The Telemedicine Musculoskeletal Examination.

Telemedicine uses modern telecommunication technology to exchange medical information and provide clinical care to individuals at a distance. Initially intended to improve health care for patients in remote settings, telemedicine now has a broad clinical scope with the general purpose of providing convenient, safe, and time- and cost-efficient care. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has created marked nationwide changes in health care access and delivery.

Efficacy of intervertebral disc regeneration with stem cells - a systematic review and meta-analysis of animal controlled trials.

Management of intervertebral disc (IVD) degenerative disease is challenging, as it is accompanied by irreversible loss of IVD cells. Stem cell transplantation to the disc has shown promise in decelerating or arresting the degenerative process. Multiple pre-clinical animal trials have been conducted, but with conflicting outcomes.

Pilot evaluation of Scrambler therapy for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

Purpose: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), a common side effect of chemotherapy, needs better effective treatments. Preliminary data support the use of Scrambler therapy, a device which treats pain via noninvasive cutaneous electrostimulation, for the treatment of CIPN. The current manuscript reports data from a pilot trial, performed to investigate the effect of Scrambler therapy for the treatment of established CIPN.

The effectiveness of repeat lumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injections.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine 1) if repeat lumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injections (TFESIs) resulted in recovery of pain relief, which has waned since an index injection, and 2) if cumulative benefit could be achieved by repeat injections within 3 months of the index injection.

Design: Retrospective observational study with statistical modeling of the response to repeat TFESI.

Setting: Academic radiology practice.

Clinical effectiveness of single lumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injections.

Objectives: To assess the clinical effectiveness of single lumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injections (TFESIs) in subjects with radicular pain with or without radiculopathy.

Design: Retrospective observational series.

Setting: Single academic radiology pain management practice.

An audit of transforaminal epidural steroid injections without sedation: low patient dissatisfaction and low vasovagal rates.

Objective: To assess frequency of sedation in transforaminal epidural steroid injections (TFESI) and to analyze patient dissatisfaction and vasovagal rates.

Design: Retrospective audit over a 6-year period, January 1, 2006-December 31, 2011.

Setting: Single academic center radiology pain management practice.

Anxiety levels, fear-avoidance beliefs, and disability levels at baseline and at 1 year among subjects with acute and chronic low back pain.

Objective: To compare anxiety levels, fear-avoidance beliefs, and disability levels over 1 year for patients with acute (< or =3 months) and chronic (>3 months) low back pain (LBP).

Design: Prospective study with questionnaire measurements.

Setting: Tertiary care clinic.

Is a videotape to change beliefs and behaviors superior to a standard videotape in acute low back pain? A randomized controlled trial.

Background Context: Cognitive behavioral therapy has been used successfully in acute low back pain (LBP) treatment, but the use of a cognitive behavioral videotape as an adjunct to treatment has not been studied.

Purpose: To determine outcomes for patients with acute LBP receiving a videotape designed to change beliefs and behaviors compared with a standard instructional videotape.

Study Design/setting: Randomized controlled trial; multidisciplinary clinic in an academic setting.

Epidemiology of occupational low back pain.

There have been significant advances in our understanding of occupational low back pain over the last decade largely because of a noteworthy improvement in the number and quality of prospective trials. More recent work confirms that genetic factors may drive a large portion of thr risk factors. The importance of physical fitness and spine support muscle fitness is believed to protect against future occurrences.

Are tender points associated with cervical radiculopathy?

Objective: To determine if there is an association between cervical radiculopathy and tender spots in the neck and upper extremity on the side of radiculopathy.

Design: Prospective cross-sectional study.

Setting: Outpatient spine clinic within an academic institution.

Rarer causes of radiculopathy: spinal tumors, infections, and other unusual causes.

For the physiatrist practicing musculoskeletal medicine, patients with radiculopathy are a challenging and rewarding population for whom to provide care. Despite the rarity of diseases discussed in this article, at some time in his or her career every musculoskeletal physiatrist will see patients with these diagnoses as the cause of radiculopathy or back pain. A high index of suspicion is necessary to identify these rare disease processes accurately and promptly.