Pain physician
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Altered central pain modulation is the predominant pain mechanism in a proportion of chronic musculoskeletal pain disorders and is associated with poor outcomes. Although existing studies predict poor outcomes such as persistent pain and disability, to date there is little consensus on what factors specifically predict altered central pain modulation. ⋯ Premorbid and acute stage high sensory sensitivity and/or somatization are the strongest predictors of altered central pain modulation in chronic musculoskeletal pain to date. This is the first systematic review specifically targeting altered central pain modulation as the primary outcome in musculoskeletal pain populations. Early identification of people at risk of developing chronic pain with altered central pain modulation may guide clinicians in appropriate management, diminishing the burden of persistent pain on patients and heath care providers alike. Systematic Review Registration no.: PROSPERO 2015:CRD42015032394.Key words: Predictive factors, pre-morbid and acute stage baselines, altered central pain modulation, chronic musculoskeletal pain, sensory processing, somatization.
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Review Meta Analysis
The Effect of Early Use of Supplemental Therapy on Preventing Postherpetic Neuralgia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is the most common and refractory complication of herpes zoster (HZ). Aggressive treatment of acute pain in HZ has the potential to prevent the development of PHN, but the preventive efficacy of supplemental therapy commonly used in clinical practice is controversial. ⋯ This meta-analysis demonstrates that the early use of supplemental therapy can significantly reduce the incidence of PHN. The subgroup analysis shows that supplemental interventional procedures have a beneficial effect on preventing PHN, while supplemental systemic adjunct treatments do not. The early use of interventional procedures for acute pain may be a preferred choice for patients without contraindication, but evidence is moderate. More data from high-quality RCTs will be needed to confirm these results.Key words: Postherpetic neuralgia, systemic treatment, local anesthesia, analgesia, meta-analysis.
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Comparison of 7 Surgical Interventions for Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Network Meta-analysis.
The number of interventions on intervertebral discs rapidly increased and the treatment options for lumbar disc surgery quickly evolved. It is important that the safety and efficacy of all new innovative procedures be compared with currently accepted forms of treatment; however, the previous pairwise meta-analyses could not develop the hierarchy of these treatments. ⋯ This meta-analysis provides evidence that PELD might be the best choice to increase the success rate and decrease the complication rate, moreover SOMD might be the best option to drop the reoperation rate. APLD might lead to the lowest success rate and the highest complication and reoperation rate. Higher quality RCTs and direct head to head trials are needed to confirm these results.Key words: Lumbar disc herniation, discectomy, minimally invasive surgery, network meta-analysis.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Effects of Pulsed Versus Conventional Versus Combined Radiofrequency for the Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Prospective Study.
During radiofrequency bursts of energy are applied to nervous tissue. The clinical advantages of this treatment remain unclear. ⋯ The best results were observed in the CCPRF group, followed by the CRF group, and then the PRF group.Key words: Pulsed, continuous, radiofrequency, trigeminal neuralgia, Gasserian ganglion.
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Complex regional pain syndrome type I (CRPS-I), also called algodystrophy, is a complex syndrome characterized by limb pain, edema, allodynia, hyperalgesia and functional impairment of bone with a similar clinical picture of osteoporosis, including an increased release of various pro-inflammatory neuropeptides and cytokines. Several treatments have been proposed for CRPS-I, but due to the poor outcome of conventional drugs and the invasiveness of some techniques, expectations are now directed towards new resources that could be more effective and less invasive. ⋯ The present review underlined the rationale for the use of PEMFs in the complex contest of CRPS-I syndrome, in combination with conventional drugs. Key words: Complex regional pain syndrome type I, algodystrophy, pulsed electromagnetic field stimulation, osteoporosis, inflammation, osteoclasts, osteoblasts, pain.