlled drugs, unintentional deaths due to prescription controlled substances, therapeutic use of opioids, and opioid abuse have been steadily rising. This manuscript provides an updated 10-year perspective on therapeutic use, abuse, and non-medical use of opioids and their consequences.
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Case Reports
A treatment option for post-injection sciatic neuropathy: transsacral block with methylprednisolone.
Accidental intraneural injection induced nerve injury is an iatrogenic tragedy and intramuscular injection (IM) is the most common injury mechanism affecting the sciatic nerve. The most frequent presentation of sciatic nerve injury includes radicular pain and paresthesia with almost immediate onset of variable motor and sensory deficit. ⋯ The neuropathic pain due to accidental intraneural injection of the sciatic nerve would be an acceptable indication for transsacral nerve block with corticosteroids in the treatment of sciatic neuropathic pain symptoms.
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Nucleoplasty is a minimally invasive intervention use to perform disc decompression in cases of nerve root compression caused by disc herniation. It is important to find rational guidelines for choosing between nucleoplasty and microsurgery. ⋯ The size of the disc protrusion does not significantly affect the outcome of nucleoplasty. The rational guideline for choosing between the 2 types of surgery is the integrity of the annulus.