Management of Postherniorrhaphy Chronic Neuropathic Groin Pain: A Role for Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation

Chronic neuropathic groin pain is a sequela of hernia surgery that occurs at unacceptably high rates, causing widespread impacts on quality of life. Although the medical community is beginning to recognize the role of surgical technique in the initiation and maintenance of postherniorrhaphy neuropathic pain, little information exists regarding pain management strategies for this condition. This review presents a summary of the pain condition state, its treatment options, and treatment recommendations. Both literature review and clinical experience were used to develop a proposed a treatment algorithm for the treatment of postherniorrhaphy pain. The development of chronic pain may be prevented via a number of perioperative measures. For pain that is already established, some surgical approaches including inguinal neurectomy can be effective, in addition to standard pharmacological treatments and local infiltrations. An unmet need may still exist with these options, however, leaving a role for neuromodulation for the treatment of intractable cases. A pain management algorithm for iterative interventions including stimulation of the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) is described. It is expected that cross‐disciplinary awareness of surgeons for nonsurgical pain management options in the treatment of chronic neuropathic postherniorrhaphy pain will contribute to better clinical outcomes.     

低频电针对脊神经结扎大鼠痛敏化的干预作用

目的观察低频电针对脊神经结扎神经病理痛大鼠模型痛敏化的干预作用,探讨其可能的外周痛敏化调节机制。方法建立大鼠L5脊神经结扎模型,电针足三里和昆仑穴,观察大鼠痛觉超敏反应,运用Western blotting 法检测L4、L5背根神经节(DRG)辣椒素受体(TRPV1)与P 物质(SP)水平,采用TRPV1 激动剂6'-IRTX进行验证。结果脊神经结扎大鼠出现明显的痛敏化反应,术侧L4 DRG TRPV1 和L5 DRG SP 水平升高(P<0.05);低频电针能减轻模型大鼠的痛敏反应,抑制TRPV1、SP 水平上升(P<0.05)。6'-IRTX腹腔注射能拮抗低频电针的抗痛敏化作用。结论低频电针可减轻痛敏化,发挥对神经病理痛的治疗作用,其机制可能与其有效调控DRG TRPV1 和SP有关。     

短时程脊髓电刺激联合臭氧对神经病理性疼痛患者机械痛阈值、炎性因子的影响

目的：探究短时程脊髓电刺激联合臭氧对神经病理性疼痛患者机械痛阈值、疼痛程度以及炎症因子的影响。方法：选取2021年2月至2023年1月我院收治的神经病理性疼痛患者90例。将90例NP患者根据随机数字表法分为研究组（n=45）和对照组（n=45）,对照组在X线透视引导下植入电极进行短时程脊髓电刺激（tSCS）治疗,连续治疗2周;研究组在对照组的基础上联合臭氧治疗,予疼痛触发点行臭氧注射,每周2次,共治疗2周。记录并比较两组机械痛阈值、视觉模拟评分(VAS),检测两组肿瘤坏死因子-α（tumor necrosis factor-alpha,TNF-α）、白细胞介素-6（interleukin 6,IL-6）表达水平,评价两组治疗后的临床疗效。结果：治疗后,研究组总有效率为82.22%（37/45）,对照组总有效率为62.22%（28/45）,差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）;治疗后,两组患者机械痛阈值明显升高（P<0.05）,且研究组的机械痛阈值明显高于对照组（P<0.05）;两组治疗后VAS评分以及血清TNF-α、IL-6水平显著降低（P<0.05）,且研究组明显低于对照组（P<0.05）。结论：短时程脊髓电刺激联合臭氧能有效治疗神经病理性疼痛,提升患者的机械痛阈值,缓解患者疼痛,并降低血清炎症因子水平。     

AAPT Diagnostic Criteria for Peripheral Neuropathic Pain: Focal and Segmental Disorders

