Articles: patients.
-
Oral baclofen, the most often prescribed antispastic drug, has been shown to be effective in trigeminal neuralgia. Spinal application of baclofen leads to a complete supression of spasticity even in cases in which no previous oral antispastic medication achieved a response. ⋯ Spinal baclofen has also been effective during long-term infusion with an implanted pump for more than 1 year. Spinal baclofen infusion seems to be a possibility in the treatment of severe trigeminal neuralgia resistant to other forms of therapy.
-
74 pop/rock/jazz musicians and 100 classical musicians were investigated by means of a specially designed questionnaire. Several social, musical, pain-, and health-related questions were asked. ⋯ Specific instruments showed specific muscolosceletal pain patterns. 55% of the musicians in the classical field were treated by an orthopedic surgeon, whereas 43% of rock-pop-jazz musicians chose no therapy, although they suffered from pain. Only 32% of the classical musicians showed good compliance; 64% believe that medical therapy is not adjusted to the needs of musicians. 98% of the classical musicians and 89% of rock-pop-jazz musicians wish to have a doctor who is specially trained to deal with the needs of musicians.
-
After the initial clinical reports of Shealy 1967 dorsal column stimulation (DCS) was first introduced in Germany by Krainick (Freiburg) and Winkelmüller (Hannover) in 1972. At first, the success rate in unselected patients was unsatisfactory. The results improved with careful patient selection and better technical equipment allowing preliminary testing procedures before definitive implantation. ⋯ The best indications and target group are cases with radicular low-back pain after failed back surgery, stump and phantom pain, pain states following partial lesions of brachial/lumbar plexus and peripheral nerves, sympathetic dystrophy and rest pain in peripheral vascular disease (PVD). Possible indications for SCS are pain after incomplete lesions of spinal cord or cauda equina, postherpetic neuralgia, sclerodermia and PVD. Failures must be expected in pain states related to progressive malignant disease and complete deafferentation after spinal lesions or root avulsion.