Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Facet Mediated Low Back Pain: A Comprehensive Review.

Background: Facet-mediated pain is a major cause of low back pain and as a result, is a significant cause of morbidity, including disability and reduced functionality. Setting: The present investigation involved a PubMed literature review between June 1, and 2021-January 1, 2022. Methods: We systematically reviewed was carried Pubmed using the search terms "platelet-rich plasma", "inflammatory mediators", "facet arthropathy", "axial back pain", and "leukoreduction". Data extraction and quality assessment were performed by 3 independent reviewers. Out of the studies analyzed 2 were retrospective, while 1 was a prospective study. Results: PRP injections for facet mediated or modulated pain are an alternative to conventional pharmacotherapies and interventional injections/radiofrequency. There are limited numbers of studies in world literature at present. Limitations: Small number of articles in the world literature and small numbers of patients in those published studies. Conclusions: At present, there are limited studies in the literature; however, larger well-designed studies are warranted to precisely understand efficacy, potential side effects and best practice techniques for PRP injections for facet mediated or modulated pain.

A Comprehensive Review of the Use of Alpha 2 Agonists in Spinal Anesthetics.

BACKGROUND: Spinal Anesthesia was the first regional anesthetic technique to be performed. It was performed by Dr. August Bier, known for the Bier block, and his colleagues on August 16, 1898. Dr. Bier opted for, what he referred to at the time as "cocainization of the spinal cord" by introducing 15 mg of cocaine intrathecally prior to the operation. The surgery was largely uneventful and painless. The patient only experienced some vomiting and a headache postoperatively. Dr. Bier's use of neuraxial anesthesia aimed to directly inject local anesthetics in and around the central nervous system (CNS) for more direct control of pain and anesthesia. Local anesthetics were an important discovery in anesthesiology. However, since the advent of local anesthetics and spinal anesthesia as an alternative technique to general anesthesia, much has been learned about both the benefits and adverse effects of local anesthetics. It was quickly learned that use of local anesthetics would be limited by their potential for life-threatening toxic effects. For this reason, there was a push towards development of novel local anesthetics that had a larger therapeutic window with less likelihood of serious side effects. In addition to developing newer local anesthetics, the idea of adding adjuvants provided an opportunity to potentially limit the life-threatening events. These adjuvants would include medications such as epinephrine and alpha-2 agonists, such as clonidine and dexmedetomidine. Other adjuvants include opioids, glucocorticoids, and mineralocorticoids. OBJECTIVES: In this review, we will delve further into the indications, contraindications, uses, mechanisms, and future of spinal anesthesia and its adjuvants. STUDY DESIGN: A literature review of recent publications in the field of alpha 2 agonists used in spinal anesthetics was carried out from 2015 to present day. Consensus opinions were formulated in various areas. SETTING: This literature review was carried out at various medical universities throughout the nation and Europe. LIMITATIONS: As research has only just begun in this field data is limited at this time. CONCLUSIONS: The use of spinal anesthesia provides a reliable dermatome blockade to facilitate many different surgical procedures. The combination of local anesthetics with opioid medications within the subarachnoid space has been the standard of care. Adjuvant medications like alpha 2 agonists may play a significant role in prolonging spinal blockade as well as limiting cardiovascular complications such as hypotension and bradycardia. The use of alpha 2 agonists instead of opioid medications intrathecally decreases pruritus and delayed respiratory depression. Animal models have demonstrated the synergistic effects of utilizing alpha 2 agonists with opioids in the subarachnoid space. The addition of clonidine to fentanyl and local anesthetic demonstrated a shorter time to neural blockade, but no significant change in duration of the spinal. Interestingly alpha 2 agonists with local anesthetics showed increase block duration compared to opioid with local anesthetics. Further human trials need to be undertaken to analyze the effectiveness of alpha 2 agonists in the intrathecal space, but preliminary data does indicate it is an exemplary alternative to opioids.

A Review of Sublingual Sufentanil Tablet (SST) and its Utility as an Analgesic Agent for Pain Procedures.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Sedation for pain medicine procedures provides a unique challenge for proceduralists. Many patients dealing with pain are on chronic opioids and require higher doses of sedation for adequate procedural comfort. Chronic pain patients have various comorbidities including depression, neuropsychiatric disorders, peripheral vascular disease, and renal impairment, among others [1]. These confounding variables make the overall treatment of their pain condition much more challenging. RECENT FINDINGS: For patients requiring intravenous (IV) sedation for their pain procedures, the constant need for access may render them a "difficult stick" over time. Another factor to consider is the increasing requirements by the hospital system needing IV sedatives and analgesics in the intensive care unit and operating rooms during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Sublingual sufentanil (SST) provides an excellent analgesic option for patients undergoing interventional pain procedures. The use of SST allows hospitals to preserve IV agents for more critical areas and mitigates the difficulty of obtaining IV access in patients.

