Paravertebral block's effect on analgesia and inflammation in advanced gastric cancer patients undergoing transarterial chemoembolization and microwave ablation

BACKGROUND Transarterial chemoembolization(TACE)combined with microwave ablation(MWA)is an effective treatment strategy for patients with advanced gastric cancer and liver metastasis.However,it may cause severe postoperative pain and inflammatory responses.The paravertebral block(PVB)is a regional anesthetic technique that provides analgesia to the thoracic and abdominal regions.AIM To evaluate the effect of PVB on postoperative analgesia and inflammatory response in patients undergoing TACE combined with MWA for advanced gastric cancer and liver metastasis.METHODS Sixty patients were randomly divided into PVB and control groups.The PVB group received ultrasound-guided PVB with 0.375%ropivacaine preoperatively,whereas the control group received intravenous analgesia with sufentanil.The primary outcome was the visual analog scale(VAS)score for pain at 6 h,12 h,24 h,and 48 h after the procedure.Secondary outcomes were the dose of sufentanil used,incidence of adverse events,and levels of inflammatory markers(white blood cell count,neutrophil percentage,C-reactive protein,and procalcitonin)before and after the procedure.RESULTS The PVB group had significantly lower VAS scores at 6 h,12 h,24 h,and 48 h after the procedure compared with the control group(P<0.05).The PVB group also had a significantly lower consumption of sufentanil and a lower incidence of nausea,vomiting,and respiratory depression than did the control group(P<0.05).Compared with the control group,the PVB group had significantly lower levels of inflammatory markers 24 h and 48 h after the procedure(P<0.05).CONCLUSION PVB can effectively reduce postoperative pain and inflammatory responses and improve postoperative comfort and recovery in patients with advanced gastric cancer and liver metastasis treated with TACE combined with MWA.

Clinical therapeutic effect of self-prescribed Sanhanchushi Tongbi on lumbar disc herniation

BACKGROUND Lumbar disc herniation(LDH)commonly occurs during spinal surgery;LDH is on the increase in younger patients and is classified as"paralysis"and"back pain."Sanhanchushi Tongbi(SPST)is a customized prescription.It disperses cold,relieves pain,removes cold from the meridians and viscera,and treats neuropathic pain.However,few studies have investigated its mechanism of pain relief.AIM To observe the clinical therapeutic effects on LDH treated with self-prescribed SPST.METHODS A total of 211 patients with LDH syndrome were divided into two groups:107 patients in the control group were treated with conventional massage combined with traction,and 104 patients in the observation group were treated with a combination of the control regimen and self-prescribed oral SPST.The patients were treated for 4 wk.Indices of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome score and serum inflammatory factor levels were measured.RESULTS After therapy,the TCM syndrome score in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group(P<0.05).The main symptoms,clinical signs,daily activities,and Japanese Orthopedic Association scores in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group after therapy(P<0.05).The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α,interleukin-6,and C-reactive protein were lower in the observation group than in the control group(P<0.05).In the observation group,superoxide dismutase levels were significantly higher,whereas malondialdehyde levels were significantly lower,compared with the control group(P<0.05).The overall efficacy rate in the observation group was 96.15%,which was substantially higher than that in the control group(88.79%;P<0.05).CONCLUSION Self-prescribed SPST can reduce the levels of inflammatory and pain-causing factors as well as lumbar pain in patients with LDH.

Fluctuation of visual analog scale pain scores and opioid consumption before and after total hip arthroplasty

