The Korean journal of pain
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Nefopam, a non-opiate analgesic, has been regarded as a substance that reduces the requirement for morphine, but conflicting results have also been reported. The inhibition of monoamine reuptake is a mechanism of action for the analgesia of nefopam. The spinal cord is an important site for the action of monoamines however, the antinociceptive effect of intrathecal nefopam was not clear. This study was performed to examine the antinociceptive effect of intrathecal (i.t.) nefopam and the pattern of pharmacologic interaction with i.t. morphine in the formalin test. ⋯ This study demonstrated that i.t. nefopam produces an antinociceptive effect in formalin induced pain behavior during both phases of the formalin test, while interacting differently with i.t. morphine, synergistically during phase 1, and additively during phase 2.
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Postoperative pain is one of the most prevalent and bothersome issues found in the surgical department. Nowadays, there are various methods of acupuncture used for relieving pain without the complications found in some routine postoperative analgesics. These methods could be especially useful for high risk patients prone to complications from analgesics, such as transplantation recipients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of electro-acupuncture on postoperative pain control after inguinal surgeries. ⋯ Acupuncture in patients, after inguinal surgery, can reduce the need of analgesics, which also directly reduces the complications that may occur when analgesics are used in relieving pain postoperatively.
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More than 80% of cancer patients experience cancer pain. Among them, more than 50% experience moderate to severe pain. To control cancer pain, a variety of methods have been used, including medications and nerve blocks. ⋯ Scrambler therapy synthesizes 16 different types of nerve action potentials that provide "non-pain" information via cutaneous nerves. The advantages of this treatment are that it is non-invasive and safe and has no significant side effects. In this case series, we report the treatment results of using scrambler therapy in three cancer patients with intractable pain.
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Intrathecal opioid administration has been used widely in patients suffering from severe cancer pain that is not managed with conventional modalities. However, the potential serious neurological complications from the procedure and the side effects of intrathecal opioids have made many clinicians reluctant to employ continuous intrathecal analgesia as a first-line therapeutic option despite its dramatic effect on intractable pain. We retrospectively investigated the efficacy, side effects, and complications of intrathecal morphine administration through intrathecal catheters connected to a subcutaneous injection port (ICSP) in 22 Korean terminal cancer patients with successful intrathecal morphine trials. ⋯ Intrathecal morphine administration using ICSP provided immediate and beneficial effects on pain scores with tolerable side effects in terminal cancer patients.
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A 60-year-old man presented with pain on the left cheek and lateral nose. The patient had been diagnosed with facial herpes zoster in the left V2 area 6 months previously. ⋯ Therefore, we performed pulsed radiofrequency treatment on the left infraorbital nerve under ultrasound guidance. Six months after the procedure, the reduction of pain was still maintained, and there was no need for further management.