Congenital Fusion of Lumbar Vertebrae Leading to Chronic Low Back Pain.

Low back pain is a common ailment in the general patient population. The etiology of a patient's pain profile is multifaceted. Age-related changes to the vertebral column and Modic changes are among the most common culprits for a patient's pain. We present the interesting case of chronic low back pain in a patient who developed a congenital fusion of his lumbar vertebrae.

Inferior Hypogastric Block for the Treatment of Chronic Pelvic Pain.

CONTEXT: Pelvic pain is described as pain originating from the visceral or somatic system localizing to the pelvis, the anterior abdominal wall at the level of or below the umbilicus, lumbosacral back in either men or women. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Narrative review. RESULTS: Chronic pelvic pain can be a complex disorder that may involve multiple systems such as urogynecological, gastrointestinal, neuromusculoskeletal, and psychosocial systems. The etiopathogenesis for chronic pain remains unknown for many patients. For achieving optimal patient management, a multimodal and individualized assessment of each patient is the best strategy. CONCLUSIONS: There are non-pharmacologic treatments as well as pharmacologic treatments. In addition to these treatment options, inferior hypogastric plexus block is a promising treatment modality.

Successful Reimplantation of Spinal Cord Stimulator One Year after Device Removal Due to Infection.

Spinal cord stimulation is an effective treatment modality for patients with numerous pain conditions. Although proven to be highly successful, device implantation does come with some inherent risks. One of the most challenging complications is perioperative infection. For most patients, a simple trial of oral antibiotics and in-office drainage of any superficial infectious material may be sufficient. Deeper infections with wound dehiscence necessitate device removal and intravenous antibiotic therapy. The question remains, if the device was previously providing pain relief for the patient, when is the appropriate time to reimplant the device after the infection has cleared? We describe the case of explantation of an infected device and successful reimplantation after 1 year.

A Comprehensive Update of the Superior Hypogastric Block for the Management of Chronic Pelvic Pain.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This is a comprehensive review of the superior hypogastric block for the management of chronic pelvic pain. It reviews the background, including etiology, epidemiology, and current treatment available for chronic pelvic pain. It then presents the superior hypogastric block and reviews the seminal and most recent evidence about its use in chronic pelvic pain. RECENT FINDINGS: Several definitions exist for chronic pelvic pain (CPP), making the diagnosis more challenging for the clinician; however, they commonly describe continuous pain lasting 6 months in the pelvis, with an overwhelming majority of patients being reproductive-aged women. This pain is often one of mechanical, inflammatory, or neuropathic. It is generally underdiagnosed and affects anywhere between 5 and 26% of women. The diagnosis of chronic pelvic pain is clinical, consisting of mainly of a thorough history and physical and ruling out other causes. The pathophysiology is often endometriosis (70%) and also includes PID, adhesions, adenomyosis, uterine fibroids, chronic processes of the GI and urinary tracts, as well as pelvic-intrinsic musculoskeletal causes. Treatment includes physical therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and oral and parenteral opioids. Interventional techniques provide an added tier of treatment and may help to reduce the requirement for chronic opioid use. Superior hypogastric plexus block is one of the available interventional techniques; first described in 1990, it has been shown to provide long-lasting relief in 50-70% of patients who underwent the procedure. Two approaches described so far, both under fluoroscopy, have seen similar results. More recently, ultrasound and CT-guided procedures have also been described with similar success. The injectate includes local anesthetic, steroids, and neurolytic agents such as phenol or ethanol. CPP is a common debilitating condition. It is diagnosed clinically and is underdiagnosed globally. Current treatments can be helpful at times but may fall short of satisfactory pain relief. Interventional techniques provide an added layer of treatment as well as reduce the requirement for opioids. Superior hypogastric plexus block provides long-lasting relief in many patients, regardless of approach. Evidence level is limited, and further RCTs could help provide better tools for evaluation and patient selection.