BACKGROUND Patients who undergo orthopedic procedures are often given excess opioid medication.Understanding the relationship between pain and opioid consumption following total hip arthroplasty(THA)is key to creating safe and effective opioid prescribing guidelines.AIM To evaluate the association between the quantity of opioid consumption in relation to pain scores both pre-and postoperatively in patients undergoing primary THA.METHODS We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent primary THA from November 2018-May 2019 and answered both the visual analog scale(VAS)pain and opioid medication questionnaires pre-and postoperatively.Both surveys were delivered daily for 7-days before surgery through the first 30 postoperative days.Survey results were divided into preoperative,postoperative days 1-7,postoperative days 8-14,and postoperative days 15-30 for analysis.Mean opioid pill consumption and VAS pain scores in each time period were determined and compared to patients’preoperative status using hierarchical Poisson and linear regressions,respectively.RESULTS There were 105 patients included.Mean VAS pain scores were the highest preoperatively 7.41±1.72.However,VAS pain scores significantly declined in each successive postoperative category compared to preoperative scores:postoperative day 1-7(5.07±1.79;P<0.001),postoperative day 8-14(3.60±1.64;P<0.001),and postoperative day 15-30(3.15±1.63;P<0.001).Mean opioid pill consumption preoperatively was 0.68±1.29 pills.Compared to preoperative opioid consumption,opioid use was significantly greater between postoperative days 1-7(1.51±1.58;P=0.001)and postoperative days 8-14(1.00±1.27;P=0.043).Opioid consumption declined below preoperative levels between postoperative days 15-30(0.35±0.72;P=0.160)which correlates with a VAS pain score of 3.15.CONCLUSION All patients experienced significant benefit and pain relief from having undergone THA.Average postoperative opioid consumption decreased below preoperative consumption between postoperative days 15-30,which was associated with a VAS pain score of 3.15.These results can be used to appropriately guide opioid prescribing practices and set patient expectations regarding pain management following THA.

DVCast:denoising and variable dct for analog visual communications

Recently,analog visual transmission has attracted considerable attention owing to its graceful performance degradation for various wireless channels.In this study,we propose a novel analog visual communications system,named DVCast,in which an image denoising algorithm is used to fully utilize spatial correlation;moreover,the variable block size Discrete Cosine Transform(DCT)is used to preserve more correlation information in an image.Obviously,there is a tradeoff between system performance and computing complexity.Therefore,to improve the real-time performance of the proposed system,implementation of Block Matching with 3D filtering(BM3D)and DCT by Graphics Processing Units(GPUs)is introduced.According to DCT block size,i.e.,88,1616,and 3232,the schemes DVCast8,DVCast16,and DVCast32,respectively,are designed and implemented.Simulations show that DVCast with larger block size achieves better gain and visual quality than reference schemes.Moreover,it requires less computing time.DVCast32 outperforms conventional digital schemes by approximately 3.51 dB and achieves a 1.12 dB gain over state-of-the-art reference schemes.Furthermore,the analysis shows that DVCast can reduce overhead by at least 75%.

Effectiveness of treating menorrhagia using microwave endometrial ablation at a frequency of 2.45 GHz

BACKGROUND Microwave endometrial ablation(MEA)is a minimally invasive treatment for menorrhagia.It has been covered by the national insurance in Japan since April 2012,and its demand has been increasing as the importance of women’s health has advanced in society.AIM To examine the efficacy of MEA as a treatment option for menorrhagia.METHODS In this study,we retrospectively analyzed 76 patients who underwent MEA between January 2016 and March 2020 in our department.MEA was performed in the lithotomy position,under general anesthesia,and with transabdominal ultrasound guidance,including the entire endometrial circumference while confirming endometrial coagulation.The Microtaze AFM-712 and the Sounding Applicator CSA-40CBL-1006200C were used for MEA,and the endometrium was ablated using a Microtaze output of 70 W and coagulation energization time of 50 s per cycle.The visual analog scale(VAS)was used to evaluate menorrhagia,menstrual pain,and treatment satisfaction.Additionally,the hemoglobin(Hb)levels before and after MEA and associated complications were investigated.RESULTS The average age of the patients was 44.8±4.0 years.While 14 patients had functional menorrhagia,62 had organic menorrhagia,of whom 14 had endometrial polyps,40 had uterine fibroids,and 8 had adenomyosis.The VAS score before MEA and 3 and 6 mo after the procedure were 10,1.3±1.3,and 1.3±1.3,respectively,for menorrhagia and 10,1.3±1.8,and 1.3±1.8,respectively,for menstrual pain,both showing improvements(P<0.001).The MEA Hb level significantly improved from 9.2±4.2 g/dL before MEA to 13.4±1.2 g/dL after MEA(P=0.003).Treatment satisfaction was high,with a VAS score of 9.6±0.7.Endometritis was observed in one patient after surgery and was treated with antibiotics.CONCLUSION MEA is a safe and effective treatment for menorrhagia.

