Chronic pain is a debilitating condition that affects millions of patients worldwide, contributing to a high disease burden and millions of dollars in lost wages, missed workdays, and healthcare costs. Opioids, NSAIDs, acetaminophen, gabapentinoids, muscle relaxants, anticonvulsants, and antidepressants are the most used medications for chronic pain and carry significant side effects, including gastric bleeding, hepatotoxicity, stroke, kidney damage, constipation, dizziness, and arrhythmias. Opioids in particular carry the risk of long-term dependence, drug tolerance, and overdose.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLower back pain (LBP) is a widely prevalent global health issue, affecting over half a billion people and remaining the leading cause of years lived with disability (YLDs). LBP significantly impacts healthcare systems, with substantial costs related to surgical procedures and lost workdays. Vertebrogenic back pain (VBP), characterized by specific clinical symptoms and associated with Modic changes (MC) in vertebral endplates, best seen on MRI, is a significant subset of LBP.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Cervical epidural steroid injections (ESIs) can provide effective pain management for patients suffering from chronic neck pain due to various pathological changes of the cervical spine. There are several rare adverse effects reported from interventional pain procedures, including persistent hiccups ("singultus"). Based on a limited number of cases, we propose a modified treatment algorithm for this adverse outcome (Fig.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMore than 600 million people globally are estimated to be living with chronic pain. It is one of the most common complaints seen in an outpatient setting, with over half of patients complaining of pain during a visit. Failure to properly diagnose and manage chronic pain is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, especially when opioids are involved.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAgriculture is a main driver of land-cover change globally resulting in decreased biodiversity, increased carbon emissions, and land desertification. Environmental best management practices reduce risk to the environment caused by agricultural operations. However, the adoption of environmental best management practices by farmers often is lower than what would be possible.
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