Pain physician
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The Effect of Medial Branch Block on Postoperative Residual Pain Relieve After Percutaneous Kyphoplasty: A Randomized Controlled Trial With 12-Month Follow-up.
Percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) is a minimally invasive technique, and effective treatment, for an osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF). Residual back pain is the most common complication of PKP. Medial branch block (MBB) is a treatment option for painful OVCF, it can break the vicious cycle to release short- or long-term pain. ⋯ MBB can effectively relieve back pain and reduce the incidence of residual back pain in OVCF patients after PKP surgery. Besides, it can also significantly improve postoperative physical function and patients' satisfaction with treatment.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Three Needles Approach-A New Technique of Genicular Nerves Radiofrequency Ablation for Pain Relief in Advanced Chronic Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Trial.
Ablation of the genicular nerves (GN) has emerged as a useful alternative therapeutic modality in chronic knee osteoarthritis (OA) specially for high-risk patients. However, in some cases due to the presence of other articular branches or anatomical variability, it may have a poor impact in relieving pain. Ablation of other or additional articular branches might have different outcomes. ⋯ Compared to the conventional single-needle GN ablation technique, the 3-needle approach appears to be a promising, safe, and more effective ablation technique for patients with chronic knee OA.
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Headache is a very common condition that affects 5-9% of men and 12-25% of women in North America and Europe. Globally, the prevalence of active headaches among adults is 47%. The most common type of headache is tension headaches (38% of adults), followed by migraines (10%), and chronic headaches (3%). While the majority of headaches are benign, the disorder can severely negatively influence a patients' quality of life, which is directly reflected in societal costs. ⋯ Our review discusses several studies that suggest the efficacy of RFA in the treatment of headaches. Outcomes varied based on the difference in approaches regarding continuous radiofrequency versus pulsed radiofrequency, temperature, and duration of administration. The majority of the studies discussed in this review indicate a therapeutic benefit of RFA for headaches over a short-term period. Pain outcomes beyond one year are understudied and further studies are needed to determine the long-term effects of RFA for headaches.
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Refractory intercostal neuralgia is a troublesome disease with long treatment cycle and short-term therapeutic effects. No treatment modality has given effective pain relief. The authors present here a safe and effective endoscopic surgical option for refractory intercostal neuralgia. ⋯ Endoscopic intercostal neurotomy is an effective and safe minimally invasive surgical treatment for refractory intercostal neuralgia.