Case Reports On The Multimodal Management of Refractory Chronic Oncological Pain of The Chest Wall: The Use of The Spinal Erector Plane Neurolysis

Chronic pain of oncological origin is one of the most frequent complications and is difficult to control, that results in a decrease in the quality of life and disability among patients suffering from this pathology. Primary or metastatic tumors originating from lung, colonic, or breast neoplasms can invade the chest wall, causing progressive respiratory pain and symptoms that require multiple interventions to achieve adequate control. Many of these cases presenting with advanced-stage cancer are often incurable; thus, pain management and palliative care are primary objectives. Multimodal management is the strategy of choice in these cases through the participation of a multidisciplinary team. Analgesic therapy covers the use of potent opioids, opioid rotation, adjuvant analgesics, and interventional pain management strategies. We report two cases of chronic oncological pain of the chest wall refractory to pharmacological analgesic management. The optimization of multimodal management and the performance of neurolysis by phenolization of the erector spinae plane achieved an adequate response.

Understanding the role of patient preference in the treatment algorithm for chronic low back pain: results from a survey-based study

Aims: Interventional pain treatments range from injections to established radiofrequency ablation techniques and finally neuromodulation. In addition to safety, efficacy and cost dominance, patient preference for type of treatment is important. Methods: Chronic pain patients (n = 129) completed a preference scale to determine which interventional pain management procedures they would prefer from among radiofrequency ablation, temporary (60-day) peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS), conventional PNS and spinal cord stimulation/dorsal root ganglion stimulation. A second survey (n = 347) specific to assessing the preference for radiofrequency ablation or temporary PNS treatment was completed by patients with low back pain. Results: On the basis of mean rank, temporary PNS percutaneously implanted for up to 60 days was the most preferred treatment compared with the other options presented (p = 0.002). Conclusions: Patient preference should be unbiased and considered as an independent variable for physician discussion in treatment options and future research.

The Role of Neurologists in Pain Management – Based on the Survey Conducted by the Korean Neurological Association in 2020

Background: Pain is one of the most common chief complaints in neurological field. Authors try to inform the current situation of pain medicine in neurological practice and present an effective method for pain-related education during neurology residency and for practicing neurologists.Methods: A survey was conducted from November 16 to November 27, 2020 for members of the Korean Neurological Association, and the results were analyzed.Results: About two-thirds of neurologists replied that more than 25% of their patients were suffered from diverse pain including headache, spine pain or neuropathic pain. Despite many patients are visiting to neurologist for pain treatment, most neurologists are aware that they have not received sufficient practical pain education in the past and present. Therefore, they want more educational opportunities in pain medicine including interventional pain management and physical and pharmacologic therapies for more effective treatment.Conclusions: More follow-up studies on pain treatment and education should be conducted. It is also essential that the members of the society continue to interest and participate in the change of the pain education program.

Interventional pain-management techniques for chronic pain

As part of the multidisciplinary management of pediatric chronic pain, interventional pain-management (IPM) techniques can play an important role when pain is unrelieved by conventional treatment modalities. Many procedures and indications are extrapolated from adult studies, and evidence for long-term efficacy in pediatric populations is limited. Interventions range from injection techniques with local anesthetic and/or corticosteroids to neuraxial blockade with implanted catheters. In selected patients, IPM procedures can serve as useful adjuncts in multidisciplinary management of chronic pain disorders.

Erector spinae plane block in acute interventional pain management: a systematic review

Erector Spinae Plane Block (ESPB) was described by Forero in 2016. ESPB is currently widely used in acute postoperative pain management. The benefits of ESPB include simplicity and efficacy in various surgeries. The aim of this review was to conduct a comprehensive overview of available evidence on erector spinae plane block in clinical practice. We included randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews reporting the ESPB in human subjects. The review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Twenty-one articles including five systematic reviews and 16 randomized controlled trials were included and analyzed. ESPB appears to be an effective, safe, and simple method for acute pain management in cardiac, thoracic, and abdominal surgery. The incidence of side effects has been reported to be rare. A critical issue is to make sure that new evidence is not just of the highest quality, in form of well powered and designed randomized controlled trials but also including a standardized and homogeneous set of indicators that permit to assess the comparative effectiveness of the application of ESPB in acute interventional pain management.