Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Large-scale procedural safety data on pterygopalatine fossa nerve blocks (PPFBs) performed via a suprazygomatic, ultrasound-guided approach are lacking, leading to hesitancy surrounding this technique. The aim of this study was to characterize the safety of PPFB. ⋯ We have not identified clinically significant adverse effects from PPFB performed with an ultrasound-guided suprazygomatic approach in a large cohort in the hospital setting. PPFBs are a safe and well-tolerated pain management strategy; however, prospective multicenter studies are needed.
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Observational Study
Does pain medication use influence the outcome of 8 weeks of education and exercise therapy in patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis? An observational study.
Patients with osteoarthritis are mainly managed in primary care settings and many patients use pain medication as symptomatic treatment. We investigated in OA-patients receiving an education and exercise program, the use and type of pain medication and its impact on outcomes at 3 months follow-up. ⋯ Pain medication use is weakly associated with outcome at 3 months follow up in OA-patients receiving an education and exercise program. Between-group differences, however, are small and probably not clinically important.
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To evaluate the effectiveness of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (dronabinol [DRO]) as an add-on treatment in patients with refractory chronic pain (CP). ⋯ Add-on treatment with DRO in patients with refractory CP was well tolerated and associated with a significant improvement.
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Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a genetic blood disorder affecting over 1 million people globally. The aim of this analysis is to explore the pain burden of patients with SCD in two countries: the United States and Ghana. ⋯ US patients with SCD have a higher pain burden than Ghanaian patients. Further studies should investigate underlying contributors to pain burden in these populations and further explore the etiology of geographic differences in pain.
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Greater trochanteric pain syndrome is a common cause of lateral hip pain. Corticosteroid injections are commonly utilized as nonsurgical interventions; however, they are not effective for all patients. This technical case report describes a method for treating greater trochanteric pain syndrome by utilizing cooled radiofrequency ablation. ⋯ Cooled radiofrequency ablation of the trochanteric branch of the nervus femoralis is a potential treatment for greater trochanteric pain syndrome. This procedure provides a potential steroid-sparing interventional treatment based on reproducible fluoroscopic landmarks.