Pain physician
-
Gonadal hormones are critical factors in modulating the experience of pain, as suggested by the several sex differences observed: women have a greater risk of many clinical pain conditions, and postoperative and procedural pain may be more severe in them than in men. A growing body of literature demonstrates the role of estrogen in the female pain experience, whereas less attention has been given to testosterone and its functions. Nevertheless, testosterone has an appreciable role in both women and men: adequate serum levels are required in males and females for libido and sexuality; cellular growth; maintenance of muscle mass and bone; healing; blood-brain barrier; and for central nervous system maintenance. Pain therapy, and particularly opioid therapy, has been shown to affect testosterone plasma levels. Thus, the chronic administration of pain killers, such as opioids, requires the physician to be aware of both the consequences that can develop due to long-term testosterone impairment and the available means to restore and maintain physiological testosterone levels. ⋯ Testosterone replacement suffers from old prejudices about its utility and safety. With this review we illustrate the available therapeutic choices able to maintain T concentration into physiological ranges and reduce nociception with a final goal of improving patients' quality of life.
-
There is a paucity of literature on the use of epidural injections for the treatment of chronic mid and upper back pain due to disc herniation and radiculitis, axial or discogenic pain, spinal stenosis, post surgery syndrome, and post thoracotomy pain syndrome. ⋯ The evidence based on this systematic review for thoracic epidural injection in treating chronic thoracic pain is considered fair and limited for post thoracotomy pain.
-
Opioids are broad spectrum analgesics that may be beneficial to alleviate the intense perception of algesia in patients suffering with pain. They have been one of the most controversial analgesics, in part because of their potential for addiction. Opioids or any currently available analgesic will not provide effective analgesia for every patient with chronic neuropathic pain (NP), but overall opioids are considered to be a second or third line class of analgesics that may provide reasonable analgesia to some patients with chronic NP. ⋯ Conversely, opioid therapy may contribute to nociceptive processes that may be involved in neuropathic pain such as opioid-induced cholecystokinin release. Furthermore, within NP, peripheral NP appears to be the most opioid responsive, followed by spinal NP while supraspinal NP tends to be the least responsive to opioids. Although, there is no robust evidence that any specific opioid agent is better than any other opioid at effectively treating NP, it is conceivable that some opioids/opioid-like analgesic agents may be particularly well suited to alleviate NP in certain patients suffering from neuropathic pain.
-
Chronic mid back and upper back pain caused by thoracic facet joints has been reported in 34% to 48% of patients based on responses to controlled diagnostic blocks. Systematic reviews have established moderate evidence for controlled comparative local anesthetic blocks of thoracic facet joints in the diagnosis of mid back and upper back pain, moderate evidence for therapeutic thoracic medial branch blocks, and limited evidence for radiofrequency neurotomy of thoracic medial branches. ⋯ The evidence for therapeutic facet joint interventions is fair for medial branch blocks, whereas it is not available for intraarticular injections, and limited for radiofrequency neurotomy due to lack of literature.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Efficacy of intrathecally administered dexmedetomidine versus dexmedetomidine with fentanyl in patients undergoing major abdominal cancer surgery.
Most of the clinical experience gained in the use of intrathecal alpha-2- adrenoceptor agonists has been described with clonidine. Human studies using a combination of intrathecal dexmedetomidine and local anesthetics are lacking. ⋯ Dexmedetomidine 5 μg given intrathecally improves the quality and the duration of postoperative analgesia and also provides an analgesic sparing effect in patients undergoing major abdominal cancer surgery. Furthermore, the addition of intrathecal fentanyl 25 μg has no valuable clinical effect.