Agri-The Journal of the Turkish Society of Algology最新文献

Objectives: The sacroiliac joint (SIJ) is the third most common cause of low back pain. The treatment of SIJ-induced pain is often conservative. When conservative treatments fail, interventional treatment methods, such as intra-articular injection or radiofrequency (RF) denervation are applied. Recently, in addition to the success of this interventional treatment applied, increased patient satisfaction and quality of life after treatment have also gained importance. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate pain management and improvement in the quality of life in patients with SIJ pain who underwent RF denervation with the simplicity probe.

Methods: The files of patients with SIJ degeneration on Ferguson X-ray, who underwent diagnostic intra-articular block for SIJ and had more than 50% reduction in pain were screened, and 38 cases in which simplicity RF neurotomy was applied were identified. The age, sex, and numerical rating scale (NRS) and short form (SF)-36 scores of the remaining 30 patients were recorded before and at 6 months after the procedure.

Results: There was a statistically significant decrease in NRS between the pre-procedure and post-procedure (6-month) values. The decrease in NRS did not significantly differ according to sex. A statistically significant improvement in all the domains of SF-36 in the post-procedure period compared to the pre-procedure period. There was no significant sex-related difference in the improvement of the SF-36 domains, except for the emotional role functioning domain, for which the scores were significantly higher in women than in men.

Conclusion: In patients with SIJ pain who positively respond to steroid injection, the application of Simplicity III achieves long-term pain management and increases patient comfort and satisfaction pain without any complications.

The use of ultrasound in regional anesthesia plays an important role in determining the variable anatomical structures and their localization. In these days, developments in ultrasonography devices and probes, hardware, and software technologies such as real-time needle tip tracking are increasing rapidly. Artificial intelligence-powered ultrasonography is one of them. In this case report, we aimed to present three cases where regional block was applied using artificial intelligence-powered (Nerveblox) ultrasound. Infraclavicular nerve block to two of our patients and pectoral nerve block to the third one were applied successfully once at a time. None of the patients developed vascular puncture or local anesthetic toxicity. The use of artificial intelligence support in peripheral nerve blocks may reduce the number of attempts and duration of interventions.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate the correlational processes and possible mediation mechanisms between internalizing problems and significant indicators of headache (pain frequency, duration, and intensity) and pain coping strategies among adolescents diagnosed with episodic migraine.

Methods: The study sample included 143 adolescents diagnosed with episodic migraine in compliance with the diagnostic criteria specified in ICHD-3. In collecting data, Sociodemographic Information Form, Headache Questionnaire Form, Pain Coping Questionnaire, Children's Depression Questionnaire, and Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Disorders: Child Form were used. Statistical analyses of the study were carried out using the 'SPSS for Windows Package Program.'

Results: The findings of the study indicate that adolescents suffer from a higher headache frequency per month in parallel with higher levels of depression (r=0.28, p<0.05), total anxiety (r=0.19, p<0.05), panic disorder/somatic symptoms (r=0.22, p<0.05), and school avoidance (r=0.21, p<0.05). In addition, the higher the levels of internalizing problems among adolescents are, the more common is the use of coping strategies that give rise to feelings of helplessness in the face of pain (r=0.27, p<0.01). On the other hand, the study findings concerning mediation mechanisms show that the level of depression is a full mediator in correlations between the levels of panic disorders/somatic symptoms and school avoidance and both monthly headache frequency and use of coping strategies that give rise to feelings of helplessness in the face of pain among adolescents.

Conclusion: The results of the study also offer an insight into the age-related phenotypic variation and chronicity of migraine.

Objectives: Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) shows improvement in pain and functional capacity in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). Therefore, the study aimed to verify if the physiotherapeutic treatment associated with PNE decreases the functional disability of patients with nonspecific CLBP.

Methods: Forty patients were clinically evaluated and answered the following questionnaires: Brief pain inventory, Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI), Roland-Morris disability questionnaire, pain catastrophizing scale, Tampa scale of kinesiophobia, hospital anxiety, and depression scale, SF6D quality of life questionnaire and performed quantitative sensory tests (QSTs). Afterward, they were randomly divided into the intervention group (IG, n=20) and the control group (CG, n=20). Both performed kinesiotherapy exercises twice a week for 6 weeks. The IG received 3 individual PNE sessions and answered the pain neurophysiology questionnaire.

