Articles: back-pain.
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Psychological factors such as fear avoidance beliefs, depression, anxiety, catastrophic thinking and familial and social stress, have been associated with high disability levels in people with chronic low back pain (LBP). Guidelines endorse the integration of psychological interventions in the management of chronic LBP. However, uncertainty surrounds the comparative effectiveness of different psychological approaches. Network meta-analysis (NMA) allows comparison and ranking of numerous competing interventions for a given outcome of interest. Therefore, we will perform a systematic review with a NMA to determine which type of psychological intervention is most effective for adults with chronic non-specific LBP. ⋯ CRD42019138074.
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Multicenter Study
Sustained Long-Term Outcomes With Closed-Loop Spinal Cord Stimulation: 12-Month Results of the Prospective, Multicenter, Open-Label Avalon Study.
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) activates the dorsal column fibers using electrical stimuli. Current SCS systems function in fixed-output mode, delivering the same stimulus regardless of spinal cord (SC) activation. ⋯ The majority of patients experienced more than 80% pain relief with stable SC activation, as measured by ECAP amplitude at 12 mo, providing evidence for the long-term effectiveness of the Evoke closed-loop SCS system.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Short-term clinical efficacy of the pulsed Nd: YAG laser therapy on chronic nonspecific low back pain: A randomized controlled study.
Chronic non-specific low back pain (LBP) is gradually increasing among populations worldwide and affects their activities. Recently, the Nd:YAG laser has been presented in the rehabilitation field. ⋯ Regarding the present study outcomes, short-term pulsed Nd:YAG laser (6 weeks) may reduce functional disabilities and pain intensity, and improve the lumbar flexion ROM in patients with chronic nonspecific LBP. Further well-designed randomized controlled studies with large sample sizes should be conducted regarding laser treatment.
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Case Reports
Just the facts: Risk stratifying nontraumatic back pain for Cauda Equina Syndrome in the emergency department.
A 43-year-old male, with a history of chronic back pain, presents to the emergency department (ED) with acute onset chronic pain. He states he "tweaked something" and has been debilitated by back pain, radiating down both his legs, for 24 hours. ⋯ The patient has a post-void residual of 250 mL, but you are unsure how to interpret this value. As an emergency physician, when should you suspect, and how should you evaluate cauda equina syndrome?