Pain physician
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Offset analgesia (OA) is an increasingly described phenomenon to measure endogenous pain inhibition, in which a greater decrease in pain intensity is experienced than would be predicted by the decrease in painful stimulation. The temporal filtering in this OA phenomenon differs from the spatial filtering in the commonly described conditioned pain modulation (CPM). Yet, the knowledge on the efficacy of OA in chronic pain patients is scarce, compared to CPM efficacy. ⋯ This systematic review displays OA as a temporal filtering mechanisms that is more brain-derived compared to the spatial assessment method CPM. There is strong evidence for reduced OA in neuropathic patients, however, evidence regarding OA in (sub)acute and central sensitization patients, and the influence of personal factors on OA is currently scarce and needs further investigation.
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Genicular nerve radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has recently gained popularity as an intervention for chronic knee pain in patients who have failed other conservative or surgical treatments. Long-term efficacy and adverse events are still largely unknown. Under fluoroscopic guidance, thermal RFA targets the lateral superior, medial superior, and medial inferior genicular nerves, which run in close proximity to the genicular arteries that play a crucial role in supplying the distal femur, knee joint, meniscus, and patella. ⋯ Although rare, these complications carry significant morbidities. Based on the detailed dissections and review of the literature, our investigation suggests that vascular injury is a possible risk of genicular RFA. Lastly, recommendations are offered to minimize potential iatrogenic complications.
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Review Meta Analysis
Particulate vs Non-Particulate Steroids for Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injections: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Current Literature.
The efficacy of particulate and non-particulate steroids in patients receiving epidural steroid injections remains unclear. ⋯ As the use of particulate steroids seems to be associated with slightly better VAS scores only, clinicians need to weigh their clinical relevance in the light of complications and recent FDA recommendations on the use of particulate steroids.