Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Effect of Baseline Characteristics on the Pain Response to Pregabalin in Fibromyalgia Patients with Comorbid Depression.
To evaluate the effect of baseline characteristics on the treatment response to pregabalin in fibromyalgia (FM) patients with depression. ⋯ Pregabalin significantly improved mean pain scores when compared with placebo for the majority of baseline characteristics assessed in FM patients taking an antidepressant for comorbid depression.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effects of Acupuncture Treatment on Fibromyalgia Symptoms, Serotonin, and Substance P Levels: A Randomized Sham and Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of acupuncture treatment on serum levels of serotonin and substance P (SP) as well as on clinical parameters in patients with fibromyalgia (FM). ⋯ Acupuncture, rather than sham or placebo acupuncture, may lead to long-term improvements on clinical outcomes and pain neuromediator values. Changes in serum serotonin and SP levels may be a valuable explanation for acupuncture mechanisms in FM treatment.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of the Motor Cortex on Visceral Pain in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is frequently associated with visceral pain. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been proven to reduce chronic pain; however, its effectiveness in malignant visceral pain is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effects of tDCS in patients with visceral pain due to HCC. ⋯ tDCS proved to be an effective and clinically relevant therapeutic strategy for visceral pain due to HCC.
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To determine the risks of continuing or ceasing anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications prior to image-guided procedures for spine pain. ⋯ Other than for interlaminar procedures, the evidence does not support the view that anticoagulant and antiplatelet medication must be ceased before image-guided spine pain procedures. Meanwhile, the evidence shows that ceasing anticoagulants carries a risk of serious consequences, including death. Guidelines on the use of anticoagulants should reflect these opposing bodies of evidence.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Intravenous Lidocaine Alleviates the Pain of Propofol Injection by Local Anesthetic and Central Analgesic Effects.
Lidocaine alleviates propofol injection pain. However, whether lidocaine works through a local anesthetic effect at the site of intravenous injection or through a systemic effect on the central nervous system remains unknown. This study aimed to determine the pain-alleviating mechanism of lidocaine. ⋯ A dosage of 40 mg lidocaine is an appropriate dosage to alleviate propofol injection pain within the same vein. Lidocaine reduces propofol injection pain through both a local anesthetic effect and a central analgesic effect when the dosage reaches 1.5 mg/kg.