Category Archives: Uncategorized

Would Small Amounts of Lithium Help the Brain- Maybe

In Lancet 2000, it was found that there could be a 3% increase in grey matter with 1 month of of lithium therapy. Sadly, it is not that easy. Some say it would take 300+ mg/day to do anything though … Continue reading

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Parkinsonism – Low Vitamin D Common and Makes It Worse

Vity D deficiency was seen in  in 17.6% of patients with Parkinson Disease versus 9.3% of controls. Deficient cases had higher parkinsonism severity ratings.

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Dyspnea Scale

Simple tool to use in hospital.

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Neurogenic Neurogenic Thoracic Outlet (TOS)- The Existence Killer – Yet Poorly Recognized

Neck and/or arm pain/numbness with progressive disability and many negative evaluations is typical of the disease. Emotional decompensation from pain and poor treatment from others, forms an integral part of the disease. Evaluation is actually quite simple – treatment often … Continue reading

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Post Herpetic Neuralgia – Pulse Radiofrequency to Dorsal Ganglion Treatment -and Various Intercostal and Infraorbital Nerve Blocks and Beyond

To round out my discussion of post herpetic neuralgia, I have included an article on pulse radiofreqency to dorsal root ganglion in spine – a benign, not destructive, resetting of senstivity of the ganglion by 41 degree centrigrade heat. My … Continue reading

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How much relief does one get from lidocaine patches?

Lidocaine patches can drop pains by 1.5-2 points on the pains scale – which is about as much as you get from painkillers.

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Alcohol Blocks Versus Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation For Post-Herpetic Neuralgia

Given that Post shingles pain is restricted to certain nerve root Level(s),  nerve destructive measures could be an option. Cure rates for both were about 85% but thermocoagulation had more adverse events.

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Might Anxiety Be A Form of Pain?

Recently, a dose of Acetaminophen (Tylenol) has been shown to reduce anxiety responses to a surrealistic film. Previously, it had been shown to reduce MRI evidence of the effects of social rejection. Together, it suggests anixety/social rejection is another form of pain.

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Top 10 Pain Web Sites

Recent article scanned the web and catalogued the best pain sites. I’m not on it but I’m not bitter (much)…

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Help For Severe Neck Pains

Three cases of severe neck pain with radiation down arm, not helped by any other measure, were helped with mini-pulse therapy of betamethasone 4 mg twice daily for 4 days and decreasing doses subsequently. In those 3 cases, pain disappeared … Continue reading

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Sony Reader – Exception Error – Invalid Format – Cannot Format

My wife’s PRS-600 sony reader crashed with a rectangular boxed area complaining of  exception error – do you want to format? – and when you say yes (actually a bad idea) – it says cannot format. Information on this was … Continue reading

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Disability After Disc Herniation – What Predicts? -The Pain Of Course

Despite the advent of the fear-avoidance and acceptance psychology, it is becoming abundantly clear that pain level determine disability. This is but the latest article in that regard.

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Physical Activity Prevents Brain Hypersensitivity in Mouse Model

Mice who are not physically active develop “exercise-induced muscle pain by reducing phosphorylation of the NR1 subunit of the NMDA receptor in the central nervous system.” – ie the pain circuits are hyperacute (or less protected depending on which way … Continue reading

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What Does One Do With Gallbladder Polyps?

Guidelines for gallbladder polyps are not readily available. Here at last are some – gallbaldder attacks suggest surgery. Chance of malignancy is slight unless polyps are over 10 mm size and in someone over 50.

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Workplace Neck/Shoulder Pains – Does Strength Training Work? – Maybe Not Unless You Are a Responder

Neck and shoulder tip/shoulder pains are common in the workplace and are not easily eliminated. A program of strength training only worked in those that are doing well and likely to continue program until end (I call them responders). Influence … Continue reading

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Ingrown Toenails – Is Simple Wedge Resection Obsolete?

Recent article concludes simple wedge resection for ingrown toenail leads to nail bed damage and unacceptable recurrence rates – and should be considered obsolete.

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Commonly Missed Problems in Chronic Pain

Back in 2006, Janice Montbriand  and I wrote a poster about “Often Missed Treatable Co-Morbidities in Patients with Treatment Resistant Chronic Pain”. They included Bipolar disease, B12 and Vitamin D deficiencies, and sleep disorders.  Each one of these is still … Continue reading

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Could Sickle Cell Pain Be Low Vitamin D Induced?

Recent studies have shown a correlation between low Vitamin D levels and sickle pains. Case studies have shown significant relief of sickle pain with Vitamin D supplementation.

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What Can I Say About Etanercept/Enbrel for chronic neck/back “Sciatica”?

Various desperately in pain cases have written me wondering how useful it actually is. The answer is not easy and runs like this – “It depends”. Firstly, I feel sick to find that people are being gouged $2,000 – 5,000 dollars … Continue reading

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Is The US FDA Guilty of International War Crimes?

After causing extreme shortages of drugs in US, the US FDA came to Canada and shut down production of 90% of injectables from a Sandoz site in Quebec. This was not based on any finding of injury; merely because they … Continue reading

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Cynical Sayings

I got a recent piece of spam that said: God must love stupid people. He made SO many. (My inner self is telling me I don’t need to go to the gym so I think there is a little of … Continue reading

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Menstrual Cramps – “Marked Reduction” Following 3 Month Omega 3

Omega 3 improved menstural cramp pains and need for ibuprofen after 3 months use.

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Sciatica Back Epidural or Caudal – 40 mg Steroid as Good as 80 mg.

In two separate studies, there seemed to be no advantage to using 80 mg steroid over 40 mg. If one stuck to 40 mg, then one could have a shot every 6 weeks, rather than having to wait 3 months … Continue reading

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Dengue Fever Scale

Always a risk in some developing countries  – but never had a clear picture of the features like this. More for my reference…

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COMT Pain Genes Wreak Havok – Finally a Good Study

Had a pateint with severe pains out of proportion to what one would expect. He has a couple of pain conditions that ran in family and I felt probably had pain genes that augmented the condition. Insurers treated him with complete disdain … Continue reading

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