Articles: neuralgia.
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Clinical Trial
Allodynography: Reliability of a New Procedure for Objective Clinical Examination of Static Mechanical Allodynia.
There is a need for reliable and valid clinical assessment tools for quantifying allodynia in neuropathic pain. Allodynography has been proposed as a useful standardized procedure for clinical assessment of mechanical allodynia. This study (www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT02070367) undertook preliminary investigation of the measurement properties of allodynography, a new standardized clinical examination procedure for mapping the area of cutaneous allodynia. ⋯ This preliminary study supports the inter-rater and test-retest reliability of allodynography. Studies on larger samples in multiple contexts and reporting other measurement properties are warranted.
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Current recommendations controversially discuss local infiltration techniques as specific treatment for refractory pain syndromes. Evidence of effectiveness remains inconclusive and local infiltration series are discussed as a therapeutic option in patients not responding to standard therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of infiltration series with techniques such as sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) block and ganglionic local opioid analgesia (GLOA) for the treatment of neuropathic pain in the head and neck area in a selected patient group. ⋯ This study suggests a beneficial effect of local infiltration series as a treatment option for refractory neuropathic pain syndromes in the context of a multimodal approach. This effect is both significant and clinically relevant and therefore highlights the need for further randomized controlled trials.
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Review
Peripheral Nerve Stimulation for Facial Pain Using Conventional Devices: Indications and Results.
Trigeminal branch stimulation is a type of peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) used to treat a variety of craniofacial pain disorders. Common indications include trigeminal neuralgia, trigeminal neuropathic pain, trigeminal deafferentation pain, trigeminal postherpetic neuralgia, supraorbital neuralgia, and migraine headaches. ⋯ Trigeminal branch stimulation may be used as a stand-alone neuromodulation therapy or it may be combined with occipital nerve, sphenopalatine ganglion, or Gasserian ganglion stimulation to treat more complex pain patterns. Consistent with other forms of PNS, trigeminal branch stimulation is a minimally invasive, safe, and straightforward method of treating medically refractory neuropathic pain.
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Observational Study
Neuropathic-Like Pain Symptoms in a Community-Dwelling Sample with or at Risk for Knee Osteoarthritis.
To characterize neuropathic-like pain among individuals with or at risk for knee osteoarthritis. ⋯ Participants with or at risk for knee osteoarthritis who reported high neuropathic-like pain experienced significantly greater clinical pain and increased heat and mechanical temporal summation at the index knee and other body sites tested, suggesting central sensitization.