Mandatory Review of Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Before Issuance of a Controlled Substance Results in Overall Reduction of Prescriptions Including Opioids and Benzodiazepines.

Background: To date, there is limited research on whether the various types of mandatory usage of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP) have any effects on prescribing patterns, drug usage, patient care, and drug diversion (8-10). Within the United States (US), there is wide variation in individual states' requirements for the usage of PDMPs.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine whether mandatory prescriber review of a PDMP prior to each issuance of a controlled substance resulted in a reduction in the total number of controlled substance prescriptions dispensed.

Emergence From the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Care of Chronic Pain: Guidance for the Interventionalist.

Background: The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to a significant disruption in the care of pain from chronic and subacute conditions. The impact of this cessation of pain treatment may have unintended consequences of increased pain, reduced function, increased reliance on opioid medications, and potential increased morbidity, due to the systemic impact of untreated disease burden. This may include decreased mobility, reduction in overall health status, and increase of opioid use with the associated risks.

Anesthetic Considerations and Perioperative Management of Sacral Neuromodulators: Literature Review and Initial Recommendations.

Objective: Sacral neuromodulation (SNM) is gaining increased integration in the realm of medicine. With increasing use, anesthetic and periprocedural considerations must be understood. The goal of this article is to review and consolidate available literature on device management in these settings.

The ALblation Technique for Treating Migraine Headache.

Purpose: This work aims at describing a technique "The ALblation technique" for treating migraine headache. This technique describes radiofrequency ablation for supraorbital, supratrochlear, lesser occipital and greater occipital nerves bilaterally for treating migraine headache. This is a novel procedure that was not described before.

Patient Satisfaction Following Intrathecal Targeted Drug Delivery for Benign Chronic Pain: Results of a Single-Center Survey Study.

Objectives: Targeted Drug Delivery (TDD) is commonly used for the management of patients with intractable pain. Past studies have proven efficacy in pain relief and reduction in opioid use and cost-effectiveness in long-term pain management. There are few studies investigating satisfaction among patients with implanted pain pumps that are managed with targeted intrathecal medications.

Improving care of chronic pain patients with spinal cord stimulator therapy amidst the opioid epidemic.

The US government and other key stakeholders including professional medical bodies have amended recommendations in recent years to emphasize using no opioids or the lowest effective dose of opioids needed for treatment of chronic pain. However, there remains an unmet need for pain treatments that can both relieve the pain of patients and reduce the doses of opioids they require. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is currently considering such treatments through the SUPPORT ACT and has recently conferred with the Health and Human Services (HHS) Inter-agency Pain Management Task Force to consider such therapies.

A review of the bioelectronic implications of stimulation of the peripheral nervous system for chronic pain conditions.

Background: Peripheral Nerve Stimulation has been used to treat human disease including pain for several decades. Innovation has made it a more viable option for treatment of common chronic pain processes, and interest in the therapy is increasing.

Main Body: While clinical data is forthcoming, understanding factors that influence successful outcomes in the use of PNS still needs to be delineated.

Is a One Prognostic Block Sufficient to Proceed with Radiofrequency Ablation? A Single Center Experience.

Purpose Of Review: We performed this study and associated review to examine whether a one prognostic block is sufficient to proceed with radiofrequency ablation.

Recent Findings: To perform one or two prognostic blocks before performing radiofrequency ablation is a very controversial issue. The practice is inconsistent and insurance companies even do not follow same regulations.

Development of an Educational Curriculum for Spinal Cord Stimulation.

Background: Spinal cord stimulators (SCSs) are used for treating chronic pain. The number of SCSs implanted each year is on the increase. The North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) education committee aimed to develop a SCS curriculum as a tool to guide physicians at different training levels, based on the most recent evidence.

Correction to: Injection Techniques for Common Chronic Pain Conditions of the Hand: A Comprehensive Review.

The mid initial of one of the authors.

Bone Marrow Concentrate (BMC) Therapy in Musculoskeletal Disorders: Evidence-Based Policy Position Statement of American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP).

Background: The use of bone marrow concentrate (BMC) for treatment of musculoskeletal disorders has become increasingly popular over the last several years, as technology has improved along with the need for better solutions for these pathologies. The use of cellular tissue raises a number of issues regarding the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) regulation in classifying these treatments as a drug versus just autologous tissue transplantation. In the case of BMC in musculoskeletal and spine care, this determination will likely hinge on whether BMC is homologous to the musculoskeletal system and spine.

