Pain physician
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Effects of stellate ganglion block on breast cancer-related lymphedema: comparison of various injectates.
To determine the effects of SGB in BCRL patients and the efficacy of corticosteroids in SGB. ⋯ This study suggests that SGB may be an effective treatment for BCRL. Furthermore, it appears that corticosteroids could have an additive effect in SGB.
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Scientific peer review is pivotal in health care research in that it facilitates the evaluation of findings for competence, significance, and originality by qualified experts. While the origins of peer review can be traced to the societies of the eighteenth century, it became an institutionalized part of the scholarly process in the latter half of the twentieth century. This was a response to the growth of research and greater subject specialization. ⋯ Various types of peer review bias include content-based bias, confirmation bias, bias due to conservatism, bias against interdisciplinary research, publication bias, and the bias of conflicts of interest. Consequently, peer review would benefit from various changes and improvements with appropriate training of reviewers to provide quality reviews to maintain the quality and integrity of research without bias. Thus, an appropriate, transparent peer review is not only ideal, but necessary for the future to facilitate scientific progress.
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The high prevalence of chronic persistent neck pain not only leads to disability but also has a significant economic, societal, and health impact. Among multiple modalities of treatments prescribed in the management of neck and upper extremity pain, surgical, interventional and conservative modalities have been described. Cervical epidural injections are also common modalities of treatments provided in managing neck and upper extremity pain. They are administered by either an interlaminar approach or transforaminal approach. ⋯ This systematic review with qualitative best evidence synthesis shows Level II evidence for the efficacy of cervical interlaminar epidural injections with local anesthetic with or without steroids, based on at least one high-quality relevant randomized control trial in each category for disc herniation, discogenic pain without facet joint pain, central spinal stenosis, and post surgery syndrome.
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Case Reports
Successful treatment of post thrombotic syndrome with sequential lumbar sympathetic block.
An underappreciated sequelae of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is the pain associated with the blood clot in the peripheral extremity. Although most frequently acute in nature, DVT occasionally presents with chronic pain in the affected limb. Furthermore, many individuals suffering from prothrombotic states often have recurring pain from DVT. ⋯ Compression boot/stocking therapy was not combating the discomfort associated with the PTS, often increasing the severity of the patient's pain. Sequential right lumbar sympathetic blocks were performed, which nearly completely resolved the patient's symptoms and improved the patient's ambulatory status and ability to perform activities of daily living. Sympathetic nerve blocks should be considered as a treatment option for patients who suffer with pain from PTS.
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Observational Study
Volume of contrast and selectivity for lumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injection.
It has been shown that L4/L5 selective nerve root blocks become nonselective after injecting 1 mL and 0.5 mL of contrast. Volumes of less than 0.5 mL have not been used to determine a volume of definite specificity. ⋯ Diagnostic selective nerve root blocks limiting injectate to a single, ipsilateral segmental level cannot reliably be considered diagnostically selective with volumes as low as 0.2 mL. Also, spread of the contrast to the superior nerve root was more likely than spread to the inferior nerve root.