Pain physician
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Chronic pain, especially low back pain and hip pain, has been a growing public health concern that affects over 100 million Americans annually. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has distinct advantages over other chronic pain management modalities and its use has been increasing over the past decade. Among the growing population with comorbid conduction disorders and persistent pain, RFA and its potential interference with implantable cardiac devices is of concern.RFA is becoming a foundational element of persistent pain management and has been shown to be effective in a multitude of chronic pain syndromes. Cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED), such as cardiac pacemakers or implantable cardioverter defibrillators, have been used in the treatment of cardiac conduction diseases for a number of decades. With our aging population, these diseases have increased in both incidence and prevalence. Chronic pain and cardiac conduction diseases are both common in our increasingly aging population. ⋯ This study provides evidence that bipolar RFA can be safely used in patients with CIEDs for chronic pain provided that proper precautions are employed. Considerations for safe use are provided.
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Although conventional pain relief therapeutics have centered around mu-opioid agonists, these drugs are limited by adverse side effects, including respiratory depression and addiction potential. The ongoing opioid epidemic has galvanized research into novel analgesic therapies with more favorable profiles. New pharmacologic agents have been developed to target neuronal pathways involved in pain sensation. Certain receptors have been recognized to mediate nociceptive transmission, central sensitization, and the development of chronic pain states. ⋯ We provide an overview of potential analgesic therapies in various stages of development, which may become clinically relevant in the near future. Some drugs such as TRPV1 agonists, anti-IL-6, and anti-nerve growth factor antibodies have demonstrated analgesic effect in specific clinical pain states.
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Case Reports Meta Analysis
Infections Following Interventional Spine Procedures: A Systematic Review.
Interventional spine procedures, such as discography, epidural steroid injections (ESIs), facet joint procedures, and intradiscal therapies, are commonly used to treat pain and improve function in patients with spine conditions. Although infections are known to occur following these procedures, there is a lack of comprehensive studies on this topic in recent years. ⋯ Based on our systematic review, the risk of infections following interventional spine procedures appears to be low overall. More studies focusing on infectious complications with larger sample sizes are needed, particularly for intradiscal therapies, in which the microbiome may be an underlying cause of disc infection. To achieve a true incidence of the risk of infections with these procedures, large prospective registries that collect complication rates are necessary.
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Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) has been increasingly used to manage acute and chronic pain. However, the level of clinical evidence to support its use is not clear. ⋯ The findings of this systematic review suggest that PNS may be effective in managing chronic headaches, postamputation pain, chronic pelvic pain, and chronic low back and lower extremity pain, with variable levels of evidence in favor of this technique.