Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain
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Observational Study
The Durability of Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression (mild® ) Procedure in Patients with Symptomatic Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: Long Term Follow-Up.
Minimally invasive lumbar decompression (mild® ) has been shown to be safe and effective for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis patients with hypertrophic ligamentum flavum as a contributing factor. This study examines the long-term durability of the mild procedure through 5-year follow-up. Pain relief and opioid medications utilization during 12-month follow-up were also assessed. ⋯ Based on our analysis, the mild procedure is durable over 5 years and may allow elderly patients with symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis to avoid lumbar decompression surgery while providing significant symptomatic relief.
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The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a low-dose intravenous S-ketamine treatment on refractory pain in patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). ⋯ In a group of patients with CRPS with refractory pain, low-dose intravenous S-ketamine treatment resulted in effective pain relief during infusion. Although a significant proportion of initial responders became nonresponders at follow-up, half of the patients were still a responder at ~ 4 weeks postinfusion. Further research is needed to investigate mechanisms responsible for pain relief by S-ketamine infusions and to ascertain possible predictors of response to the treatment.
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Observational Study
Measuring pain in oncology outpatients: Numeric Rating Scale versus acceptable/non-acceptable pain. A prospective single center study.
During all stages of oncologic diseases, pain is still a major problem. The Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) is one of the most frequently used tools for pain assessment, although interpretation is difficult. The main objective of this study is to compare two types of pain evaluation scales: NRS versus (non) acceptable pain evaluation scale. The secondary aim is to analyze a 10% sample of patients indicating non acceptable pain more in-depth. ⋯ The (non) acceptable pain evaluation seems a valuable addition to the NRS for assessing pain among patients with cancer. As interpretation of the NRS appears to be difficult, using the (non) acceptable pain evaluation is recommended. Moreover, creating awareness among specialists to discuss pain has a positive effect on the amount of pain discussed during consultation.
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Central post-stroke pain (CPSP) has a detrimental effect on the quality of life of post-stroke patients. However, no definitive and effective method has been established yet for the treatment of CPSP. ⋯ Our study provides preliminary data suggesting that PNB could be an effective and feasible method to treat CPSP.
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Transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TFESI) is widely used to manage lumbosacral radicular pain due to herniated lumbar disc (HLD). ⋯ Our findings provide useful information to clinicians managing radicular pain due to HLD.