Current pain and headache reports
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Curr Pain Headache Rep · Jan 2025
Review Meta AnalysisAssociation of ESR1 Polymorphisms with Susceptibility to Migraine: A Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis.
Migraine is a highly prevalent and incapacitating neurological disorder mostly characterised by recurring attacks of moderate to severe throbbing and pulsating pain on one side of the head. The role of estrogen in migraine has been well documented. Although genetic variations in the ESR1 gene have been associated with an increased risk of developing migraine, the findings are inconsistent. We performed a meta-analysis of previously published articles considering four important single nucleotide polymorphisms in the ESR1 gene (rs1801132, rs2228480, rs2234693, and rs9340799) to explore their possible association with the development of migraine and its clinical phenotypes. ⋯ ESR1 variants (rs2228480, rs2234693, and rs9340799) are associated with an increased risk of migraine and related phenotypes. However, further studies are needed to establish a definitive conclusion.
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Curr Pain Headache Rep · Jan 2025
Review Meta AnalysisA Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Stem Cell Therapies for Pain in Diabetic Neuropathy, Osteoarthritis, and Spinal Cord Injuries.
The use of stem cell therapy is a rapidly evolving and progressing frontier of science that has been used to treat illnesses such as malignancies, immunodeficiencies, and metabolic syndromes. This review aims to give an overview of the use of stem cell therapy in the treatment of pain caused by diabetic neuropathy, osteoarthritis, and other spinal cord pathologies. ⋯ Pain is defined as a generalized or localized feeling of distress related to a physical or emotional stimulus and can be caused by a multitude of pathologies. The field of pain management has explored many strategies such as gene therapies, neuromodulation, platelet-rich plasma, and numerous pharmacotherapies. The approach to the delivery of these strategies has varied, with the method of stem cell therapy delivery being the focus of this present investigation. In addition, we combined several different studies to analyze the effects of stem cell therapies and improvement in pain scores quantified by the visual analog scale (VAS). The overall results showed a mean difference of -2.58, suggesting that the stem cell treatment group had a lower VAS score at 6 months compared to the control group. The use of different types of stem cells, such as pluripotent and mesenchymal stem cells, play a critical role in the care of cases suffering from pain. Effective delivery methods are evolving and can transform treatment options in the future, for which large cohort studies are warranted.
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Curr Pain Headache Rep · Jan 2025
Review Meta AnalysisEfficacy of Intra-Articular Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections in Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a gradual deterioration of articular cartilage characterized by pain and physical dysfunction. Although analgesic pharmacological agents are the first-line treatment for knee OA, they are not effective for all patients. In this study, we evaluate the efficacy of an intra-articular injection treatment using platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in reducing pain and improving functional ability. ⋯ Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, this systematic review and meta-analysis (SR/MA) provides an updated overview for the role of PRP in knee OA treatment. Ten articles, published between 2016 and 2023, met the inclusion criteria and compared PRP treatment to a placebo control at six-month follow-up. A total of 9,409 potential studies were identified from a review of four different databases: PubMed (n = 4595), Cochrane (n = 4252), VHL (n = 112), and OpenSigle (n = 450). After the titles and abstracts and inclusion and exclusion criteria were considered, a total of 10 studies were analyzed. Although a significant improvement among PRP-treated groups in some studies was found, there was variability such as where the aforementioned scores appeared to worsen and some only demonstrated trends. Overall, PRP may be a promising treatment for symptomatic knee OA. However, further research is necessary to determine the efficacy of PRP in treating knee OA, with specific considerations for times at follow-up, frequency and dosage of injections, and comorbidities, which were unaccounted for in this SR/MA.
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Curr Pain Headache Rep · Jan 2025
Review Meta AnalysisEfficacy of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation in Management of Cancer Pain: a Meta Analysis.
The present investigation assesses efficacy of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on relief of cancer or chemotherapy-related pain. Patients with cancer experience a relatively high prevalence of pain that is reportedly undertreated. Therefore, this analysis is pertinent to determine if TENS is a useful complementary therapy considering its increase in accessibility and minimal side effect profile. ⋯ Related to various limitations of this meta-analysis, no definitive conclusions could be concluded regarding efficacy of TENS in the treatment of cancer or chemotherapy-related pain. Additional randomized primary studies with standardized treatment protocols and pain measurements are needed for future meta-analysis and recommendations for clinical practice.
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Curr Pain Headache Rep · Dec 2024
Review Meta AnalysisPharmacoacupuncture for the Treatment of Frozen Shoulder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Pharmacoacupuncture (PA) is an alternative injection therapy for a broad range of conditions. This meta-analysis evaluates the effectiveness and safety of PA in treating frozen shoulder (FS) and aims to standardise PA characteristics in clinical practice. ⋯ PROSPERO (CRD42023445708).