Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain
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Perioperative use of ketamine has been discussed widely in many kinds of surgery. The aim of our study was to evaluate the short-term and long-term benefits and safety of ketamine after breast surgery. ⋯ Ketamine is an effective and safe multimodal analgesic in patients undergoing breast surgery, administered both intravenously and when added to bupivacaine in paravertebral blocks. In addition, ketamine showed a long-term benefit for preventing postoperative depression and postmastectomy pain syndrome.
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Comparative Study Observational Study
Peripheral Nerve Blockade with Combined Standard and Liposomal Bupivacaine in Major Lower Extremity Amputation.
Optimizing perioperative analgesia for patients undergoing major lower-extremity amputation remains a considerable challenge. The utility of liposomal bupivacaine as a component of peripheral nerve blockade for lower-extremity amputation is unknown. ⋯ Peripheral nerve blockade is associated with reduced opioid requirements after lower-extremity amputation compared with general anesthesia alone. However, the incorporation of liposomal bupivacaine is not significantly different to blockade employing only standard bupivacaine.
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The tourniquet ischemia test (IT) is a hitherto rarely used tool for the diagnostic work-up of patients with suspected complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). This analysis aims to determine the sensitivity and specificity of this test, and elucidate factors that can influence the test result. ⋯ This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical significance of the tourniquet IT that was routinely used in patients with suspected CRPS. It showed that a positive IT result is useful as a confirmatory assay in patients fulfilling the clinical criteria.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Comparing pain neuroscience education followed by motor control exercises with group-based exercises for chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled trial.
Different individualized interventions have been used to improve chronic low back pain (CLBP). However, their superiority over group-based interventions has yet to be elucidated. We compared an individualized treatment involving pain neuroscience education (PNE) plus motor control exercise (MCE) with group-based exercise (GE) in patients with CLBP. ⋯ PNE and MCE seem to be better at reducing pain intensity and disability compared to GE, while no significant differences were observed for fear-avoidance beliefs and self-efficacy between the 2 groups in patients with CLBP. With regard to the superiority of individualized interventions over group-based ones, more studies are warranted.
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Case Reports
A Case Report on Spinal Cord Stimulation in an Atrophic Spinal Cord- What Exactly Are We Stimulating?
We present a patient with paraplegia secondary to anterior spinal cord infarct below T6, with subsequent development of chronic low-back and bilateral lower-extremity neuropathic pain with an atrophic cord. In this patient with reduced spinal cord mass and modified neuroanatomy, spinal cord stimulation was surprisingly very effective. ⋯ Traditionally accepted mechanisms of action of dorsal column stimulation and suppression of wide-dynamic-range neurons are unlikely to explain the relief obtained in our patient with an atrophic spinal cord. No single consensus has been reached on the primary mechanism through which spinal cord stimulation renders its therapeutic effects. Spinal cord stimulator therapy is promising, and the future direction of its study is discussed.