Functional restoration for chronic pain and disability

Tendon injury produces intractable pain and disability in movement, but the medications for analgesia and restoring functional integrity of tendon are still limited. In this study, we report that proteinase-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) activation in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons contributes to chronic pain and tendon histopathological changes produced by Achilles tendon partial transection injury (TTI). Tendon partial transection injury increases the expression of PAR2 protein in both somata of DRG neurons and their peripheral terminals within the injured Achilles tendon...

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease characterized by acute inflammatory episodes that affect the skin and peripheral nerves and can develop progressive and irreversible disabilities and deformities. In addition, drug therapy and physiotherapy offer resources and techniques capable of mitigating the consequences of neural lesions, but neural lesions can occur before, during, and even after drug treatment. Thus, new treatments are needed. Photobiomodulation (PBM) might be a promissor therapy since it aims to reduce the inflammatory process and restore motor and sensory functions in the affected area...

PURPOSE: To compare the clinical efficacy of percutaneous functional spinal unit cementoplasty (PFSUP) and posterior spinal fixation combined with vertebroplasty (PSF + VP) for the treatment of symptomatic chronic osteoporotic vertebral fractures (SCOVFs). METHOD: Thirty-one patients with SCOVFs were included in this retrospective study and divided into PFSUP ( n  = 14) and PSF + VP ( n  = 17) groups. Visual analog scores (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were recorded before and after surgery and at the last follow-up...

Background  Scapholunate (SL) instability is the most common dissociative carpal instability, and the most frequent cause of wrist osteoarthritis (OA), termed as scapholunate advanced collapse (SLAC). The aim of this study was to present the mid-term clinical and radiographic results of dorsal SL ligament reconstruction by utilizing free palmaris longus tendon graft in patients with symptomatic, chronic, static SL dissociation; while assessing the safety and efficacy of this technique, Materials and Methods  In total, 42 patients with a mean age of 44...

Hernia disease is one of the most common reasons patients seek surgical treatment, yet nearly 1 in 4 patients seeking ventral hernia repair in the United States suffer from chronic pain, disability, and diminished physical activity. The relationships between the anterior abdominal wall, lower back, diaphragm, and pelvic floor are critical in providing function and quality of life, yet management of hernia disease has been limited to surgical restoration of anatomy without taking into consideration the functional relationships of the abdominal core...

OBJECTIVE: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is multifactorial in nature, with recent research highlighting the role of multifidus dysfunction in a subset of nonspecific CLBP. This review aimed to provide a foundational reference that elucidates the pathophysiological cascade of multifidus dysfunction, how it contrasts with other CLBP etiologies and the role of restorative neurostimulation. METHODS: A scoping review of the literature. RESULTS: In total, 194 articles were included, and findings were presented to highlight emerging principles related to multifidus dysfunction and restorative neurostimulation...

Prompt and appropriate treatment of chronic low back pain (cLBP) is of the utmost importance for preventing relevant disability, high burden of disease, and increasing costs for the healthcare system. Recently, the concept of functional impairment has been associated with any type of chronic pain, and mounting attention has been paid to extending the aims of treatment beyond mere pain remission, including restoration of working capacity, everyday functioning, mobility, and quality of life. Nevertheless, a shared definition of functionality is still lacking...

PURPOSE: Chronic low back pain is a leading cause of disability worldwide. A clinical model for its cause is lacking. Defining a cause based clinical model and a framework of understanding back pain in terms of peripheral structural and central functional pain is essential for optimal management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We describe the results of the largest published audit of 41 chronic low back pain patients, receiving outpatient sublingual ketamine therapy for defined central functional pain along with conventional peripheral structural pain management...

BACKGROUND: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is one of the most dramatic events in pediatric age and, despite advanced neurointensive care, the survival rate remains low. Currently, no effective treatments can restore neuronal loss or produce significant improvement in these patients. Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) is a neurotrophin potentially able to counteract many of the deleterious effects triggered by OHCA. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) has been reported to be neuroprotective in many neurological diseases, such as motor deficit and cognitive impairment...

BACKGROUND: Low back pain is the leading cause of years lived with disability globally, but most interventions have only short-lasting, small to moderate effects. Cognitive functional therapy (CFT) is an individualised approach that targets unhelpful pain-related cognitions, emotions, and behaviours that contribute to pain and disability. Movement sensor biofeedback might enhance treatment effects. We aimed to compare the effectiveness and economic efficiency of CFT, delivered with or without movement sensor biofeedback, with usual care for patients with chronic, disabling low back pain...