Conscious Slower Breathing Predominates Parasympathetic Activity and Provides a Relaxing Effect, in Healthy Japanese Adult Women

Background: The optimal breathing pattern (BP) to effectively regulate autonomic nervous activity is yet to be determined. Objective: We aimed to clarify the effects of four BPs (BP-1, BP-2, BP-3, and BP-4) on autonomic nervous activity and mood changes. Methods: Eleven healthy adult female volunteers performed each BP in a sitting position for 5 min in a resting state. The time required for one breathing for BP-1 (30 breaths/min), BP-2 (20 breaths/min), BP-3 (15 breaths/min), and BP-4 (10 breaths/min) were 2 s, 3 s, 4 s, and 6 s, respectively. The inspiratory/expiratory time of one breathing was 1 s/1 s, 1 s/2 s, 2 s/2 s, and 2 s/4 s. The high-frequency component (HF) and low-frequency component (LF)/HF ratio during and before (control) performing a BP were calculated from heart rate variability data recorded using the wearable biometric information tracer M-BIT. Three mood changes, which are, “pleasure—unpleasure”, “relaxation—tension”, and “sleepiness—arousal”, in the subjects were assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS) before and after performing a BP. Results: Slower breathing induced an increase in HF power and a reduction in LF/HF ratio, indicating increased parasympathetic activity and decreased sympathetic dominance. Furthermore, VAS revealed that slower breathing increased the tendency to feel “pleasure”, “relaxation”, and “sleepiness”. Conclusion: Our results suggest that slower breathing predominates parasympathetic activity in the autonomic nervous system, resulting in a relaxing effect. This result may help lay the foundation for deriving breathing methods that efficiently regulate an individual’s autonomic activity.

Randomized, Double-Blind, Double-Masked, Parallel Group Clinical Study to Compare the Effectiveness of Diclofenac Potassium 150 mg, LP OD, vs Diclofenac Potassium 50 mg, TID, Three Times a Day, in Knee Osteoarthritis

Background: Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease associated with pain, inflammation, stiffness and synovial effusion, with progressive functional limitation, compromising quality of life. It progressively leads to loss or decrease in joint function. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapy seeks symptomatic management, complicated by a lack of adherence. After acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as diclofenac are the most widely used medications. Objectives: The primary objective compared the analgesic effect of diclofenac 150 mg once daily vs. 50 mg three times daily in patients with knee osteoarthritis. The secondary objective assessed changes in quality of life. Method: One group received diclofenac 150 mg OD with placebo TTD. Another group received placebo OD and 50 mg active diclofenac (reference) TTD, both for 30 days. The evaluation of pain was carried out by a visual analog scale (VAS), at the beginning, 2, 3, 4, 15 and 30 days, quality of life (the WOMAC scale) and adverse effects, at 15 and 30 days. Results: Pain decreased significantly on days 15 and 30, compared to day 0, in both groups, without differences between groups. The total results in the WOMAC scale showed a very marked improvement at 15 and 30 days, without differences between groups. The most frequent adverse effects were constipation 6% in the reference group, and gastric discomfort 30.3% in the reference group vs 28.1%, in the Test group. Conclusions: Prolonged-release diclofenac 150 mg OD is as effective as diclofenac 50 mg TID for the treatment of patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Arabic Version of the Modified Constant Murley Score

Objectives: “Patient-reported outcome measures” has been used extensively, and it has shown the diseases’ impact on patient quality of life and has enabled the clinician to evaluate the clinical care efficacy. In the literature, there are more than 34 shoulder function assessment scoring instruments;the Modified Constant Murley Score (M-CMS) is one of the most popular scores. Although, the M-CMS had been translated and culturally adapted to Danish, Brazilian and Turkish versions, there is no Arabic version found in the literature. We aim to translate and culturally adapt M-CMS into the Arabic language. Method: The M-CMS was translated using previously published guidelines. The translation and cultural adaptation were done in five stages, initial translation by two bilingual translators then a synthesis of the translations after that, back translation by two native English speakers. Then an expert committee meeting approved the pre-final Arabic version. Finally, a pilot test was conducted on 41 patients to ensure its validity. Results: The M-CMS was successfully translated from the original English version to the Arabic version;no difficulties in the translation process were faced. Conclusion: A validated Arabic version of the M-CMS was produced and ready to be used for functional assessment of different shoulder pathologies in Arabic-speaking countries. Future study is needed for translation and cultural adaptation of the English standardized test protocol to assure the reproducibility of the Arabic version of the M-CMS.

