Pain physician
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Comparison of Efficacy and Safety of CT-Guided Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation Through Foramen Rotundum Versus Foramen Ovale for V2 Primary Trigeminal Neuralgia.
Primary trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is one of the most severe facial pain syndromes. TN affects patients' quality of life and, when severe, can lead to depression and increase social burden. ⋯ CT-guided RFT through the FR and FO are both an effective, minimally invasive treatments for V2 TN that can relieve pain effectively.
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The biopsychosocial-spiritual model recognizes the impact of religious factors in modulating the experience of pain. Religious beliefs are factors that can influence perceptions, emotions, and behavior, all of which have important implications on health, pain experience, and treatment outcomes. ⋯ This systematic review shows low evidence and conflicting results for the presence of associations between religiosity and different pain domains such as pain intensity, disability, and pain-related cognitions or emotions in people with chronic musculoskeletal pain.
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Chronic low back pain is observed frequently after lumbar spinal surgery. Epidural fibrosis has been implicated in the etiology of persistent pain after back surgery. The incidence of epidural fibrosis increases as the number and extent of spinal surgery increases. Epidural fibrosis can be detected by conventional radiologic methods [e.g., lumbosacral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with gadolinium], but these methods are insufficient to reveal the presence of epidural adhesions. Imaging of the epidural cavity using an epiduroscope is one of the best methods for visualizing the spinal cavity without damaging anatomic structures. ⋯ We did not have a control group. Further studies are required to demonstrate the relevance of these 2 imaging techniques (epiduroscopy and MRI) in terms of detecting epidural fibrosis in patients with FBSS. CONCLUSIONS: Epiduroscopic imaging seems to be more sensitive than MRI in detecting grade I epidural fibrosis in patients with FBSS. Thus, the possibility of low-grade epidural fibrosis as a source of pain after back surgery, should be kept in mind in normally reported MRIs. Treatment should be planned accordingly.
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Chronic pain is correlated with alterations in brain structure and function. The selection process for the ideal candidate for spinal cord stimulation (SCS) therapy is based on functional variables analysis and pain evaluation scores. In addition to the difficulties involved in the initial selection of patients and the predictive analysis of the trial phase, the large rate of explants is one of the most important concerns in the analysis of the suitability of implanted candidates. ⋯ These findings confirm a major role of the left putamen and the four pairs of brain regions in FBBS patients and suggest that a CDSS would be able to select patients susceptible to benefitting from SCS therapy adding imaging biomarkers.
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Degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS) occurs mainly in geriatric patients. Some authors have reported satisfactory short-term outcomes following percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) for DLS; however, the long-term clinical outcomes remain unknown. In addition, it remains unclear whether PELD causes further progression of spondylolisthesis over a long period of time. ⋯ PELD maintained satisfactory clinical outcomes for the treatment of grade I and grade II DLS after a minimum 5-year follow-up; the operation did not cause further progression of spondylolisthesis. However, further large-scale multicenter studies are necessary.