Peripheral neuropathic pain is among the most prevalent types of neuropathic pain. No comprehensive peripheral neuropathic pain classification system that incorporates contemporary clinical, diagnostic, biological, and psychological information exists. To address this need, this article covers the taxonomy for 4 focal or segmental peripheral neuropathic pain disorders, as part of the Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations, Innovations, Opportunities, and Networks (ACTTION) public-private partnership and the American Pain Society (APS) collaborative to develop a standardized, evidence-based taxonomy initiative: the ACTTION-APS Pain Taxonomy (AAPT). The disorders—postherpetic neuralgia, persistent posttraumatic neuropathic pain, complex regional pain disorder, and trigeminal neuralgia—were selected because of their clinical and clinical research relevance. The multidimensional features of the taxonomy are suitable for clinical trials and can also facilitate hypothesis-driven case-control and cohort epidemiologic studies.

Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation for Erythromelalgia Related Foot Pain: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Erythromelalgia is a rare neurovascular disorder characterized by erythema, warmth, and episodic burning pain, often felt in the face, hands, and feet. Symptoms are typically worse with heat, exercise, stress, and during the overnight hours. Management often requires a multidisciplinary approach, including pain trigger avoidance, cool water baths, and topical and oral neuropathic medications. The use of spinal cord stimulation has been described in multiple case reports with success reported out to 24 months. To our knowledge, the use of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation for erythromelalgia-related pain has not been described. Herein, we present a case of erythromelalgia-related pain at the bilateral plantar surfaces of the feet, which was treated successfully with bilateral sacral S1 nerve root DRG stimulation.     

Therapeutic Ultrasound Suppresses Neuropathic Pain and Upregulation of Substance P and Neurokinin-1 Receptor in Rats after Peripheral Nerve Injury

We studied the mechanisms and impact of therapeutic ultrasound (TU) for pain caused by nerve injury. TU began on post-operative day 5 (POD5) and then continued daily for the next 22 d. Sensitivity to thermal and mechanical stimuli and levels of neurokinin-1 receptor, substance P, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 in the sciatic nerve were examined. On POD7, chronic constriction injury rats undergoing TU at an intensity of 1 W/cm², but not 0.25 or 0.5 W/cm², had increases in both the mechanical withdrawal threshold and the thermal withdrawal latency compared with the chronic constriction injury group. Moreover, chronic constriction injury rats exhibited upregulation of neurokinin-1 receptor, substance P, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 in the sciatic nerve on PODs 14 and 28, whereas TU inhibited their increased expression. We suggest that the efficacy of TU is dependent on its ability to limit the upregulation of neurokinin-1 receptor, substance P, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 around the injured sciatic nerve.     

Neuromodulation of Pelvic Visceral Pain: Review of the Literature and Case Series of Potential Novel Targets for Treatment

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is complex and often resistant to treatment. While the exact pathophysiology is unknown, the pain states resultant from conditions such as interstitial cystitis and the like yield patients with a presentation that bears a striking similarity to neuropathic syndromes that are known to respond to neuromodulation. While there has been past success using the sacral region as a target for spinal cord stimulation (SCS) to treat these patients, there remains to be a consensus on the optimal location for lead placement. In this article, the authors discuss the potential etiology of CPP, examine the current literature on lead placement for SCS as a method of treatment, as well as present several cases where novel lead placement was successfully employed.     

A Comparison of the DN4 and LANSS Questionnaires in the Assessment of Neuropathic Pain: Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Version of DN4

A screening tool that quickly and correctly differentiates neuropathic pain from non-neuropathic pain is essential. Although there are many screening tools in the assessment of neuropathic pain, many physicians still have the problem of not being able to identify their neuropathic pain patients easily. In this study, we assessed the test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and validity of the Turkish version of DN4 questionnaire. Within the same group of patients, we also compared the DN4 with the LANSS questionnaire. A total of 180 patients (n = 121 with neuropathic pain and n = 59 with non-neuropathic pain characteristics) were enrolled. In our study population, peripheral origin of neuropathic pain, mainly radiculopathies and polyneuropathies, dominated. The reliability and validity of Turkish version of DN4 were found to be high. The sensitivities of the DN4 and the LANSS were 95% and 70.2%, respectively. The specificity of both tests was 96.6%. The strengths and weaknesses of these questionnaires are discussed.     

