Articles: low-back-pain.
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Ultrasound (US) has been widely used for the diagnosis and guided interventions of peripheral nerve disorders. Although superior cluneal nerve (SCN) entrapment is an important cause of lower back pain, a relevant review as to how US can be used for imaging and guided intervention for cases of SCN entrapment is still lacking. ⋯ US imaging is helpful for guiding injections of SCN entrapment and related clinical conditions. The evidence of US imaging in diagnosing SCN disorders remains insufficient, which requires more prospective studies to validate.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Bilateral ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block for postoperative persistent low back pain in lumbar disc surgery.
Persistent low back pain is an important disability after lumbar disc surgery. Erector spinae plane block (ESPB) is highly effective in providing post-surgical pain control, but its effectiveness in long-term persistent low back pain has not been investigated. The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to investigate the effect of ESPB on the reduction of persistent low back pain after surgery. ⋯ ESPB, which has a low risk of complications and is simple to perform, has been found useful in the treatment of persistent low back pain after disc surgery.
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Chronic low back pain is a leading cause of disability worldwide and its pathophysiology remains poorly understood, a problem exacerbated by the heterogeneity of the patient population with chronic low back pain. Although the intervertebral discs are often implicated in chronic low back pain, studies have demonstrated strong innervation of the vertebral endplates by the basivertebral nerve, therefore making it a possible target for ablation in the treatment of vertebrogenic chronic low back pain. ⋯ Current research has shown that basivertebral nerve ablation might be a promising treatment for chronic low back pain in patients exhibiting Modic type 1 or 2 endplate changes, while additional research on the association between Modic changes and low back pain is still needed to gain widespread use and acceptance of this new treatment modality. The introduction of new devices and a larger number of independent studies would greatly enhance the confidence in the outcomes reported with this treatment modality in order to ultimately benefit patients, clinicians, and society.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Intraarticular Platelet Rich Plasma vs Corticosteroid Injections for Sacroiliac Joint Pain-a Double Blinded, Randomized Clinical Trial.
Using stringent inclusion criteria, a double-blinded study protocol, and fluoroscopically guided injections, we compare intra-articular sacroiliac joint platelet-rich plasma injections with intra-articular steroids. ⋯ Although both groups showed improvements in pain and function, the steroid group had significantly greater response and significantly more responders than did the platelet-rich plasma group.
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As opioid prescribing has declined, it is unclear how the landscape of prescription pain treatment across the U. S. has changed. We used nationally-representative data from the Medical Expenditure Health Survey, 2014 to 2018 to examine trends in prescriptions for opioid and non-opioid pain medications, including acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, gabapentinoids, and antidepressants among U. ⋯ Secondary analyses stratifiying within the 2014 to 2016 and 2016 to 2018 periods revealed particular increases in prescriptions for gabapentinoids (aOR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.05-1.21) and antidepressants (aOR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.12-1.35) since 2016. PERSPECTIVE: These data demonstrate that physicians are increasingly turning to CDC-recommended non-opioid medications for pain management, particularly antidepressants and gabapentinoids. However, evidence for these medications' efficacy in treating numerous common pain conditions, including low back pain, remains limited.