Role of shear wave elastography in the evaluation of the treatment and prognosis of supraspinatus tendinitis

BACKGROUND Supraspinatus tendinitis recurs easily after treatment.One of the main reasons is the lack of objective tools for the efficacy evaluation.Shear wave elastography(SWE)can quantitatively analyze the tissue elasticity of region of interest by measuring the Young’s modulus(YM)value.AIM To explore the role of SWE in the efficacy and prognostic evaluation of supraspinatus tendinitis.METHODS Eighty-seven patients with supraspinatus tendinitis treated in Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences were recruited.Another 30 healthy volunteers were enrolled as the control group.The visual analogue scale(VAS)and Constant-Murley Score(CMS)were recorded before treatment.All participants were scanned by SWE scan,and the YM value of the region of interest were recorded.Spearman correlation analysis was performed on YM values with VAS and CMS.Univariate repeated measures analysis of variance was used to calculate the changing trend of VAS,CMS and SWE under different treatment courses.After treatment,the patients were further grouped based on who achieved significantly effective and curative treatment.The patients in the continued treatment group continued to receive treatment according to the YM value,and the remaining patients who stopped receiving treatment were included in the stopped treatment group.All patients were followed up for 1 year,and the difference in recurrence rates between the continued treatment group and the stopped treatment group were compared.RESULTS The SWE images of supraspinatus muscle in healthy volunteers were mainly blue,while those of patients with supraspinatus tendinitis showed regional red and green areas.The average YM value of the supraspinatus muscle in healthy volunteers was 26.12±4.03 kPa.The average YM value of patients with supraspinatus muscle was greater than that of healthy volunteers(average YM=60.61±11.53 kPa,t=26.344,P<0.001).The YM value was positively correlated with VAS(r=0.564,P<0.001)and negatively correlated with CMS(r=-0.411,P<0.001).The changes of VAS and CMS were the most obvious in course 1 and then decreased gradually.The degree of change in YM values was similar in different courses.After a 1-year follow-up,the cumulative relapse-free rate in the continued treatment group was 91.43%,which was significantly higher than that in the stopped treatment group(64.71%,X2=7.379,P=0.007).CONCLUSION SWE can objectively indicate the severity of supraspinatus tendinitis.Using the YM value as a criterion for curative effect may reduce the recurrence rate.

Intranasal ketamine for the treatment of patients with acute pain in the emergency department

BACKGROUND:Pain in the emergency department(ED)is common but undertreated.The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy and safety of intranasal(IN)ketamine used as an analgesic for patients with acute injury with moderate to severe pain.METHODS:This study was a cross sectional,observational study of patients more than 8 years old experiencing moderate to severe pain[visual analog score(VAS)>50 mm].The initial dose of IN ketamine was 0.7 mg/kg with an additional dose of 0.3 mg/kg if VAS was more than 50 mm after 15minutes.Pain scores and vital signs were recorded at 0,15,30 and 60 minutes.Side-effects,sedation level and patient's satisfaction were also recorded.The primary outcome was the number of patients achieving≥20 mm reductions in VAS at 15 minutes.Other secondary outcome measures were median reduction in VAS at 15,30 and 60 minutes,changes of vital signs,adverse events,satisfaction of patients,and need for additional ketamine.RESULTS:Thirty-four patients with a median age of 29.5 years(IQR 17.5–38)were enrolled,and they had an initial median VAS of 80 mm(IQR 67–90).The VAS decreased more than 20 mm at15 minutes in 27(80%)patients.The reduction of VAS from baseline to 40 mm(IQR 20–40),20 mm(IQR 14–20)and 20 mm(IQR 10–20)respectively at 15,30 and 60 minutes(P<0.001).No critical changes of vital signs were noted and adverse effects were mild and transient.CONCLUSION:This study showed that IN ketamine is an analgesic choice for patients with acute injury in moderate to severe pain in an overcrowded and resource limited ED.

