Publications by authors named "Charlene Malarick"
Background: We examined whether the effect of true electroacupuncture on pain and functionality in chronic pain participants can be differentiated from that of medication (gabapentin) by analyzing quantitative sensory testing (QST).
Methods: We recruited chronic back and neck pain participants who received six sessions (twice weekly) of true electroacupuncture versus sham electroacupuncture or 3 weeks of gabapentin versus placebo treatment. QST profiles, pain scores, and functionality profile were obtained at baseline (visit 1) and after three sessions (visit 4) or six sessions (visit 7) of acupuncture or 3 weeks of gabapentin or placebo.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how chronic opioid use affects sensory perception changes following ketamine infusions in patients with chronic noncancer pain.
- Results show that ketamine infusions lead to different sensations, with opioid users experiencing less change compared to those not using opioids, indicating that chronic opioid use alters the effects of ketamine.
- This research highlights the potential benefits of using low-dose ketamine for both diagnosing and treating neuropathic pain in individuals with a history of opioid use.
Article Synopsis
- The study analyzed the effects of adjusting opioid doses on pain relief in chronic pain patients, using data from 109 subjects over 7 years.
- Neither increasing nor decreasing opioid doses showed significant changes in clinical pain scores, regardless of the type of chronic pain or the patient's age and gender.
- The findings suggest that dose adjustments may not improve long-term pain outcomes, highlighting the need for more individualized approaches to opioid therapy in managing chronic pain.
Article Synopsis
- The study explores physicians' perspectives and practices regarding opioid therapy for chronic pain, highlighting a lack of consensus on key issues.
- The survey, conducted in 2007-2008, gathered data from U.S. physicians on various aspects of opioid use, including effectiveness, patient factors, and clinical guidelines.
- Results indicate that while opioids are crucial for pain management, improving physician education and collaboration with specialists could enhance treatment outcomes, despite a low response rate of 18.2%.
Objectives: To collect information on the role of acupuncture in pain management from pain physicians and referral physicians who manage clinical pain conditions.
Methods: The survey was conducted between 2007 and 2008 through nationwide direct mail or e-mail to 1083 physicians who are currently practicing in the United States. We divided our 16 survey questions into five categories: 1) physician's attitude toward acupuncture as a modality of pain management; 2) physician's preference or belief with regard to the type of pain condition suitable for acupuncture referrals; 3) timing for making acupuncture referrals (e.
Preclinical studies have suggested that opioid exposure may induce a paradoxical decrease in the nociceptive threshold, commonly referred as opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH). While OIH may have implications in acute and chronic pain management, its clinical features remain unclear. Using an office-based quantitative sensory testing (QST) method, we compared pain threshold, pain tolerance, and the degree of temporal summation of the second pain in response to thermal stimulation among three groups of subjects: those with neither pain nor opioid therapy (group 1), with chronic pain but without opioid therapy (group 2), and with both chronic pain and opioid therapy (group 3).
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