Pain physician
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Of patients presenting to pain clinics, complaints are of low back or buttock pain with or without radicular leg symptoms is one of the most common. Piriformis syndrome may be a contributor in up to 8% of these patients. The mainstay of treatment is conservative management with physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, muscle relaxants, and correction of biomechanical abnormalities. ⋯ The posterior ileum was contacted and the needle was withdrawn 1 -2 mm. This approach found the needle within the piriformis muscle belly 2 -3 cm lateral to sciatic nerve. The present study was the first study, to our knowledge, that has confirmed the intramuscular position of the needle within the piriformis muscle of a cadaveric specimen using these anatomic landmarks and fluoroscopic guidance.
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In this case report, we describe the effect of ketamine infusion in a case of severe refractory complex regional pain syndrome I (CRPS I). The patient was initially diagnosed with CRPS I in her right upper extremity. Over the next 6 years, CRPS was consecutively diagnosed in her thoracic region, left upper extremity, and both lower extremities. ⋯ At one-year of follow-up, the patient reported that she has not experienced any pain since the last ketamine infusion. Treatment with intravenous ketamine appeared to be effective in completely resolving intractable pain caused by severe refractory CRPS I. Future research on this treatment is needed.
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Evidence-based medicine, systematic reviews, and guidelines are part of modern interventional pain management. As in other specialties in the United States, evidence-based medicine appears to motivate the search for answers to numerous questions related to costs and quality of health care as well as access to care. Scientific, relevant evidence is essential in clinical care, policy-making, dispute resolution, and law. ⋯ Appropriately developed guidelines incorporate validity, reliability, reproducibility, clinical applicability and flexibility, clarity, development through a multidisciplinary process, scheduled reviews, and documentation. Thus, evidence-based clinical practice guidelines represent statements developed to improve the quality of care, patient access, treatment outcomes, appropriateness of care, efficiency and effectiveness and achieve cost containment by improving the cost benefit ratio. Part 1 of this series in evidence-based medicine, systematic reviews, and guidelines in interventional pain management provides an introduction and general considerations of these 3 aspects in interventional pain management.
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Intrathecal analgesia has emerged as a key therapeutic option for pain relief for patients who have failed other treatment avenues as well as patients with adequate analgesia on high dose enteral or parenteral therapy but with unacceptable side effects. Intrethecal infusions of analgesics have been increasingly utilized since the later 1980s for the treatment of persistent pain. The purpose of this review is to provide research based clinical insight regarding the safe and appropriate use of the intrathecal infusion modality. ⋯ Novel combinations of intrathecal analgesics such as clonidine and gabapentin deserve future study. The current body of literature supports the use of intrathecal agents for the treatment of moderate or severe pain related to cancer and noncancer origins. Further clinical studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of new intrathecal drugs, the complications related to these devices, and the proper selection of patients to receive these treatments.
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Medications which bind to opioid receptors are increasingly being prescribed for the treatment of multiple and diverse chronic painful conditions. Their use for acute pain or terminal pain is well accepted. Their role in the long-term treatment of chronic noncancer pain is, however, controversial for many reasons. ⋯ Switching opioids and/or routes of administration may also provide benefits for patients. Proper patient screening, education, and preemptive treatment of potential side effects may aid in maximizing effectiveness while reducing the severity of side effects and adverse events. Opioids can be considered broad spectrum analgesic agents, affecting a wide number of organ systems and influencing a large number of body functions.