Articles: pain-management.
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Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been used for more than 30 years now, and although it has shown to be effective under certain well-described conditions of chronic pain, conclusive evidence on its effectiveness is still sparse. There is a need for more prospective and methodological good studies, in order to prove SCS efficacy for new or still questionable indications and to reveal prognostic factors for successful application. ⋯ In contrast to the early years when SCS was applied by independent physicians exploring the field of neurostimulation, the importance of information exchange and coordination of studies has now been recognized. Recent technical improvements of SCS devices may positively influence clinical outcome.
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Groin pain in the soccer athlete is a common problem accounting for 5% of soccer injuries. Groin distribution has proved to be the most common cause of groin pain. Other causes are direct trauma, ostetis pubis, muscle injuries, fractures, bursitis, hip problems, and hernia and referred pain. Soccer players with groin pain present a complex management problem that is discussed.
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Objectives. Recent technical improvements in implanted stimulation devices, in particular the development of programmable, multicontact devices, have facilitated their clinical application in the management of pain. If the capabilities of these devices are to be used to full advantage, adjustment after implantation demands a major investment of time and effort. ⋯ Results and Conclusions. Our patient-interactive computerized system has proven to be safe and effective clinically in adjusting implanted spinal cord stimulators. It offers advantages of data standardization and quality control, as well as delivery of novel pulse sequences and protocols to assess the treatment of pain and neurological disorders by electrical stimulation devices.
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Thirty older adults, without chronic pain, were interviewed about the acute pain reduction strategies that they used at home and strategies that they might use if hospitalized. Verbatim transcripts from the audiotapes were content analyzed. ⋯ If hospitalized, 16 (53.3%) would request analgesics; four (13.3%) would talk with a health care provider; five (16.7%) would continue their own pain reduction strategies; four (13.3%) provided no pain reduction strategies. Results suggest that many older adults possess pain reduction strategies that may be helpful to incorporate in their pain management when hospitalized.