Maintenance time of sedative effects after an intravenous infusion of diazepam: A guide for endoscopy using diazepam

AIM: To examine whether the sedative effects assessed by psychomotor tests would depend on the cytochrome P450 (CYP ) 2C19 genotypes after an infusion regimen of diazepam commonly used forgastrointestinal endoscopy in Japan. METHODS: Fifteen healthy Japanese volunteers consisting of three different CYP2C19 genotype groups underwent a critical ? icker fusion test, an eye movement analysis and a postural sway test as a test for physical sedative effects, and a visual analog scale (VAS) symptom assessment method as a test for mental sedative effects during the 336 h period after the intravenous infusion of diazepam (5 mg). RESULTS: The physical sedative effects assessed by the critical flicker test continued for 1 h (t values of 5 min, 30 min and 60 min later: 4.35, 5.00 and 3.19, respectively) and those by the moving radial area of a postural sway test continued for 3 h (t values of 5 h, 30 h, 60 min and 3 h later: -4.05, -3.42, -2.17 and -2.58, respectively), which changed significantly compared with the baseline level before infusion (P < 0.05). On the other hand, the mental sedative effects by the VAS method improved within 1 h. The CYP2C19 genotype-dependent differences in the postinfusion sedative effects were not observed in any of the four psychomotor function tests. CONCLUSION: With the psychomotor tests, the objective sedative effects of diazepam continued for 1 h to 3 h irrespective of CYP2C19 genotype status and the subjective sedative symptoms improved within 1 h. Up to 3 h of clinical care appears to be required after the infusion of diazepam, although patients feel subjectively improved.

Evaluation of preferable insertion routes for esophagogastroduodenoscopy using ultrathin endoscopes

AIM: To evaluate the discomfort associated with esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) using an ultrathin endoscope through different insertion routes.

Manipulation for degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis:A systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Objective: To assess the effectiveness and safety of manipulation intervention for degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis(DLS).Methods: This is a systematic review and meta-analysis. A full-scale retrieval method was performed until February 1, 2021, including nine databases. The homogeneity of different studies was summarized using the Review Manager. The quality of studies was determined with the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool.The evidence quality was graded with the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations approach.Results: A total of 6 studies involving 524 participants were included. The review demonstrated that manipulation has statistically significant improvements for treating DLS according to Japanese Orthopedic Association scores(mean difference, 3.76;95% confidence interval, 2.63 to 4.90;P <.001) and visual analog scale scores(mean difference,-1.50;95% confidence interval,-1.66 to-1.33;P <.001)compared to the control group. One study reported that the difference in the Oswestry Disability Index between the traction group and the combination of manipulation and traction group was statistically significant(P <.05), while another reported that manipulation treatment can significantly improve the lumbar spine rotation angle on X-ray images compared with the baseline data(P <.05). Moreover, the manipulation group(experimental group) had fewer adverse events than the lumbar traction group(control group).Conclusion: Manipulation intervention is more effective and safer for DLS. Nevertheless, large-scale randomized controlled trials are required to confirm the current conclusions.

Analgesic effects and hemodynamic mechanisms of perpendicular and transverse needling at Sanyinjiao(SP 6) in patients with primary dysmenorrhea: A randomized controlled trial

Objective: To explore the analgesic effects and uterine hemodynamics of perpendicular needling(PN)and transverse needling(TN) at SP 6 in patients with primary dysmenorrhea(PD).Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, patients with PD diagnosed with cold-dampness congealing pattern were randomly assigned in a ratio of 1:1 to receive PN or TN at bilateral SP 6 for 10 min.Acupuncture was performed when the menstrual pain score was over 40 mm on the first day of menstruation, as measured using the visual analog scale for pain(VAS-P). The primary outcome was average menstrual pain(VAS-P). Secondary outcomes included the pulsatility index(PI), resistance index(RI), and systolic-diastolic peaks ratio(S/D) in uterine arteries as measured using color Doppler ultrasonography;anxiety as assessed using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale(HAMA), blood pressure(BP),and heart rate(HR).Results: Forty-eight patients completed the study. The TN group exhibited a significant reduction in VAS-P scores(-5.71 mm, 95% confidence interval(CI): -8.78, -2.63, P =.001), RI values(-0.05, 95% CI:-0.09, -0.01, P=.015), and HAMA values(-2.50, 95% CI: -4.78, -0.22, P=.032) when compared with the PN group. No significant differences in PI, S/D, BP, or HR values were observed between the two groups(P >.05).Conclusion: TN at SP 6 was superior to PN in alleviating menstrual pain and anxiety in patients with PD.This analgesic effect of TN may be due to its better ability to improve uterine arterial blood flow via decreases in RI values.