A Comprehensive Review and Update of Post-surgical Cutaneous Nerve Entrapment.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This is a comprehensive review of the literature regarding post-surgical cutaneous nerve entrapment, epidemiology, pathophysiology, and clinical presentation. It focuses mainly on nerve entrapment leading to chronic pain and the available therapies. RECENT FINDINGS: Cutaneous nerve entrapment is not an uncommon result (up to 30% of patients) of surgery and could lead to significant, difficult to treat chronic pain. Untreated, entrapment can lead to neuropathy and damage to enervated structures and musculature, and significant morbidity and financial loss. Nerve entrapment is defined as pressure neuropathy from chronic compression. It causes changes to all layers of the nerve tissue. It is most significantly associated with hernia repair and other procedures employing a Pfannenstiel incision. The initial insult is usually incising of the nerve, followed by formation of a neuroma, incorporation of the nerve during closing, or constriction from adhesions. The three most commonly involved nerves are the iliohypogastric, ilioinguinal, and genitofemoral nerves. Cutaneous abdominal nerve entrapment could occur during thoracoabdominal surgery. The presentation of nerve entrapment usually involved post-surgical pain in the territory innervated by the trapped nerve, possibly with radiation that tracks the nerve course. Once a suspected neuropathy is identified, it can be diagnosed with relief in pain after a nerve block has been instilled. Treatment is usually started with pharmaceutical solutions, topical first and oral if those fail. Most patients require escalation to a second line of treatment and see good result with injection therapy. Those that require further escalation can choose between ablation and surgical therapies. Post-surgical nerve entrapment is not uncommon and causes serious morbidity and financial loss. It is underdiagnosed and thus undertreated. Preventing nerve entrapment is the best treatment; when it does occur, options include topical and oral analgesics, nerve blocks, ablation therapy, and repeat surgery.

A Comprehensive Review of Alternative Therapies for the Management of Chronic Pain Patients: Acupuncture, Tai Chi, Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, and Chiropractic Care.

INTRODUCTION: Non-pharmacologic alternative therapies for pain have been around for a long time, some for hundreds of years. They have been used throughout history to treat many issues. RECENT FINDINGS: Currently, alternative medicine is most frequently used to treat musculoskeletal pain, and between 59 and 90% of patients utilizing alternative therapies for chronic pain claimed they were helpful and can serve as an effective adjunctive for the treatment of chronic pain. Some examples of alternative therapies that will be discussed in this review include acupuncture, tai chi, osteopathic manipulation, and chiropractic care. Acupuncture, traditionally a Chinese practice, is becoming more popular across the world to attempt to relieve pain. It involves the placement of thin needles at various points in the body. The efficacy of acupuncture for pain is heavily debated. More research and discussion are necessary to determine the exact role it plays in the treatment of chronic pain. Tai chi is also a traditional Chinese practice that is often used as a form of meditation and for potential health benefits. Tai chi involves a series of complex movements such as squatting combined with deep breathing to achieve relaxation and pain reduction. Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is a technique used by both osteopathic physicians (DO) as well as other health professionals to manage a wide range of conditions in any given patient. The technique involves utilization and manipulation of the musculoskeletal system to achieve potential health benefits. OMT has been used as therapy for many issues but is commonly used for pain conditions. Alternative therapies may serve as an effective adjunctive treatment modality for the management of chronic pain conditions. There has been a tremendous amount of research dictating the effectiveness of alternative therapies for chronic pain management. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive evidence-based update of alternative therapy used for the management of chronic pain conditions.

Readability of Online Patient Education Materials for Interventional Pain Procedures.

Background The internet has had an enormous influence on the field of medicine. In this regard, Statista, a market and consumer data company, estimated in 2019 that more than half the world's population (>four billion people) were active internet users. Accessing the World Wide Web has become the second nature for most. In the medical field, many patients look to the internet for information regarding certain procedures. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to assess the readability level of more than 492 online sources with information on a wide array of interventional pain procedures. Objective The aim is to determine the readability of online patient educational materials for interventional pain procedures. Study design This is a retrospective review. Methods We downloaded and reformatted to plain text 492 internet-based patient educational materials for 17 different interventional pain procedures. Plain text was processed using Readability Studio (Oleander Software Ltd., Vandalia, Ohio, USA), which employs 10 quantitative readability scales that are widely used and accepted in the medical literature. Results The software determined the average reading level (or grade level) of the 492 online sources we examined to be 12.1, with a range of 10.9 to 13. Limitations Google is not the only online search engine patients utilize for information, and the top links for each search could change over time. Also, some patients prefer videos rather than text to learn about their disease and treatment options. Finally, depending on their provider, the links that patients are directed to may be significantly more or less readable. Conclusions The average American adult reads at the eighth grade level. The National Institutes of Health and the American Medical Association have recommended education materials be made available at the third to seventh grade level. Our analysis shows patient educational materials found online for interventional pain procedures to be overly technical, with an average reading level (or grade level) of 12.1.

Use of Erector Spinae Plane Block for Perioperative Pain Control in a Patient Undergoing Spinal Surgery.

