Pain physician
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
The Analgesic Efficacy of Pecto-Intercostal Fascial Block Combined with Pectoral Nerve Block in Modified Radical Mastectomy: A Prospective Randomized Trial.
Pectoral nerve (Pecs) block is one of the most promising regional analgesic techniques for breast surgery. However, Pecs II block may not provide analgesia of the medial aspect of the breast or the entire nipple-areolar complex. ⋯ The combination of Pecs II and PIFB provide better perioperative analgesia for MRM than Pecs II alone.
-
The shoulder region is a common area for pain. The shoulder has the largest range of motion and the most complex mechanical anatomy. The shoulder girdle and related tendons allow for numerous painful disorders to occur. Also, given the overall use of the shoulder, arthritic deformities are all too common. Finally, pain from more complex states such as poststroke shoulder pain and status post total shoulder arthroplasty pain have always been a difficult diagnosis to treat with effectiveness. The innervation to the shoulder predominantly comes from the suprascapular and axillary nerves. Both nerves relatively follow an expected anatomic course and whereby they can be targeted with ultrasound or fluoroscopy. Recently, there has been an increase in evidence that suggests peripheral nerve stimulation can make a difference in these patients with shoulder pain. ⋯ Overall there is fair to moderate evidence for peripheral nerve stimulation to treat shoulder pain in hemiplegic poststroke patients. There is limited evidence when treating other shoulder pain etiologies. Utilizing ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance, the procedure has proven to be safe allowing proper placement of the electrodes near the target nerves. Considering the high prevalence of shoulder pain from degenerative conditions and overuse, future studies are undoubtedly warranted to evaluate whether peripheral nerve stimulation can modify our treatment algorithm for management of these conditions.
-
Discogenic pain is recognized as the most important and most common cause of low back pain (LBP). Intradiscal pulsed radiofrequency (ID-PRF) is used for the treatment of chronic discogenic pain. ⋯ ID-PRF was shown to be effective for the treatment of discogenic LBP regardless of duration of ID-PRF application (7 vs. 15 minutes).
-
Clinical Trial
Computed Tomography-Guided Percutaneous Coblation of the Thoracic Nerve Root for Treatment of Postherpetic Neuralgia.
Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is one of the most intractable pain disorders and often does not respond to medication, physical, and interventional procedures. Coblation technology has been demonstrated to have potential for neuralgia, but there are rare reports of the efficacy and security of coblation for PHN. The thoracic segment is the most common predilection part of PHN, so we conducted this long-term study to investigate the results of coblation for the treatment of thoracic PHN. ⋯ CT-guided percutaneous thoracic nerve root coblation is an effective and safe method for the treatment of thoracic PHN, and the procedure can also significantly improve the QoL in patients with PHN.
-
Observational Study
8% Capsaicin Patch in Treatment of Peripheral Neuropathic Pain.
Neuropathic pain is a complex condition that is difficult to control and has a high impact on quality of life. 8% Capsaicin patch can be a therapeutic strategy in the treatment of peripheral neuropathic pain. ⋯ Treatment of peripheral neuropathic pain with 8% capsaicin patch seem to be effective in the short and medium term, both in decreasing pain intensity and in reducing the painful area. Its application is tolerated by most patients.