Monthly Archives: October 2010

Trigeminal Neuralgia – Those With Constant Pain Component Do Poorly

There are two versions of Trigeminal Neuralgia – one version that just has episodic sharp pains, and another that has that and also a continuous pain component. Those with a continuous component do poorly.

Posted in Trigeminal Neuralgia | 1 Comment

Erosive Hand Osteoarthritis – Can Do Better Than Arthritis Pills

Hand Osteoarthritis with progressive deformities, pain and  erosions on xray is not your typical osteoarthritis. It is coined “inflammatory osteoarthritis” and can lead to  increased disability.  Drugs like IM methylprednisolone, Hydroxychloroquine, Infliximab, and  Anakinra all help.

Posted in arthritis, Drugs | 1 Comment

Old and in Pain? Weight Loss Could Make the Difference

Recent study looking into factors involved in chronic pain in the elderly found subjects with central obesity were twice as likely to have pain problems.  Various factors contribute.

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New Hope For Severe Knee Arthritis – Burn Nerves to Joint (Radiofrequency Neurotomy of 3 out of 5 Genicular nerves)

Article referred in press describes how radiofrequency to 3/5 of Genicular nerves could induce  over 50% improvement in 59% of cases over the 3 months followup.

Posted in Injection, Knee | Leave a comment

Synthetic Cannabinoids And Fibromyalgia – Pain Aid and Now Sleeps

Two Canadian studies have been done on  Nabilone – One at University of Manitoba showing it improves pain, and a recent one from McGill showing it helps sleep.

Posted in Drugs, Fibromyalgia | Leave a comment

Post Stroke Hemiplegic Shoulder Pain – Plain Local Suprascapular Block as Good as Steroid Injection in Shoulder

Beefing up my contention that suprascapular nerve blocks have therapeutic shoulder effects, is a new article finding it works as well as steroid injections into shoulder – without having to use steroids.

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Isolated Posterior Wall Infarction – Are We Missing It and Using Posterior Chest Leads to Find

Only 38% of Doctors can diagnose a posterior MI (heart attack) because traditional leads do not pick it up. I have on occasion seen someone with vague chest pains but a previous history of heart disease. If ECG is normal … Continue reading

Posted in chest pain | 1 Comment

Cranial Electrical Stimulation (CES) Helps Post Spinal Cord Injury(SCI) Pain

Skin surface CES therapy is usually 2 milliamp therapy with anode over motor cortex strip (C3) (on skin) with a cathode lead on forehead. In SCI patients it resulted in significant pain relief (P<0.03 versus sham). They found the effect … Continue reading

Posted in central & spinal, Mechanical aids, Stimulation | Leave a comment

MS Plaque Position Not Associated With Pain

13 MS cases with chronic pain versus 10 without pain did not show any associations with plaque in certain areas of the brain

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Post surgical Carpal Tunnel Recurrence – What Does One Do?

Pulsed radiofrequency at the elbow was effective in remitting post- carpal tunnel surgery pain

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Women With Severe Irritable Bowel and/or Ovarian Cyst Pain May Have Something Else – and a Test For It

I have seen 2 cases of severe intermittent lower abdominal pain (both more left sided) with a background of lesser pains seen by various doctors with out relief and pain relieved in 1 minute – by pushing their inguinal hernia … Continue reading

Posted in Abdominal pain | 3 Comments

Strontium 89 in Breast and Prostate Cancer Metastatic Disease

With SR89 treatment, 72% of metastatic breast and prostate cancer patients reduced or stopped their opiates and/or analgesics – with relief lasting 3 months. Why aren’t they using it more?

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Unexplained Abdominal Pains & Problems – Could Be Hypermobility

In patients with unexplained abdominal problems referred to a tertiary centre, half had evidence of joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS). Though Hypermobility is noted for its relation to Fibromyalgia, it appears abdominal problems are even more likely  – something that would … Continue reading

Posted in Abdominal pain, Interstial Cystitis/Gynecologic | 4 Comments

New Help For Sickle Crisis Pain – Nitric Oxide (NO) Gas Inhalations

When NO gas is mixed with Oxygen and inhaled over matter of hours, sickle crisis pain will gradually remit, dipping below 4/10 pain-wise in 3 hours.

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Can’t Get Rid of Shoulder Tip Pain? – Think C4/5 Neck Facet

Various measures have been used for trapezius tip pains but they keep coming back. Now it’s confirmed the neck is a player.

Posted in myofascial pain, Neck, shoulder | 2 Comments

Fix For Torn Shoulder Tendons and Pain in Elderly – Loosen Deltoid Muscle

Torn shoulder tendons gimp shoulder mechanics and can lead to “chronic and often unbearable pain, muscular fatigue, and severe functional disability”. A reverse prothesis and latissimus dorsi tendon transfers are a treatment but are extreme measures. A simple and effective … Continue reading

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Clitoral Pain Following Hysterectomy – Finally an Effective Treatment

This can be a terrible situation to deal with. Had one case many years ago. Went back to the gynecologist who had nothing to offer.  Too tender an area for injections. Now it looks like spinal cord stimulation can help.

Posted in Interstial Cystitis/Gynecologic, neuropathic, pelvic | Leave a comment

Breast– (Some Post Mastectomy) & Chest Wall Pains – Easy Fix

Study of Scapulothoracic Bursitis – Though 78.6%  presented with the breast/chest pain, a tender area was found posteriorly on the medial aspect of the shoulder blade(scapula). Injection of steroid to area relieved the breast/chest pain as well in 83.5% of … Continue reading

Posted in breast cancer, breast pain, chest pain, shoulder, Thoracic | 2 Comments

Chronic Low Back Pain Injection Spot

Lumbar paraspinous muslces and sacroiliac ligaments all attach to sacrum making it a vulnerable site. Dr. Breck McKay has found injection of these ligments (and the sacrospinous ligament) can give significant results. Poster at IASP congress found a sweet spot … Continue reading

Posted in Back Pain, Injection | 2 Comments

Neck / Shoulder Tip Pains, Tired and Dizzy When Upright – Maybe Coat-hanger Hypotensive Events

Postural Hypotension (Low Blood Pressure on standing) is associated with neck and shoulder tip pains in what is thought a hypo-perfusion issue.  One should notice being dizzy standing up – something that can happen after head injury and also spinal … Continue reading

Posted in chronic fatigue, myofascial pain, Neck | 2 Comments

Pain After Inguinal Hernia Repair – What to Do

This is the title of a French article discussing the problem recently.

Posted in Post Hernia | 7 Comments

Sudden Peripheral Neuropathy – Beware

Radicular pain [sciatica in arms or legs], painful paresthesiae [ funny feelings], and  muscle pains of sudden onset could precede paralyzing Guillain–Barré syndrome by up to 2 weeks in 36% of cases. Preceding diarrhea illness (suggesting connected Campylobacter jejuni infection] … Continue reading

Posted in neuropathic, radiculitis | Leave a comment

Could Isoflavinoids Reduce Prostate Cancer Radiotherapy Problems?

Isoflavinoids may reduce urinary incontinence, urgency, erectile dysfunction, rectal cramping/diarrhea, and pain with bowel movements – while pateints are on radiation. Annoyingly, there weren’t enough cases to be sure of anything…

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Knee Cartilage Meniscal Symptom Index

Four questions can improve accuracy of knee cartilage diagnosis

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Resistent Interstitial Cystitis (IC) – Sacral Neuromodulation 6 year Confirmed Benefits

Some resistant  cases of IC defy treatment options – sacral neuromodulation appears successful.

Posted in Interstial Cystitis/Gynecologic | Leave a comment