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic joint disease caused by disruption of joint homeostasis by a variety of systemic and biomechanical factors. The disease is characterized by degradation of cartilage and other joint tissues, and low-grade inflammation which may result in pain, reduced function, and disability. The disease appears to have ancient origins, with findings of OA recognized in fossilized bones from birdlike dinosaurs living some 130 million years ago. Today, the burden of OA in the world's population is steadily increasing due to aging and often rising rates of obesity...

Evidence on the effectiveness of upper extremity rehabilitation post-stroke is inconclusive. We evaluated a tailored therapeutic program with dynamic splint and botulinum toxin injections for the treatment of upper extremity muscle spasticity. A case of a 43-year-old woman with chronic spastic hemiparesis after ischemic stroke with significant mobility impairment in the left upper extremity was described. A 16-week program consisted of three 50-min sessions daily and focused on grasping and releasing with and without the splint...

Neuromodulation is a developing field of medicine that includes a vast array of minimally invasive and non-invasive therapies including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), peripheral nerve stimulation, and spinal cord stimulation (SCS). Although the current literature surrounding the use of neuromodulation in managing chronic pain is abundant, there is an insufficient amount of evidence specifically regarding neuromodulation in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI)...

OBJECTIVES: Modic type 1 disc disease (MD1) appears to be related to severe Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP). Functional Restoration Programmes (FRP) recommended in CLBP may not be suitable for patients with MD1. The main objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of a FRP, on the perceived incapacity and the pain intensity, in patients with non-specific CLBP according to the presence of MD1. METHODS: We performed a single-centre retrospective cohort study in which 271 patients were included...

Tendon injuries disrupt the transmission of forces from muscle to bone, leading to chronic pain, disability, and a large socioeconomic burden. Tendon injuries are prevalent; there are over 300,000 tendon repair procedures a year in the United States to address acute trauma or chronic tendinopathy. Successful restoration of function after tendon injury remains challenging clinically. Despite improvements in surgical and physical therapy techniques, the high complication rate of tendon repair procedures motivates the use of therapeutic interventions to augment healing...

Damage to intervertebral discs (IVD) can lead to chronic pain and disability, and no current treatments can fully restore their function. Some non-surgical treatments have shown promise; however, these approaches are generally limited by burst release and poor localization of diverse molecules. In this proof-of-concept study, we developed a nanoparticle (NP) delivery system to efficiently deliver high- and low-solubility drug molecules. Nanoparticles of cellulose acetate and polycaprolactone-polyethylene glycol conjugated with 1-oxo-1H-pyrido [2,1-b][1,3]benzoxazole-3-carboxylic acid (PBC), a novel fluorescent dye, were prepared by the oil-in-water emulsion...

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common causes of pain and disability. At present, treatment and interventions for acute and chronic low back pain often fail to provide sufficient levels of pain relief, and full functional restoration can be challenging. Considering the significant socio-economic burden and risk-to-benefit ratio of medical and surgical intervention in low back pain patients, the identification of reliable biomarkers such as epigenetic factors associated with low back pain could be useful in clinical practice...

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease and is the main cause of chronic pain and functional disability in adults. Articular cartilage is a hydrated soft tissue that is composed of normally quiescent chondrocytes at a low density, a dense network of collagen fibrils with a pore size of 60-200 nm, and aggrecan proteoglycans with high-density negative charge. Although certain drugs, nucleic acids, and proteins have the potential to slow the progression of OA and restore the joints, these treatments have not been clinically applied owing to the lack of an effective delivery system capable of breaking through the cartilage barrier...

PURPOSE: Conservative management of lumbar radiculopathy (LR) is the first treatment option. To date, systematic reviews and clinical practice guidelines have not considered the most appropriate timing of management. This study aimed to establish consensus on effective conservative treatment modalities across different stages (i.e., acute, sub-acute, or chronic) of LR. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Through an iterative multistage Delphi process, experts rated agreement with proposed treatment modalities across stages of LR and could suggest additional treatment modalities...

BACKGROUND: Restorative neurostimulation is a rehabilitative treatment for patients with refractory chronic low back pain (CLBP) associated with dysfunction of the lumbar multifidus muscle resulting in impaired neuromuscular control. The ReActiv8-B randomized, sham-controlled trial provided evidence of the effectiveness and safety of an implanted, restorative neurostimulator. The two-year analysis previously published in this journal demonstrated accrual of clinical benefits and long-term durability...