Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain
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Chronic neuropathic groin pain is a sequela of hernia surgery that occurs at unacceptably high rates, causing widespread impacts on quality of life. Although the medical community is beginning to recognize the role of surgical technique in the initiation and maintenance of postherniorrhaphy neuropathic pain, little information exists regarding pain management strategies for this condition. This review presents a summary of the pain condition state, its treatment options, and treatment recommendations. ⋯ An unmet need may still exist with these options, however, leaving a role for neuromodulation for the treatment of intractable cases. A pain management algorithm for iterative interventions including stimulation of the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) is described. It is expected that cross-disciplinary awareness of surgeons for nonsurgical pain management options in the treatment of chronic neuropathic postherniorrhaphy pain will contribute to better clinical outcomes.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effects of Different Anesthetics on Pain Processing in an Experimental Human Pain Model.
After surgical procedures, anesthesia itself may affect pain perception. Particularly, there is increasing evidence that opioids not only have analgesic effects but also provoke pronociceptive changes, that is, opioid-induced hyperalgesia. We investigated the effect of different anesthetic regimens on pain processing in volunteers using a transdermal electrical pain model. In this model, stimulation of epidermal nerve fibers representing mainly peptidergic C-nociceptors leads to secondary hyperalgesia and habituation to the stimulus. ⋯ The results suggest a short-term analgesic effect of general anesthesia. Furthermore, the conditioning stimulation over several days induced differential modulation of pro- and antinociceptive systems.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Feasibility of Contralateral Oblique Fluoroscopy-guided Cervical Interlaminar Steroid Injections.
Cervical epidural steroid injection (CESI), given in conjunction with local anesthetics, is a common remedy for cervical radicular pain and is generally performed under c-arm fluoroscopic guidance, computed tomography (CT), or ultrasound. Interlaminar procedures, such as CESI, typically rely on anteroposterior and lateral (APL) views during needle placement. However, lateral views may be obscured by body habitus in certain individuals. Swimmer's view or contralateral oblique (CLO) view may be used to avoid this. ⋯ CLO fluoroscopy-guided CESI is feasible and safe, comparing favorably with CT-guided CESI.
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Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a disorder that is often challenging to treat and can be associated with a prolonged course of severe pain. Therapy of CRPS remains controversial; the pain often can be very difficult to control, and treatment includes medications, physical therapy, regional anesthesia, and neuromodulation. ⋯ We conclude that ST may offer a therapeutic opportunity for patients with neuropathic pain resulting from CRPS, without side effects and with minimal discomfort during treatment. The observed pain relief indicates that ST could be an effective option for such patients.
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Pain control in critical limb ischemia (CLI) varies considerably between individuals. ⋯ BUP-TTS is efficacious in the control of pain in patients with CLI. The homozygous AA carriers of the CYP3A4 gene respond better to treatment with BUP-TTS.