Exercise-Induced Hypoalgesia Profile in Rats Predicts Neuropathic Pain Intensity Induced by Sciatic Nerve Constriction Injury

The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH) profile on pain intensity induced by nerve injury in a rat model. EIH was tested by evaluating the percentage of withdrawal responses to a train of 30 mechanical stimuli on the hind paw before and after 180 seconds of exercise on a rotating rod. The rats were grouped into low, medium, and high EIH based on their reduction in the percentage of withdrawal responses before and after exercise. Rats from each group then underwent left sciatic nerve constriction injury. Mechanical allodynia, mechanical hyperalgesia, and heat allodynia were assessed in the affected and contralateral hind paws prior to and 3 and 7 days following the procedure. The low EIH rats demonstrated increased hypersensitivity at baseline and developed significantly more severe heat allodynia, mechanical allodynia, and hyperalgesia 3 and 7 days following the injury compared to the medium and high EIH rats. Moreover, the low EIH rats developed contralateral heat allodynia following the injury. The EIH of habituated and nonhabituated rats was compared to study the role of stress on the hypoalgesic effect. No significant differences were found between the habituated and nonhabituated rats at baseline and 1 and 5 minutes after the exercise.PerspectiveEIH profile was found to be predictive of pain severity following nerve injury. It may suggest that selected patients with faulty pain modulation are at risk for developing chronic pain following injury or surgical procedures. EIH may represent a preoperative means to detect this predisposition and enable proactive management.     

大鼠脊髓背角TRPV4在背根神经节持续受压致神经病理性疼痛中的作用

目的:探讨大鼠背根神经节(dorsal root ganglion,DRG)持续受压(chronic compression of right side dorsal root ganglion,CCD)后脊髓背角瞬时感受器电位离子通道4(TRPV4)基因及蛋白变化,明确脊髓背角TRPV4在CCD致神经病理性疼痛中的作用。方法:采用健康成年雄性Wistar大鼠,共36只,随机分为3组,分别为空白对照组、CCD手术组、CCD+钌红组。制备大鼠背根神经节持续受压模型,于术前1天、术后第7天、给药前及给药2h后,测量大鼠机械刺激缩爪反应阈值,观察机械痛阈的变化;利用RT-PCR及Western Blot技术检测各组大鼠手术侧脊髓背角TRPV4基因及蛋白表达的变化。结果:与空白对照组相比,术后第7天,CCD组大鼠术侧机械痛阈值明显下降(P0.001),同侧脊髓背角TRPV4基因及蛋白表达升高(P0.05);与给药前相比,给予钌红2h后,术侧机械痛阈值明显升高(P0.001),同侧脊髓背角TRPV4基因及蛋白表达下降(P0.05)。结论:CCD后大鼠术侧机械痛阈下降,脊髓背角TRPV4基因及蛋白表达升高;钌红可部分逆转CCD后痛觉过敏,部分降低脊髓背角TRPV4基因及蛋白表达。脊髓背角TRPV4参与CCD后大鼠神经病理性疼痛形成。     

血神经屏障和Claudin-1蛋白在大鼠慢性神经病理性疼痛中的作用

目的:观察慢性神经病理性疼痛大鼠坐骨神经的血神经屏障(BNB)变化,并探讨紧密连接蛋白Claudin-1在其中的作用.方法:健康雌性SD大鼠分为3组:对照组(Control组)、假手术组(Sham组)和慢性坐骨神经压迫损伤组(CCI组).对照组不做处理;Sham组仅分离暴露大鼠右侧坐骨神经,不结扎;CCI组暴露大鼠右侧...