Results: IG showed significant improvement for all variables analyzed (p<0.001). The association decreased the kinesiophobia (estimated difference between CG-IG means: 7.6-95% CI: 2.3-12.9) (p=0.006). In the lumbar paravertebral region (CG and IG), there was a statistical difference in the intensity of CLBP in the QSTs (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The association showed better results compared to only therapeutic exercises to reduce kinesiophobia and change the perception of pain intensity in the lumbar region.

Arthroscopic shoulder operations are associated with postoperative pain, which can lead to chronic pain if not treated effectively. The classic posterior approach for the suprascapular nerve is associated with higher technical failures, and it is a more painful procedure for the patients. We report a case of a 72-year-old male patient who underwent right shoulder arthroplasty. We performed ultrasound-guided suprascapular nerve block with an anterior approach, combined with an axillary nerve block, and provided effective analgesia.

Objectives: Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a regional painful soft-tissue disorder, characterized by trigger points (TrPs) and taut bands in the muscles. In this study, we aimed to compare the effectiveness of kinesio taping (KT), TrPs injection, and neural therapy (NT) on pain and disability in acute MPS.

Methods: 104 patients with MPS in the cervical region were allocated into three groups. Group 1 (n=35) were treated with KT, Group 2 (n=35) received local anesthetic (LA) (lidocaine of 0.5%) TrPs injection, and Group 3 (n=34) received NT with the same LA solution. Patients were assessed by means of pain, pressure pain threshold (PPT), and disability. Pain severity was measured by Visual Analog Scale. The neck pain disability scale was used for assessing disability. PPT was measured by using an algometer. Measurements were taken before and after treatment of 3rd and 7th days.

Results: There were improvements on pain and disability in all groups at the end of treatments at 3rd day and during follow-up period (p<0.001) and no differences were found between the groups. There was significant difference in PPT values in TrPs injection and NT groups in comparisons between all time periods, however, the change, depending on time in the KT group, was not statistically significant.

Conclusion: The results of this study show that all these three treatment methods found to be effective on pain relief and disability in acute MPS. In terms of PPT, injection treatments seem to be superior than KT.

Objectives: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) has a wide spectrum of symptoms that includes all body parts. So FMS is a great imitator. This brings to mind the possibility that fibromyalgia patients visit outpatient clinics in many departments more than non-fibromyalgia patients. However, there is not enough data on this subject. This study aims to compare the number of outpatient visits of patients with FMS with those without a diagnosis of FMS and to examine their diagnoses.

Methods: The diagnoses of 140 patients (70 with fibromyalgia and 70 controls), and departments of the outpatient clinics they visited were analyzed retrospectively. In the control group, patients who visited the same outpatient clinic with the complaint of knee pain, but who did not have FMS and who had never been diagnosed with FMS before, were recruited as age- and gender-matched.

Results: The total number of outpatient clinic visits, as well as the number of visits to physical medicine and rehabilitation, obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, internal medicine, and psychiatry departments, were significantly higher in fibromyalgia group patients compared to the control group. In addition, the number of diagnoses in the 5th chapter (mental, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental disorders, F01-F99) of International Classification of Diseases-10 was significantly higher in the fibromyalgia group.

Conclusion: It should be kept in mind that patients with FMS visit more hospitals and outpatient clinics than other patients. Physicians and patients should be informed about this issue to reduce unnecessary health costs.

Diaphragmatic paralysis is one of the most important complications of upper extremity blocks and therefore limits the use of these blocks in patients with impaired respiratory functions. The appropriate block type should be selected by evaluating the location of the surgery and the risks of diaphragmatic paralysis of various blocks. In this case report, we aimed to evaluate the peripheral nerve blocks associated with diaphragmatic paralysis by presenting the anesthesia management of a patient with pneumonectomy planned for elbow arthroplasty due to elbow luxation.