Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain
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Opioids remain a mainstay in the treatment of acute and chronic pain, despite numerous and potentially dangerous side effects. There is a great unmet medical need for alternative treatments for patients suffering from pain that do not result in addiction or adverse side effects. Anticonvulsants have been shown to be effective in managing pain, though high systemic levels and subsequent side effects limit their widespread usage. Our goal was to determine if the incorporation of an anticonvulsant, carbamazepine, into a biodegradable microparticle for local sustained perineural release would be an efficacious analgesic following a peripheral injury. ⋯ This formulation reduced systemic exposure to carbamazepine over 1,000-fold relative to traditional analgesic dosing regimens. This 2-component drug delivery system has been specifically engineered to release a controlled amount of carbamazepine over a 14-day period, providing significant pain relief with no toxicological or observable adverse events via behavioral or histochemical analysis.
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Two well-known spinal cord stimulation (SCS) paradigms, conventional (Con) and burst SCS, are hypothesized to exert their antinociceptive effects through different stimulation-induced mechanisms. We studied the course of the behavioral antinociceptive effect during 60 minutes of SCS and 30 minutes post-SCS in a rat model of chronic neuropathic pain. ⋯ To conclude, biphasic burst SCS results in a delayed antinociceptive effect after onset of the stimulation, as compared with Con SCS, in a chronic neuropathic pain model. Furthermore, biphasic burst SCS seems to exhibit a delayed wash-out of analgesia after stimulation is turned off.
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Total hip and knee replacements are common surgeries, and an optimal pain treatment is essential for early rehabilitation. Since data from randomized controlled trials on the use of regional anesthesia in joint replacements of the lower extremities are conflicting, we analyzed the international PAIN OUT registry for comparison of regional anesthesia vs. general anesthesia regarding pain and morphine consumption on the first postoperative day. ⋯ In total knee arthroplasty, regional anesthesia was associated with less pain and lower opioid consumption. In total hip arthroplasty, regional anesthesia was associated with lower opioid consumption, but not with reduced pain levels.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Prolonged Reduction in Shoulder Strength after Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Treatment of Exercise-Induced Acute Muscle Pain.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is commonly used for reducing musculoskeletal pain to improve function. However, peripheral nerve stimulation using TENS can alter muscle motor output. Few studies examine motor outcomes following TENS in a human pain model. Therefore, this study investigated the influence of TENS sensory stimulation primarily on motor output (strength) and secondarily on pain and disability following exercise-induced delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). ⋯ While active and placebo TENS resulted in prolonged strength inhibition, the results were nonsignificant for pain. Results indicated that higher pain and higher disability were independently related to decreased strength. Regardless of the impact on pain, TENS, or even the perception of TENS, may act as a nocebo for motor output.
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Individuals with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and plexiform neurofibromas (PNs) can experience chronic pain. Previous research has examined the relationship between heart rate variability (HRV) and persistent pain. HRV is an index of autonomic nervous system functioning, and reflects the variability in time elapsed between heartbeats. ⋯ Finally, regression models indicated that baseline psychological inflexibility is a significant predictor of HF-HRV at follow-up and, separately, that baseline HF-HRV significantly predicted pain intensity at follow-up. These findings suggest complex mind-body processes in the experience of pain in NF1, which have not been studied previously. Implications for pain-related interventions and future research are discussed.