The Effects of Anma (Traditional Japanese Massage)—Randomised Trial

Background and Objective: Anma is a traditional Japanese bodywork therapy that has not been widely known and used in the West. There have been only a few Anma studies published in English journals. To study the effect of Anma (traditional Japanese massage) among participants who have neck and shoulder stiffness symptoms (so-called Katakori, in Japanese). Methods: The study participants consisted of seventy-seven (Study 1), thirteen (Study 2), and twenty (Study 3) adults with “Katakori” symptoms. The research design is as follows: (Study1) Randomized, Parallel-Group, Controlled Trial. (Study 2) Crossover Clinical Trial. (Study 3) Randomized, Parallel-Group, Controlled Trial. And we conducted Anma treatment for 45 minutes (Treatment) or rest in lying position for 45 minutes (Control). Results: In study 1, the symptom of “Katakori” was relieved after Anma treatment in Anma group (p d: 2.2). There was a significant interaction between the Anma group and the control group (p < 0.001). In study 2, MBV significantly increased following Anma treatment. There was a significant interaction between the Anma group and the control group (p = 0.022). In study 3, the symptom of “Katakori” was relieved after Anma treatment in the treatment group. There were no significant interactions between the groups in VAS and MBV values. Discussion and Conclusions: The study demonstrated that Anma therapy decreases “Katakori” symptoms while increasing MBV in the shoulder region.

changes in muscle activity in patients with primary chronic headache

Objective:According to the Global Burden of Disease Study,updated in 2018,headache disorders are the second leading cause in the world and impaired quality of life and lead to reduce daily activity and can be the cause of headache-related disability.So,we desperately need to develop new painless and minimally invasive methods to facilitate diagnosis to improve the quality of headache care.Methods:Our study involved 92 participants over 18 years of age with a diagnosis of primary chronic headache.Among those,36 were with chronic tension type headache,26 were with a chronic migraine,and 30 were healthy participants.All patients were selected according to the criteria of the International Headache Society.Clinical questionnaires,instrumental data,and characteristics of headache episodes were collected from all participants.We evaluated the muscle activity of the pericranial and cervical muscles in patients with chronic headache to compare with healthy participants using Surface electromyography to determine if there is an alteration in muscle activity.Results:Surface electromyography data showed that there was a statistically significant difference in results between the target group and the control group,where patients with primary chronic headache had high amplitude and velocity in the studied muscles on the electromyogram.Among the participants,there was a difference in the intensity of headache attacks on the visual analog scale chronic tension type headache 5.2±1.4,chronic migraine 7.7±1.3,control group 1.6±0.7 and in the frequency of headache attacks per month chronic tension type headache 14.4±1.9,chronic migraine 17.3±2.9,the control group of participants had headache attacks of≤1 per month.Conclusion:We concluded that the patients with primary chronic headaches there are changes in the muscle activity of the pericranial and cervical muscles.In contrast to patients without chronic headaches,which,in turn,the method of surface electromyography may encourage further research in this area.

Early Clinical Improvement of the Axial Pain after Sagittal Curve Restoration in Patients Who Underwent a Multiple Level Microdiscectomy with Fusion of the Cervical Spine Using Zero Profile Cages

A common pathology that causes axial and/or radicular pain is cervical degenerative spine. It has the potential to cause myelopathy. The majority of cases necessitate surgical decompression and sagittal balance correction;surgery may be performed at multiple levels of the cervical spine. Typically, during decompression, the degenerated discs are replaced and the spine is fused, and it has been recommended to restore the lordotic curve during the procedure to avoid any axial pain post-operatively. We followed our patients who had multiple level cervical spine decompression with fusion and monitored their axial pain after correction or in the absence of correction of the normal lordosis in the early post-operative period. When various levels of degenerative cervical spine are treated, it appears that axial pain does not improve in the immediate or early postoperative term.

Influence of muscle regions of meridians needling method combined with auricular point sticking on pain and range of motion in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain

Objective:To observe the effects of muscle regions of meridians needling method combined with auricular point sticking on pain and lumbar range of motion in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain.Methods:A total of 100 patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain were randomly divided into a control group and an observation group,with 50 patients in each group.Both groups received auricular point sticking treatment,while the control group received additional conventional acupuncture treatment,and the observation group received additional muscle regions of meridians needling method.The total effective rate of the two groups was compared after 4 weeks of treatment.Before treatment and after 1 week and 4 weeks of treatment,the visual analog scale(VAS)score was used to assess the degree of low back pain,and the modified-modified Schober(MMS)score was used to evaluate the lumbar range of motion.Results:There was statistical significance in comparing the total effective rate between the two groups(P<0.01).During the treatment process,as the number of treatments increased,the VAS score gradually decreased,and the MMS score gradually increased in both groups.After 1 week and 4 weeks of treatment,the VAS score in the observation group was lower than that in the control group(P<0.01),and the MMS score in the observation group was higher than that in the control group(P<0.01).During the treatment period,no serious adverse reactions occurred in either group.Conclusion:Based on auricular point sticking treatment,muscle regions of meridians needling method is more effective than conventional acupuncture in treating chronic nonspecific low back pain since it is able to significantly reduce the pain and improve the lumbar range of motion.

