Articles: chronic-pain.
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The California Workers' Compensation system mandates the use of occupational medicine practice guidelines developed by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM). These Guidelines cover the treatment of acute (less than three months' duration) injuries. The presence in the ACOEM Guidelines of references to procedures which may be of use after the three-month acute period creates ambiguity as to whether the ACOEM Guidelines are applicable after three months. ASIPP's "Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines for Interventional Techniques in the Management of Chronic Spinal Pain" are comprehensive, focusing on management of chronic spinal pain. ACOEM guidelines, mandated by the legislature, do not deal explicitly with chronic pain. Their application in managing chronic pain may result in denial of access to appropriate treatment. Thus, ASIPP guidelines may be supplemental to the ACOEM Guidelines. Evaluation of the two Guidelines may clarify which should be followed in the event of ambiguity or conflict. ⋯ The ASIPP Guidelines may be considered the applicable Guidelines for the treatment of work-related low back activity limitations persisting beyond three months.
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Chronic, refractory low back pain is a common problem. Percutaneous adhesiolysis with hypertonic saline neurolysis was described in the management of chronic refractory low back pain, non-responsive to conservative modalities of management. ⋯ Percutaneous adhesiolysis, with or without hypertonic saline neurolysis, is an effective treatment for chronic low back pain.
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The high prevalence of persistent neck pain due to involvement of cervical facet joints has been described in controlled studies. Therapeutic interventions utilized in managing chronic neck pain of facet joint origin include intraarticular injections, medial branch nerve blocks, and neurolysis of medial branch nerves by means of radiofrequency. ⋯ Cervical medial branch blocks were an effective modality of treatment in managing chronic neck pain secondary to facet joint involvement confirmed by controlled, comparative local anesthetic blocks.
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Over the past decade granulomas have been noted to occur at or near the tip of intrathecal catheters used for spinal infusions. The majority of cases involved morphine infusions, although other drugs have been implicated. Granulomas may be asymptomatic or cause significant neurological deficits. ⋯ Intrathecal granulomas were identified in 3% of patients imaged in this series. Eighty percent of the patients were asymptomatic. MRI imaging remains the diagnostic method of choice for most patients, and can be done safely when scans are taken at the level of the catheter tip. Given the low incidence of granulomas with intrathecal catheters, routine imaging to identify granulomas is not warranted.
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Rev Bras Anestesiol · Feb 2004
Epidural abscess after patient-controlled epidural analgesia. Case report.
Epidural analgesia is often used to control postoperative pain or to manage chronic pain in oncologic patients. However, it is not free from complications. This case reports a young healthy female patient submitted to epidural analgesia in patient-controlled infusion pump, which developed epidural abscess requiring surgical decompression. ⋯ Epidural analgesia often used to control postoperative or chronic pain, although very effective, is not free from severe, although rare complications, such as epidural abscess.