Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Review
A Review of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis with Intermittent Neurogenic Claudication: Disease and Diagnosis.
Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a degenerative spinal condition affecting nearly 50% of patients presenting with lower back pain. The goal of this review is to present and summarize the current data on how LSS presents in various populations, how it is diagnosed, and current therapeutic strategies. Properly understanding the prevalence, presentation, and treatment options for individuals suffering from LSS is critical to providing patients the best possible care. ⋯ The occurrence of LSS is associated with advanced age. In elderly patients, LSS can be challenging to identify due to the wide variety of presentation subtleties and common comorbidities such as degenerative disc disease. Recent developments in imaging techniques can be useful in accurately identifying the precise location of the spinal compression. Treatment options can range from conservative to surgical, with the latter being reserved for when patients have neurological compromise or conservative measures have failed. Once warranted, there are several surgical techniques at the physician's disposal to best treat each individual case.
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To investigate central sensitization (CS) in cluster headache (CH) and to evaluate its relationship with disease characteristics and psychological comorbidities. ⋯ Our findings show that patients with CH have lower PPT levels at cranial and extracranial points, suggesting, as in other primary headaches, the presence of CS. We have also found a high prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities that correlate with the length and frequency of attacks. These findings highlight the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of patients with CH.
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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.
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About 50% of patients with cancer who have undergone surgery suffer from cancer-related pain (CP). The use of opioids for postoperative pain management presents the potential for overdose, especially among these patients. ⋯ CP is an independent risk factor for opioid overdose, increased length of stay, and increased total hospital charges.
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To assess the prevalence and characteristics of chronic neck pain, chronic low back pain, and migraine or frequent headaches among Spanish adults in 2014 according to gender, to identify predictors for each of these types of pains, and to compare the prevalence with those found in 2009. ⋯ The prevalence and intensity of all the forms of chronic pain were higher among women. Women experiencing pain used prescribed medications for pain, anxiety, and/or depression and sleeping pills more than men. The prevalence of chronic neck and low back has increased in the last five years in Spain, and the prevalence of migraine or frequent headaches has remained stable.