Pain physician
-
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients have a lowered immune response to infection, potentially due to the use of corticosteroids and immunosuppressive drugs. Predictors of severe COVID-19 outcomes within the RA population have not yet been explored in a real-world setting. ⋯ Predictive baseline comorbidities and risk factors can be leveraged for early detection of RA patients at risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes. Further research should be conducted on modifiable factors in the RA population, such as physical therapy.
-
Amputees commonly feel an intermittent tingling, piercing, or burning sensation in the region of the missing portion of the amputated limb, a phenomenon known as phantom limb pain. Current treatment modalities include medications, mirror therapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and more recently neuromodulation through spinal cord stimulation and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation. ⋯ The cumulative evidence at present suggests DRG stimulation may be a potentially effective treatment for phantom limb pain, however, a powered prospective randomized controlled trial is needed to assess the long-term benefits of this treatment modality. Given the increasing population of military veterans who are living with limb amputations, finding a modality for adequate long-term pain control is crucial.
-
Single-injection regional analgesia techniques can provide effective analgesia for abdominal hysterectomy. However, few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have directly compared these techniques for total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH), and the best strategy remains unknown. ⋯ Single-injection blocks are effective analgesic techniques for TAH. Among them, the erector spinae plane block and quadratus lumborum block seem to have superior effects. Further studies should evaluate techniques other than TAPB and wound infiltration to draw definitive conclusions.
-
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic debilitating neuropathic pain condition characterized by autonomic and inflammatory features that typically occurs after a traumatic event. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been shown to be effective in the treatment of chronic CRPS refractory to conventional treatment modalities. The collective evidence of novel parameters of SCS for treating CRPS has not been characterized extensively. ⋯ LF-SCS is superior to conventional therapy/placebo SCS stimulation. However, more evidence is required to demonstrate that novel SCS parameters are superior to LF-SCS in improving pain scores and functional outcomes.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Comparison of Different Treatment Regimens of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy in Chronic Low-back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) has shown its efficacy in treating chronic pain. Previous evidence has proven that ESWT in patients with chronic low-back pain (CLBP) results in significant reductions in pain. However, the optimal regimen for conducting ESWT in these patients remains unknown. ⋯ Low-intensity ESWT treatment with more sessions is more effective in relieving pain and improving disability in the short-term than medium-intensity treatment with fewer sessions under the same total energy dose.