Regional anesthetic techniques have become a vital part of the perioperative pain control process. The opioid crisis remains a major obstacle in the medical field today and many practitioners have looked upon regional nerve blocks to decrease opioid usage. The erector spinae plane block (ESPB) has gained prominence as a viable option for perioperative pain control for numerous procedures. Spinal surgery, although mostly utilized to relieve back pain, can be extremely painful for the patient perioperatively. To mitigate pain, many practitioners have turned to oral analgesics as regional techniques have not been typically employed. Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) surgeries in particular have been implicated as exquisitely painful and may predispose patients to sustained opioid use postoperatively. Many of these patients are on chronic opioid therapy and they have developed the syndrome of opioid abuse hyperalgesia; therefore, decreasing the need for opioids postoperatively is of utmost importance. We present the case of a successful ESPB performed prior to emergence for a patient undergoing ACDF to limit opioid consumption. Informed consent was provided by the patient for this case report.

Descriptive Analysis of Federal and State Interventional Pain Malpractice Litigation in the United States: A Pilot Investigation.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine and appreciate characteristics of malpractice lawsuits brought against interventional pain specialists. OBJECTIVES: To examine and appreciate characteristics of malpractice lawsuits brought against interventional pain specialists. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review. SETTING: Jury verdicts and settlement reports of state and federal malpractice cases involving interventional pain practitioners from January 1, 1988, to January 1, 2018 were gathered from the Westlaw online legal database. METHODS: Jury verdicts and settlement reports of state and federal malpractice cases involving interventional pain practitioners from January 1, 1988, to January 1, 2018 were gathered from the Westlaw online legal database. Data collected for each case included year, state, patient age, patient gender, defendant specialty, legal outcome, award amount, alleged cause of malpractice, and factors in plaintiff's decision to file. After elimination of duplicates and applying inclusion/exclusion criteria to our initial search yielding over 1,500 cases, a total of 82 cases were included in this study. RESULTS: A total of 57.3% of cases resulted in a jury verdict in favor of the defendant, whereas 41.5% favored the plaintiff. When comparing cases that were performed in the operating room to cases performed outside the operating room, we found the jury verdicts to favor the plaintiff 83.3% of the time for operating room procedures (P = 0.003). In other words, interventional pain practitioners were more likely to be found at fault for complications from procedures performed in the operating room. To eliminate confounders, a logistical regression was performed and confirmed operating room procedures were an independent predictor of a verdict awarded to the plaintiff (P = 0.008). The median amount awarded to the plaintiff for all cases was $333,000, and the single highest award amount was $36,636,288. The median payout for operating room procedures was $450,000 (P = 0.010), which was significantly different from the median payout for nonoperating room procedures. Procedure categorization demonstrated a statistically significant difference in jury verdicts (P = 0.01411) and procedural error was the leading reason for pursuing litigation, followed by lack of informed consent and unnecessary procedure performed. LIMITATIONS: There is more than one database that captures medicolegal claims brought against practitioners. Westlaw, which has been previously utilized by other studies, is only one of them and the extent to which overlap exists in unclear. For each, data input are not necessarily consistent and data capture are not complete. As a result, there could exist a skew toward more severe complications and the details of individual cases likely vary. During data extraction, we found that all details of the procedure were not always included. For example, not all cases specified the type of injectate utilized for epidural injection (i.e., local anesthetic, steroid, mixture, and others) or route of injection (i.e., transforaminal vs. interlaminar). Moreover, as previously mentioned, cases that are settled out of court or finalized prior to trial are not necessarily reported by the Westlaw database, and therefore were not always included in our data search. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, interventional pain medicine physicians were favored by jury verdicts for malpractice claims. However, when filtering by procedure or setting, jury verdicts favored the plaintiff in some cases. KEY WORDS: Interventional pain, medical, malpractice, anesthesiology.

A Review of the Recent Findings in Minimally Invasive Treatment Options for the Management of Occipital Neuralgia.

Occipital neuralgia (ON) is unilateral or bilateral neuralgia in the dermatomal nerve distribution of the greater, lesser or third occipital nerves and is a very common presentation of neuropathic pain. ON, although common and well defined, is still a poorly understood pain syndrome. It often requires invasive treatment for long term and significant pain alleviation; however, the evidence supporting different options is still limited. Several minimally invasive techniques have proven to be efficacious and safe, and the selection depends mostly on response to nerve blocks, patient choice and provider preference. This is a comprehensive review of the latest and seminal literature available about occipital neuralgia and currently available minimally invasive treatment options. It covers the anatomical and physiologic biology at the base of neuralgia, the presentation and diagnostic process. It then reviews the available literature to provide description and comparison of the available methods for alleviation.