Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain
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To characterize the safety of immediate-release (IR)/extended-release (ER) oxycodone (OC)/acetaminophen (APAP). ⋯ Safety and tolerability of IR/ER OC/APAP are similar to other low-dose opioid/APAP analgesics.
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Spinal cord stimulators (SCS) are used to treat various chronic pain states. Establishing patient outcomes in terms of pain control, opioid medication use, and overall satisfaction is vital in maintaining SCS's role in clinical practice. ⋯ Retrospective review of patients with spinal cord stimulators revealed OME reduction at 1 year for those patients in the FBSS and CRPS groups; patient satisfaction at 1 year and NRS score reduction at 6 months and 1 year were statistically significant for all groups.
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There is a paucity of published data on the prevalence of chronic pain conditions within large, integrated healthcare organizations in the U.S.A. Such data are essential to inform the development of appropriate treatment programs. ⋯ In this comprehensive analysis of 2 years of data from a large, vertically integrated metropolitan health system, chronic pain was identified in 12% of adult patients. Approximately 75% of chronic pain conditions were musculoskeletal. The triad of age ≥ 60 years, BMI ≥ 30, and female sex were the most salient demographic characteristics of patients with chronic pain conditions. These diagnostic and demographic data may be used to inform treatment program development.
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Chronic musculoskeletal pain is accompanied by central sensitization, which can be determined with quantitative sensory testing (QST). In this study, we aim to investigate whether central sensitization, as measured by thermal QST, is detectable in community-dwelling elderly individuals suffering from self-reported chronic pain and identify determinants influencing thermal QST measurement analyses and interpretation. ⋯ Higher sensitivity for heat pain, one feature of central sensitization, is present in community-dwelling elderly with chronic pain. Additional determinants should be considered when analyzing and interpreting QST measurements.
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Case Reports
Stellate Ganglion Block for Debilitating Photophobia Secondary to Trigeminal, Postherpetic Neuralgia.
The primary objective of this case report was to demonstrate the therapeutic benefit of stellate ganglion block in trigeminal postherpetic neuralgia. ⋯ The patient demonstrated significant reduction in her VAS pain score and improved functional capacity for approximately 6 months after the intervention. This case report provides evidence that sympathectomy via a stellate ganglion block can treat photophobia secondary to postherpetic neuralgia in the V1 distribution.