Pain physician
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Endoscopic rhizotomy (ER) of the medial branch has been recently developed for the treatment of lumbar facet joint pain (LFJP). However, there are no studies comparing the pain-free duration after ER and radiofrequency (RF). ⋯ Both ER and RF can improve the pain and physical function in patients with LFJP. ER is associated with a longer operative duration and medical expenses; however, it provides more sustained efficacy than RF. The surgical choice should depend on the patients' specific conditions.
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Clinical Trial
Treatment of Femoral Head Osteonecrosis with Ozone Therapy: Pilot Trial of a New Therapeutic Approach.
Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a progressive and painful disorder due to impaired blood supply to the femoral head, yet little is known about the effect of ozone therapy in femoral head necrosis. ⋯ Ozone therapy was associated with significant pain relief, improvement in hip function, and bone marrow edema resolution that may delay the need for THA in patients affected by ONFH.Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval number: HK2018-10-28.Clinical trials registration number: ChiCTR1900023449.
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It is well established that the experience of chronic pain significantly differs among ethnic-racial groups. There is mixed evidence to suggest that societal influences may contribute to pain prevalence among cultural groups and their treatment response. One possible explanation for differences in pain experience are the differences in socioeconomic status among patients with chronic pain. ⋯ The results of our study show that there are no differences in pain perception or treatment responses in patients from different socioeconomic statuses despite differences among groups in age, BMI, race, utilization of opioid medications, and MME at first visit. Patients at this pain practice appear to have been treated with similar modalities regardless of socioeconomic status.
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Since its adoption as a treatment for neuropathic pain in the 1960s, radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has continued to gain popularity for the management of various pain etiologies. Although RFA is considered to be a safe procedure, post-neurotomy neuritis (PNN), a neuropathic-type pain, is one of the most common side effects. Due to the increasing recognition of PNN, some providers have attempted to mitigate the risk of PNN by injecting local corticosteroids at the site of RFA following the procedure. Recent studies have generally concluded that corticosteroids do not protect against the development of PNN, however, they have been limited by their retrospective study designs and the low incidence of PNN. ⋯ Overall, our study is in agreement with prior studies that RFA is effective for the treatment of facet and osteoarthritic knee pain and that the incidence of PNN is likely small.
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Previous studies of variations of the infraorbital foramen (IOF) demonstrated conflicting results regarding to the side and gender in which specific variations occur. Significant differences in some measurement points between genders have been found, whereas, other studies did not report such differences. The presence of an accessory IOF (AIOF) can result in incomplete anesthesia or treatment failure. Previous studies have demonstrated variable results regarding the prevalence of an AIOF ranging from 16.9% to 47.6%. ⋯ The size of the IOF was larger in men than in women. The distance of the IOF from the infraorbital margin was similar for men and women, whereas, the distances between the IOF and the ANS and the IOF and LNA were shorter in women than in men.