Pain physician
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Postoperative Pain in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is the most common type of scoliosis, and its treatment is essentially surgical for curves above 40 degrees. Posterior spinal instrumentation (PI) is the usual technique, while the vertebral body tethering (VBT) method is tested technique for this study as a new treatment option. ⋯ From our results, both techniques can be employed for AIS surgery, but a meticulous approach is essential for the prevention of acute pain for VBT.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Comparison of Changes in the Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter Following Thoracic Epidural Normal Saline Injection in Laparoscopic Surgery.
Thoracic epidural analgesia is useful for postoperative pain control after upper abdominal surgery. However, epidural analgesia in patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery may potentiate an increase in intracranial pressure (ICP). ICP can be effectively evaluated by measuring the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD). ⋯ The lapa-saline group showed the most pronounced increase in the ONSD. The ONSD values higher than 5.8 mm were observed only in the lapa-saline group. The increase in the ONSD continued even after the deflation of pneumoperitoneum only in the lapa-saline group.
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Pudendal neuralgia (PN) is one of the most common forms of genital pain. Only 42.2% of PN patients respond to the first-line treatment. Novel neuromodulation techniques in the treatment of refractory PN patients are urgently required. ⋯ These data imply that SNS can have beneficial effects on patients with refractory PN.
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The superior and middle cluneal nerves are sources of low back, buttock, and leg pain. These nerves are cutaneous branches of the lateral branches of the dorsal rami of T11- S4. Pain arising from entrapment or dysfunction of one or more of these nerves is called "cluneal nerve syndrome." A clear understanding of the anatomy underlying cluneal nerve syndrome and its treatment has been hampered by the very small size of the cluneal nerves and their complex, varying anatomy. Because of differing methods and foci of investigation, the literature regarding cluneal nerves has been confusing and even contradictory. ⋯ Cluneal nerve syndrome is characterized by a triad of pain, tender points, and relief with local anesthetic injections. The pain is a deep, aching, poorly localized low back pain with variable involvement of the buttocks and/or legs. Tender points are localized at the iliac crest or caudal to the posterior superior iliac spine. Muscle weakness and dermatomal sensory changes are absent in cluneal nerve syndrome. If the pain returns after injections, neuroablation, nerve stimulation, or surgical release may be needed.
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Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is a complex, heterogeneous condition affecting both female and male patients with significant effects on quality of life. Chronic pelvic pain is a prevalent but often underdiagnosed condition due to the variation in patient presentation, a gap in communication among specialties, under-reporting of the syndrome, and lack of standardized diagnostic criteria with a subsequent delay in diagnosis. The mechanism of CPP is complex due to multifactorial etiologies of pain and its vast anatomy and innervation. Potential causes of pelvic pain include the nerves, muscles, bone, or organs of the reproductive, gastrointestinal, urological, musculoskeletal, vascular, neurological, and psychological systems. ⋯ Neuromodulation may include spinal cord stimulation, dorsal root ganglion stimulation, and peripheral nerve stimulation. Specifically, neuromodulation utilizes electrical stimulation or pharmacological agents to modulate a nerve and alter pain signals. Currently used locations for lead placement include intracranial, spinal cord, dorsal root ganglion, sacral nerve roots, or at a peripheral nerve. As the field of pelvic pain continues to evolve, continued evidence for neuromodulatory interventions is needed.