Employer Perspective on Pain Fellowship Education: A Survey to Understand the Current State of Pain Medicine Training.

Background: Pain medicine care has expanded to encompass a wider range of conditions, necessitating updated education and training for pain specialists to utilize emerging technologies effectively. A national survey was conducted through several verified Pain organizations regarding pain physician employers' perspectives on pain medicine fellowship training and education. The survey aimed to gather insights from a diverse range of geographic locations, practice types (academic and private practice), and practice settings.

Ethical Considerations Regarding Psychedelics for Clinical Pain Research.

Psychedelics, substances with a long history of cultural and medicinal use, are experiencing a resurgence in clinical research, particularly in psychiatry. Despite their classification as Schedule I drugs, recent studies suggest therapeutic potential, particularly in treating refractory depression. With chronic pain representing a major health concern and with few non-opioid treatment options available, psychedelics are being explored as alternative treatment modalities.

Spinal Cord Stimulator Complication Rates: A Single-Institution, 22-Year Study (1999-2021).

Background: Since the initial introduction in 1967 of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in the field of neuromodulation, SCS has been utilized to treat a multitude of chronic pain disorders refractory to both conservative and surgical management. Although efficacious when indicated, SCS has associated risks.

Objectives: The goals of this study are to explore the trend of rates of SCS complications in 2 approximately equally sized cohorts (1999-2015 and 2016-2021) within a single institution over a 22-year period.

Two-Centre Retrospective Analysis on Selective Sensory Denervation of Shoulder Joint by Means of Cooled Radiofrequency in Chronic Shoulder Pain.

Purpose: Radiofrequency ablation has been used to treat chronic shoulder pain with mixed results. Thanks to recent anatomical studies, the precise location of articular branches of the suprascapular, lateropectoral and axillary nerves has been determined. Cooled radiofrequency is a neuroablative modality of treatment which has been demonstrated as efficient in different anatomical locations, and targeting the aforementioned nerves could result in a complete and efficient denervation of the shoulder.

Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines on Regenerative Medicine Treatment for Chronic Pain: A Consensus Report from a Multispecialty Working Group.

Purpose: Injectable biologics have not only been described and developed to treat dermal wounds, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, but have also been reported to treat chronic pain conditions. Despite emerging evidence supporting regenerative medicine therapy for pain, many aspects remain controversial.

Methods: The American Society of Pain and Neuroscience (ASPN) identified the educational need for an evidence-based guideline on regenerative medicine therapy for chronic pain.

Predicting the Collapse of Pain Medicine Using the Economic Recession of 2008 as a Comparator: Lessons Remain Unlearned.

The last decade has seen a boom in pain medicine, basic science and interventional pain management. Concomitantly, there is a need to educate trainees, young attendings, and seasoned attendings on these innovations. There has been a growth in the number of societies that represent pain medicine physicians, each with its own philosophy and guiding principles.

Four Decades of Occipital Nerve Stimulation for Headache Disorders: A Systematic Review.

Purpose Of Review: Chronic headaches are a significant source of disability worldwide. Despite the development of conventional strategies, a subset of patients remain refractory and/or experience side effects following these treatments. Hence, occipital nerve stimulation (ONS) should be considered as an alternative strategy for intractable chronic headaches.

Longitudinal Analysis of the Care Pathway of Patients with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis in the US.

Background: Evidence regarding the frequency and timing of treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) fails to offer clear consensus. We describe the LSS care journey from initial diagnosis to first surgical intervention.

Methods: Using Medicare claims database from 2009 through 2020, we identified patients who were diagnosed with LSS.

Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality in Headache Disorder Diagnosis, Classification, and Management.

Purpose Of Review: This review provides an overview of the current and future role of artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) in addressing the complexities inherent to the diagnosis, classification, and management of headache disorders.

Recent Findings: Through machine learning and natural language processing approaches, AI offers unprecedented opportunities to identify patterns within complex and voluminous datasets, including brain imaging data. This technology has demonstrated promise in optimizing diagnostic approaches to headache disorders and automating their classification, an attribute particularly beneficial for non-specialist providers.

The Ethical Stewardship of Artificial Intelligence in Chronic Pain and Headache: A Narrative Review.

Purpose Of Review: As artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are becoming more pervasive in medicine, understanding their ethical considerations for chronic pain and headache management is crucial for optimizing their safety.

Recent Findings: We reviewed thirty-eight editorial and original research articles published between 2018 and 2023, focusing on the application of AI and ML to chronic pain or headache. The core medical principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice constituted the evaluation framework.

Virtual Reality in Acute and Chronic Pain Medicine: An Updated Review.

Purpose Of Review: This review critically analyzes the recent literature on virtual reality's (VR) use in acute and chronic pain management, offering insights into its efficacy, applications, and limitations.

Recent Findings: Recent studies, including meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials, have demonstrated VR's effectiveness in reducing pain intensity in various acute pain scenarios, such as procedural/acute pain and in chronic pain conditions. The role of factors such as immersion and presence in enhancing VR's efficacy has been emphasized.