Pain Medicine

OBJECTIVE: Determine the effectiveness of intradiscal corticosteroid injection (IDCI) for the treatment of discovertebral low back pain. DESIGN: Systematic review. POPULATION: Adults with chronic low back pain (CLBP) attributed to disc or vertebral endplate pain as evidenced by positive provocation discography or Modic 1 or 2 changes on MRI. INTERVENTION: Fluoroscopically or CT-guided IDCI. COMPARISON: Sham/placebo procedure including intradiscal saline, anesthetic, discography alone, or other active treatment...

BACKGROUND: Virtual psychotherapy for chronic pain (CP) has been shown to be feasible, efficacious and acceptable; however, little is known about how virtual delivery of group psychotherapy affects participants' experiences. This study aimed to explore the impact of a virtual medium during the COVID-19 pandemic on social interactions and therapeutic processes in the context of group psychotherapy for CP management. METHOD: This qualitative, interview-based study collected data on 18 individuals who participated in virtual group psychotherapy in a tertiary care pain management unit...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the degree to which differences in incidence of mortality and serious adverse events exist across patient race and ethnicity among Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients receiving outpatient opioid prescriptions and who have similar predicted risks of adverse outcomes. Patients were assigned scores via the VHA Stratification Tool for Opioid Risk Mitigation (STORM), a model used to predict the risk of experiencing overdose- or suicide-related health care events or death...

OBJECTIVE: This case series retrospectively reviewed the outcomes in patients implanted with combined, synchronous dorsal root ganglion stimulation (DRGS) and spinal cord stimulation (SCS) connected to a single implantable pulse generator (IPG) in a tertiary referral neuromodulation centre in the United Kingdom. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-six patients underwent a trial of DRGS+SCS for treating focal neuropathic pain between January 2016 and December 2019, with a follow-up in February 2022...

UNLABELLED: Patients with chronic pain often have sleep disturbances, and many patients receive sleep medications, in addition to analgesics. Although there have been scattered reports of negative pain-sleep interactions, only a few reports have investigated the efficacy of sleep medication interventions in patients with chronic pain for improving sleep disturbances and reducing pain. We retrospectively examined whether lemborexant, an orexin receptor antagonist, is effective in improving sleep disturbances and reducing pain in patients with chronic pain...

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the patient-centeredness and psychometric properties of the Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale 2.0 (DVPRS) as a patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) for pain assessment in a military population. DESIGN: A critical evaluation of the DVPRS was conducted, considering its fit-for-purpose as a PROM and its patient-centeredness using the National Health Council's Rubric to Capture the Patient Voice. SETTING: The study focused on the use of the DVPRS within the Department of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Health Administration (VA) healthcare settings...

OBJECTIVE: The present study sought to develop and perform the initial validation of a scale assessing sensitivity to menstrual pain and symptoms. METHODS: Data were taken from a larger parent study in which participants were recruited from a nationwide sample of individuals via the UniVox platform (www.univoxcommunity.com). In that study, participants were stratified by age and self-reported menstrual pain. Participants in the parent study completed two online surveys, one at baseline and one at a 3-month follow up...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

OBJECTIVES: To describe and assess the feasibility of an ultrasound-guided technique for intra-articular injection of the costovertebral joints, in an unembalmed cadaveric specimen, utilizing fluoroscopy and cone beam computerized tomography for confirmation of contrast spread and needle tip position, respectively. METHODOLOGY: A single unembalmed cadaveric specimen was obtained. A single interventionist performed the placement of the needles under ultrasound guidance...

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether chronic pain increases the risk of COVID-19 complications, and if opioid use disorder (OUD) differentiates this risk, among New York State (NYS) Medicaid beneficiaries. DESIGN/SETTING/SUBJECTS: This was a retrospective cohort study in New York State Medicaid claims data. We evaluated Medicaid claims from March 2019-December 2020 to determine whether chronic pain increased the risk of COVID-19 emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations and complications, and whether this relationship differed by OUD status...

OBJECTIVE: Greater preoperative depression, anxiety, and pain catastrophizing are associated with more severe long-term pain following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). In a secondary analysis of previously reported data, we tested the hypothesis that these associations are mediated by oxidative stress (OS). DESIGN: A mixed between/within-subjects longitudinal cohort design. SETTING: A single academic medical center. SUBJECTS: Osteoarthritis patients (n = 91; 62...

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness and safety of intraosseous basivertebral nerve ablation (BVNA) for treating vertebrogenic pain is established, but low back pain-related healthcare utilization (LBPr-HU) following BVNA continues to be defined. METHODS: LBPr-HU data were pooled from three prospective studies. LBPr-HU categories of interest included non-invasive conservative care, opioid utilization, lumbosacral spinal injection (LSI), lumbosacral radiofrequency ablation (LRFA), and lumbosacral spinal surgery...

BACKGROUND: Orthopedic patients report pain as their main symptom complaint. Subjective pain experience is correlated with self-reported psychological state such as distress. PURPOSE: This study tests whether scores from a measure of mindful attention are associated with subjective pain levels and if psychological distress scores function as a mediation path. METHODS: During routine visits to a single orthopedic clinic in East Los Angeles, 525 patients were recruited to participate in the study...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

INTRODUCTION: Neuropathic pain encompasses multiple diagnoses with detrimental impacts on quality of life and overall health. In older adults, pharmacological management is limited by adverse effects and drug interactions, while surgical management involves perioperative risk. Prior reviews addressing non-pharmacological interventions for neuropathic pain have not focused on this demographic. Therefore, this systematic review synthesizes the evidence regarding the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions in reducing neuropathic pain severity in older adults...

INTRODUCTION: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) most frequently affects the upper limb, with high associated disability. Delays to diagnosis and appropriate treatment can adversely impact prognosis and quality of life, but little is known about the healthcare experiences of people with CRPS. This study aimed to explore lived experiences of diagnosis and treatment for people with upper limb CRPS. METHODS: Participants were recruited through online support groups and multiple public and private healthcare settings in the Greater Wellington Region, New Zealand...

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