Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Although depression and chronic pain often coexist, few studies have examined antidepressant use among people with pain. This study examines the prevalence and characteristics associated with antidepressant use among people prescribed opioids for chronic noncancer pain (CNCP). ⋯ Antidepressant use is common among people with CNCP prescribed opioids. Those using antidepressants were more likely to use other psychotropic medicines concurrently, highlighting that they are a high-risk population requiring comprehensive assessment to optimize outcomes and reduce potential harms from polypharmacy.
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Low back pain is the leading cause of worldwide disability, with lumbosacral radiculopathy accounting for over one-third of these cases. There are limited data on the relationship between etiologies and lumbosacral radiculopathy, and it is unknown whether specific causes predict treatment outcomes. ⋯ Reported inciting events are common in patients with lumbosacral radiculopathy but are not associated with outcome following epidural steroid injection, and their occurrence is not always consistent with the purported mechanism of injury.
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Observational Study
Level of Low Back Pain-Related Disability Is Associated with Risk of Subsequent Falls in an Older Population: Locomotive Syndrome and Health Outcomes in Aizu Cohort Study (LOHAS).
To examine the longitudinal association between baseline disability due to low back pain (LBP) and future risk of falls, particularly significant falls requiring treatment, in a community-dwelling older population. ⋯ Level of LBP-related disability was associated with an increased risk of serious falls in a general population of community-living older adults. These findings can alert health care providers involved in fall prevention efforts to the important issue of activity-related disability due to LBP.