A brief review of complex regional pain syndrome and current management.

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a debilitating chronic pain condition that, although exceedingly rare, carries a significant burden for the affected patient population. The complex and ambiguous pathophysiology of this condition further complicates clinical management and therapeutic interventions. Furthermore, being a diagnosis of exclusion requires a diligent workup to ensure an accurate diagnosis and subsequent targeted management.

Peripheral Nerve Stimulation for the Treatment of Superior Cluneal Neuralgia: A Cadaver Demonstration of a Novel Technique for Lead Placement.

Superior cluneal neuralgia (SCN) is a distinct cause of lower back and/or leg pain related to pathology of the superior cluneal nerve. When assessing a patient with low back pain (LBP), superior cluneal neuralgia is frequently misdiagnosed. The pathophysiology of SCN ranges from myofascial compression brought on by aberrant muscle tone to direct iatrogenic injury or trauma.

Spinal Cord Stimulation Efficacy and Erroneous Conclusions of the Cochrane Library Review of Spinal Cord Stimulation for Low Back Pain by Traeger et al.

Neuromodulation, through the use of spinal cord stimulation, is an evolving therapeutic alternative for the management of chronic and refractory pain [...

Reduced Pain and Improved Function Following Short-Term Use of Noninvasive BioWave High Frequency Peripheral Nerve Stimulation for Pain Management.

Introduction: The peripheral nervous system is an increasingly popular target for chronic pain treatment modalities. Noninvasive neuromodulation has shown promise at providing significant chronic pain relief with a much safer side effect profile. This retrospective pilot study is shaped around a noninvasive neuromodulation system over a 2-week treatment timeline.

Chronic low back pain and cognitive function.

Chronic low back pain can impact cognitive function. Patient can have decreased problem-solving abilities, decreased speed of information processing, and delayed memory in addition to the development of different psychological conditions. Treating chronic pain effectively can potentially reduce those negative effects and potentially improve patients' cognitive function.

Fibromyalgia Pathophysiology.

This article examines the biological, genetic, and environmental aspects of fibromyalgia that may have an impact on its pathogenesis. Symptoms of fibromyalgia may be related to aberrations in the endogenous inhibition of pain as well as changes in the central processing of sensory input. Genetic research has revealed familial aggregation of fibromyalgia and other related disorders like major depressive disorder.

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.

Temperature effects on the activity, shape, and storage of platelets from 13-lined ground squirrels.

The objective of this study is to determine how a hibernating mammal avoids the formation of blood clots under periods of low blood flow. A microfluidic vascular injury model was performed to differentiate the effects of temperature and shear rate on platelet adhesion to collagen. Human and ground squirrel whole blood was incubated at 15 or 37 °C and then passed through a microfluidic chamber over a 250-µm strip of type I fibrillar collagen at that temperature and the shear rates of 50 or 300 s to simulate torpid and aroused conditions, respectively.