Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain
-
Observational Study
A pilot study of novel ultrahigh-frequency dorsal root ganglia stimulation for chronic lower limb pain: Focusing on safety and feasibility.
This single-arm, open-label, single-center observational pilot study assessed the safety and efficacy of ultrahigh-frequency dorsal root ganglia (UHF-DRG) stimulation in patients with chronic leg pain with or without low back pain. Such high-frequency electrostimulation had not been conducted in the human central nervous system previously. ⋯ In this first-in-human pilot study, we discovered that intermittent pulsed UHF-DRG stimulations ameliorated chronic lower limb pain for an extended period in humans. Our finding opens up a new neuromodulatory concept and may initiate a novel paradigm for treating intractable pain.
-
A post-marketing surveillance was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the buprenorphine transdermal patch under actual clinical practice. ⋯ This study demonstrated the safety and efficacy of long-term administration of buprenorphine transdermal patches, suggesting that pain control is possible over the long term if attention is paid to ADRs in the early stages of administration.
-
The fields of anesthesiology and pain medicine are experiencing significant changes driven by market forces and professional preferences. While demand for anesthesiologists is rising, pain medicine is facing a decline in fellowship applications. ⋯ The decline in pain medicine fellowship applications, particularly among anesthesiology residents, signals potential future workforce shortages and challenges in patient care. Recruitment strategies should include early exposure to pain medicine during residency, enhanced mentorship programs, and robust recruitment efforts (including virtual options). Addressing these issues is essential to ensure enough trained specialists to meet the growing need for pain specialists nationally.