Articles: back-pain.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Who Benefits Most from Individualized Physiotherapy or Advice for Low Back Disorders? A Pre-Planned Effect Modifier Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.
A preplanned effect modifier analysis of the Specific Treatment of Problems of the Spine randomized controlled trial. ⋯ 2.
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Review Meta Analysis
The efficacy of conventional radiofrequency denervation in patients with chronic low back pain originating from the facet joints: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Radiofrequency denervation is commonly used for the treatment of chronic facet joint pain that has been refractory to more conservative treatments, although the evidence supporting this treatment has been controversial. ⋯ Conventional radiofrequency denervation resulted in significant reductions in low back pain originating from the facet joints in patients showing the best response to diagnostic block over the first 12 months when compared with sham procedures or epidural nerve blocks.
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To investigate the predictive power of resilience and vulnerability factors in relation to pain-related disability. ⋯ Patients with acute back pain who show high levels of pain-related disability, pain intensity, and fear avoidance beliefs are at risk of developing back pain-related disability and should be the target of a preventive intervention.
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Comparative Study
Relationship of Opioid Prescriptions to Physical Therapy Referral and Participation for Medicaid Patients with New-Onset Low Back Pain.
Physical therapy (PT) early in the management of low back pain (LBP) is associated with reductions in subsequent health care utilization and LBP-related costs. The objectives of this study were to 1) Examine differences among newly consulting patients with LBP who received a PT referral and those who did not, 2) examine differences between patients who participated in PT to those who did not, and 3) compare the impact of a PT referral and PT participation on LBP-related health care utilization and costs over 1 year. ⋯ Among Medicaid recipients with new-onset LBP, the index provider's prescription and imaging decisions and patient demographics were associated with PT referrals and participation. A referral to PT and subsequent PT participation was associated with reduced opioid prescriptions during follow-up. There was no difference in overall LBP-related health care costs.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Nov 2017
A Contemporary Medicolegal Analysis of Outpatient Medication Management in Chronic Pain.
Opioids are frequently used in chronic pain management but are associated with significant morbidity and mortality in some patient populations. An important avenue for identifying complications-including serious or rare complications-is the study of closed malpractice claims. The present study is intended to complement the existing closed claims literature by drawing on claims from a more recent timeframe through a partnership with a large malpractice carrier, the Controlled Risk Insurance Company (CRICO). The goal of this study was to identify patient medical comorbidities and aberrant drug behaviors, as well as prescriber practices associated with patient injury and malpractice claims. Another objective was to identify claims most likely to result in payments and use this information to propose a strategy for reducing medicolegal risk. ⋯ Claims related to outpatient medication management in pain medicine are multifactorial, stemming from deficits in clinical judgment by physicians, noncooperation in care by patients, and poor clinical documentation. Minimization of both legal risk and patient harm can be achieved by carefully selecting patients for chronic opioid therapy and documenting compliance and improvement with the treatment plan. Medical comorbidities such as obstructive sleep apnea and the use of long-acting opioids may be particularly dangerous. Continuing physician education on the safest and most effective approaches to manage these medications in everyday practice will lead to both improved legal security and patient safety.