Pain physician
-
Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes a high incidence of motor and sensory dysfunctions accompanied with neuropathic pain. No effective treatment is available. Both somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) and neuropathic pain (NPP) are transmitted via myelinated large diameter fibers of deep sensory pathways. Here we aimed to evaluate whether SSEP can consistently and objectively assess transmission of deep sensory pathways, and to examine the effects of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (UCMSC) transplantation on SSEP and NPP as assessed by the pain rating index (PRI) in a patient with a 2-year history of complete cervical SCI. We demonstrate that SSEP can directly reflect physiological function of myelinated large fibers in deep sensory pathway transmission (NPP is also transmitted by the same pathway). One year after UCMSC transplantation, the SSEP parameter, PRI, and clinical presentations of NPP significantly improved. ⋯ Spinal cord, neuropathic pain, somatosensory evoked potential, umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells.
-
Case Reports
Percutaneous Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy for Far-Migrated Disc Herniation through Two Working Channels.
The technique of percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discetomy (PELD) in the transforaminal approach has evolved over the years due to the advances in endoscopic photology and instrumentation and become the most popular technique for lumbar disc herniation. Although PELD offers many advantages, the indications of PELD are limited mostly to non-migrated or low-migrated disc herniation. It is very difficult for PELD in the transforaminal approach to remove the highly migrated disc fragment successfully due to the anatomic barrier. Nowadays, with the advances of instruments and technique, it might be possible for PELD in the transforaminal approach to remove these high-grade migrated disc fragments. The purpose of this study was to describe a technique to effectively treat highly migrated disc herniation via 2 working channels. ⋯ Percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy, far-migrated disc herniation, working channels.
-
In modern medicine, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a commonly described sleep disorder with airway obstruction, disrupted sleep, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Since its description in 1976 by Guilleminault et al, numerous epidemiologic studies and systematic reviews, with multiple comorbidities related to cardiovascular sequelae, altered cognitive function, and multiple other potential complications have been described. Multiple risk factors have been identified included obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, and other factors. Chronic pain and chronic opioid therapy also have been described to contribute to a large proportion of patients with OSAS. Chronic pain, obesity, smoking, and chronic opioid therapy are often found together, yet there is a paucity of literature describing OSAS in chronic pain patients. ⋯ Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, chronic pain, chronic spinal pain, chronic opioid therapy, obesity, smoking, cardiovascular risk factors, pulmonary risk factors.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
MILD® Is an Effective Treatment for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis with Neurogenic Claudication: MiDAS ENCORE Randomized Controlled Trial.
Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a common degenerative condition of the spine, which is a major cause of pain and functional disability for the elderly. Neurogenic claudication symptoms are a hallmark of LSS, where patients develop low back or leg pain when walking or standing that is relieved by sitting or lumbar flexion. The treatment of LSS generally begins with conservative management such as physical therapy, home exercise programs, and oral analgesics. Once these therapies fail, patients commonly move forward with interventional pain treatment options such as epidural steroid injections (ESIs) or MILD® as the next step. ⋯ MILD, minimally invasive lumbar decompression, interlaminar epidural steroid injections, ESI neurogenic claudication, ligamentum flavum, ENCORE, PILD, CED Study, LSS.