Articles: neuralgia.
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Case Reports
Case Report: Treatment of Refractory Post-Surgical Neuralgia with Erector Spinae Plane Block.
Peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) are used for a wide spectrum of headache and facial pain disorders. The objective of this case report is to highlight the erector spinae plane (ESP) block, which has recently been reported to successfully treat headache. ⋯ PNBs, ESP block in our case, can be a useful modality in managing chronic neuralgiform pain for treatment-refractory patients. It can provide improvement in quality of life and spare the patient from medication side effects. In an inpatient setting, it can decrease length of stay that would otherwise be extended due to a trial of multiple medications until the pain was controlled. PNBs are used for a wide spectrum of headache and facial pain disorders. This case report highlights successful management of chronic neuralgiform pain with the ESP block, which has recently been reported to successfully treat headache. ESP block provided relief to the patient's neuralgiform pain that was refractory to multiple medications, resulting in decreased length of stay, fewer medication side effects, and improved quality of life. It also provided a window for initiation of long-term pain medications.
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Sickle cell disease is associated with numerous symptoms and complications. Acute painful crisis is the most characteristic manifestation of the disease. In addition, many patients report chronic pain. ⋯ Recommendations for the treatment of acute painful crises are based on the World Health Organization analgesic ladder, which has been developed for cancer-related pain. Chronic pain can be treated with basic long-acting opioids and on-demand short-acting opioids. If patients show signs of neuropathic pain, administration of anticonvulsants, antidepressants or possibly ketamine should be considered.
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To assess the supraspinal working mechanisms of the burst spinal cord stimulation (SCS) mode, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in chronic neuropathic rats. We hypothesized that active recharge burst SCS would induce a more profound blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal increase in areas associated with cognitive-emotional aspects of pain, as compared to tonic SCS. ⋯ In conclusion, active recharge burst and tonic SCS have different effects on the intensity and localization of SCS-induced activation responses in the brain. This work demonstrates that active recharge burst is another waveform that can engage brain areas associated with cognitive-emotional aspects of pain as well as areas associated with location and intensity of pain. Previous studies showing similar engagement used only passive recharge burst.
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Review Meta Analysis
Invasive Motor Cortex Stimulation Influences Intracerebral Structures in Patients With Neuropathic Pain: An Activation Likelihood Estimation Meta-Analysis of Imaging Data.
Invasive motor cortex stimulation (iMCS) has been proposed as a treatment for intractable neuropathic pain syndromes. Although the mechanisms underlying the analgesic effect of iMCS remain largely elusive, several studies found iMCS-related changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in neuropathic pain patients. The aim of this study was to meta-analyze the findings of neuroimaging studies on rCBF changes to iMCS. ⋯ These findings suggested that iMCS induces changes in principal components of the default mode-, the salience-, and sensorimotor network.
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J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother · Jun 2020
Case ReportsPhenytoin Cream for the Treatment of Sciatic Pain: Clinical Effects and Theoretical Considerations: Case Report.
Chronic sciatic pain is difficult to treat. Patients often suffer from considerable pain and are severely hampered in their everyday activities. Most pharmacologic analgesic treatments have disappointing effects, and often are limited due to adverse events. ⋯ Recently it has been documented that proximal nerve lesions are followed by small fiber pathology in the skin. This might be a responsible peripheral wind-up generator for the chronification of pain in sciatic nerve compression. Topical application of the broad-acting voltage-gated sodium channel blocker phenytoin could reduce neuropathic pain in our case completely, supporting a peripheral mechanism of action for phenytoin cream in sciatic pain.