Pain physician
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Myofascial mobilization has been used as an intervention for patients with fibromyalgia (FM) for acting on ascending nociceptive pathways possibly involved in the central sensitization process, modulating the pain experience. However, there is still a gap in its efficacy compared with another hands-on approach because manual therapy has nonspecific effects, such as placebo. ⋯ Current evidence of manual therapy in patients with FM, based on a very low to moderate quality of evidence, was inconclusive and insufficient to support and recommend the use of manual therapy in this population. To date, only general osteopathic treatment has achieved clinically relevant pain improvement when compared with control.
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Observational Study
A Pilot Study of Full-Endoscopic Annulus Fibrosus Suture Following Lumbar Discectomy: Technique Notes and One-Year Follow-Up.
An annulus fissure or defect will inevitably be left on the posterior annulus fibrosus after almost all kinds of lumbar discectomy, which may lead to unsatisfying postoperative pain relief and recurrence of the disc herniation. ⋯ Full-endoscopic lumbar discectomy and annulus fibrosus suture through either the transforaminal or interlaminar approach are safe and effective minimally invasive spinal surgery techniques that can reduce the recurrence rate of lumbar disc herniation after full-endoscopic lumbar discectomy.
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Abdominal myofascial pain syndrome is an important cause of refractory chronic abdominal pain. It causes severe functional impairment resulting in significant patient distress and substantial health care costs, and it can be a challenge to treat. Opioid consumption is a recognized challenge in this cohort. ⋯ The authors present the first prospective practice-based evidence report on the long-term outcomes in patients diagnosed with abdominal myofascial pain syndrome. There was significant reduction in opioid consumption at 12 months and over two-thirds of patients reported significant durable relief on long-term follow-up. The authors present their recommendation for managing this complex group of patients.
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Sacroiliac joint is one of the proven causes of low back and lower extremity pain. Prevalence estimates of sacroiliac joint pain range from 10% to 25% in patients with persistent axial low back pain without disc herniation, discogenic pain, or radiculitis based on multiple diagnostic studies and systematic reviews. Over the years, utilization patterns of sacroiliac joint injections have been increasing in comparison to other interventional techniques. Further, the development of new current procedural terminology (CPT) codes and coverage policies for sacroiliac joint nerve blocks, sacroiliac joint radiofrequency neurotomy, and evolving evidence for sacroiliac joint fusion will further increase the utilization patterns. ⋯ This study shows increases in utilization patterns of sacroiliac joint injections; however, at a significantly lower rate with an annual increase of 16.6% prior to 2009 and only 1.2% from 2009 to 2018 per 100,000 Medicare beneficiaries.
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Chronic pain is a growing problem in the military, and the methods by which we have to perform epidemiologic surveillance are insufficient. It represents both a public health and military readiness concern, as those who suffer from it experience adverse impacts on work productivity, physiological health, and quality of life. ⋯ Chronic pain has been difficult to define via administrative and screening data, and as such its burden and prevalence estimates can vary considerably depending on which case definition is used. This is of particular importance in the U.S. military, as these estimates can significantly impact our calculations for force readiness and the protection of our national security. To our knowledge, this study is the first of its kind to examine chronic pain across the entirety of the U.S. armed forces and to utilize granular, annually collected PHA data in this way. The results of this exploratory analysis could be used as a template to better characterize the burden of chronic pain from a population-based perspective and monitor the effectiveness of pain management strategies.