Radiofrequency Ablation for Treating Headache: a Follow-up Study.

Purpose Of Review: To identify the efficacy of radiofrequency ablation of pericranial nerves in treating headache.

Recent Findings: Recent studies by the same group showed promising results in treating headache using radiofrequency ablation. Pericranial nerves can be a therapeutic target for treating headache.

Current Perspectives on Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis and Depression.

The human gut microbiome partakes in a bidirectional communication pathway with the central nervous system (CNS), named the microbiota-gut-brain axis. The microbiota-gut-brain axis is believed to modulate various central processes through the vagus nerve as well as production of microbial metabolites and immune mediators which trigger changes in neurotransmission, neuroinflammation, and behavior. Little is understood about the utilization of microbiome manipulation to treat disease.

Wireless Peripheral Nerve Stimulation for Treatment of Peripheral Neuralgias.

Background: Peripheral neuralgia is a common cause of chronic pain. Treatment might be challenging, and the condition can be resistant to commonly used treatment modalities for chronic pain. We present five cases of peripheral neuralgia who were successfully treated using wireless peripheral nerve stimulation.

Injection Techniques for Common Chronic Pain Conditions of the Foot: A Comprehensive Review.

Purpose Of Review: This is a comprehensive literature review of the available evidence and techniques of foot injections for chronic pain conditions. It briefly describes common foot chronic pain syndromes and then reviews available injection techniques for each of these syndromes, weighing the available evidence and comparing the available approaches.

Recent Findings: Foot and ankle pain affects 20% of the population over 50 and significantly impairs mobility and ability to participate in activities of daily living (ADLs), as well as increases fall risk.

Injection Techniques for Common Chronic Pain Conditions of the Hand: A Comprehensive Review.

Introduction: This compilation presents a comprehensive review of the literature on common chronic pain conditions of the hand. It briefly presents these common conditions with their biological background, diagnosis, and common management options. It then presents and compares the latest literature available for injection techniques to treat these diagnoses and compares the available evidence.

Lateral Femoral Cutaneous Nerve Radiofrequency Ablation for Long-term Control of Refractory Meralgia Paresthetica.

Background: Meralgia paresthetica is a term used to describe a clinical pain syndrome related to the compression or irritation of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN). The LFCN is a pure sensory nerve that is susceptible to compression injury. The most common compression locations are: as it courses from the lumbosacral plexus, through the abdominal cavity, under the inguinal ligament, and into the subcutaneous tissue of the thigh.

The Effect of Preoperative Opioid Dosage on Postoperative Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Knee Surgery.

Background: Opioid prescription before knee replacement surgery is associated with longer hospital stays, more postsurgical pain, and a higher rate of complications. Despite the growing evidence against opioids, they remain popular preoperative pain management prescriptions.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of dosage of preoperative opioid use on orthopedic knee surgery pain control and postoperative outcomes and complications.

Prescription Drugs and the US Workforce: Results from a National Safety Council Survey.

Background: The cost of chronic pain in the United States is extremely high. Opioids are one of the most common medications prescribed for the treatment of chronic pain, and their misuse and addiction have been of concern. It has been found that opioids are frequently abused and negatively impact the American workforce.

Treatment of Discogenic Low Back Pain: Current Treatment Strategies and Future Options-a Literature Review.

Purpose Of Review: Many studies have demonstrated that discogenic low back pain is the most common type of chronic low back pain (CLBP), one of the major causes of disability, and has a major socioeconomic impact. Our aim is to review present therapeutic interventions for discogenic low back pain.

Recent Findings: There are a multitude of treatments used in clinical practice to treat CLBP, but there is continued debate and lack of consensus among clinicians and the policy makers as to which modality is the best approach.

Exploration of Gender-Specific Authorship Disparities in the Pain Medicine Literature.

Background: Given the readily increasing membership of the pain physician community, efforts toward correcting notable gender disparities are instrumental. The under-representation of women is particularly prevalent within leadership roles in academic medicine, thought to be driven largely by diminished research efforts. Consequently, we aimed to characterize gender differences among the highest impact pain literature.