Open label,interventional,single arm multicentric clinical study to analyze the potency of VELNEZ nasal pack,post-nasal surgery

Background:Nasal packs are central to nasal surgeries.Primarily,these packs function by controlling bleeding,modulating pain and reducing adhesions post-surgery.However,the major setback of the currently used conventional nasal packs is the unbearable pain the patient undergoes upon removal of these packs.To overcome this shortcoming a variety of biodegradable packs have emerged.This study was aimed at evaluating the safety,efficacy and tolerability of VELNEZ nasal packs.VELNEZ,a patented Datt Mediproducts Pvt.Ltd.nasal pack,is one of its kind biodegradable composite that fragments within a few days of application.Methods:Eighty patients were included in an open label,interventional,single arm clinical study using clinical endpoints to investigate the safety and efficacy of nasal pack VELNEZ.The patients were questioned using a visual analog scale from discharge day to 28th postoperative day(9 follow-up visits)at regular intervals.The standardized questionnaires for hemorrhage control,relief from postoperative pain,moderate obstruction,and pain were used.Results:A total of 76 patients were enrolled in the study and 74 patients completed the study.VELNEZ nasal pack played a significant role in controlling hemorrhage and reducing postoperative pain.The average hemorrhage control time was 7.49±3.90 min with only 34.24%of population complaining of pain on the sixth day of surgery(follow-up 4).Forteen days postsurgery only 10.95%of subject population complained of postoperative pain.This biodegradable composite has an average fragmentation time of 4.7 days in the nasal cavity.In addition,this study did not observe any postoperative adverse events or serious adverse events.Conclusion:VELNEZ,a fragmentable nasal pack,is comfortable,safe,and effective against postsurgery bleeding and pain.

Clinical effect of acupuncture along fascia,meridians,and nerves combined with ultrasound-guided paravertebral nerve block in the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia:a randomized parallel-controlled study

OBJECTIVE:To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture along fascia,meridians,and nerves combined with ultrasound-guided nerve blockage in the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia.METHODS:A total of 61 outpatients with post-chest and back herpes zoster neuralgia were recruited in the Department of Pain at the Xiyuan Hospital,China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from May 2019 to June 2021.They were randomly divided into two groups.Thirty-one patients in the control group were treated with ultrasound-guided thoracic paravertebral nerve block(PVB)alone,one patient declined to continue during treatment(n=30),and thirty patients in the observation group received the acupuncture along the fascia,meridians,and nerves combined with ultrasound-guided PVB treatment(n=30).Both control and observation group received treatment weekly for 4 weeks.The medical history data such as age,sex,presence or absence of comorbidities and disease course were analyzed.The visual analog scale(VAS)score was used to assess the pain degree of two groups at T0(before treatment),T1(1-time treatment ended),T2(2 times treatment ended),T3(3 times treatment ended),and T4(4 times treatment ended).The sleep state was examined by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)before and after the study.RESULTS:There was no significant difference in general conditions between the control group and the observation group(P>0.05).The VAS score in both control and observation group was decreased in a time-dependent manner after 1-4 weeks of treatment.There were no significant differences in VAS scores between the two groups after 1 or 2 weeks of treatment(P>0.05).After 3 and 4 weeks of treatment,the VAS score was significantly decreased in the observation group compared with that in the control group(P<0.001).In addition,the reduction in VAS score(after treatment-before treatment)between the two groups was statistically significant[D value:-1.53,95%CI(-2.32,0.74),P<0.001].Furthermore,the sleep state of patients in both groups markedly improved and much obvious in the observation group than that in the control group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:These results suggest that a combination of acupuncture along fascia,meridians,and nerves with ultrasound-guided PVB treatment is more effective than ultrasound-guided PVB treatment alone.