Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 23, 2026
03:26
Author Spotlight: Advancements and Challenges in Surgical Treatments for Postamputation Pain
Published on: March 8, 2024
3.7K
[Neuromodulation in severe neuropathic pain]
Robert T M van Dongen1, Han Samwel, Inge J J Arnts
1Radboudumc, afd. Anesthesiologie, Pijn en Palliatieve Geneeskunde, Nijmegen.
Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Geneeskunde
|March 24, 2016
Summary
Spinal cord stimulation offers pain relief for chronic neuropathic pain. However, psycho-social factors like depression can hinder treatment success, even after thorough screening.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pain Management
- Neurosurgery
Background:
- Chronic neuropathic pain management is challenging.
- Nerve blocks, rehabilitation, and neuromodulation are options for refractory cases.
- Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) involves epidural electrical pulses for pain relief.
Observation:
- Three patients with persistent pain (post-disc surgery, diabetic neuropathy) underwent SCS.
- All patients received thorough pre-procedural screening by a multidisciplinary team.
- SCS failed in one patient despite comprehensive evaluation.
Findings:
- Thorough screening does not guarantee SCS success in neuropathic pain.
- Psycho-social factors significantly impact treatment outcomes.
- Inadequate coping mechanisms and depression are potential barriers to SCS efficacy.
Implications:
- Careful consideration of psycho-social elements is crucial for SCS patient selection.
- Multidisciplinary assessment should extend beyond physical evaluation.
- Further research is needed to optimize SCS for patients with complex psycho-social profiles.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Analgesia and Pain Management
2.8K
Pain is critical to various clinical pathologies, provoking an urgent need for effective management. Pain, whether acute or chronic, is a complex neurochemical process. Its alleviation depends on the type, with nonopioid analgesics effective for mild to moderate pain, such as musculoskeletal or inflammatory pain, while neuropathic pain responds best to anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, or serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. For severe acute or chronic pain, opioids may be...
2.8K
01:24Local Anesthetics: Differential Sensitivity of Nerve Fibers
1.6K
Local anesthetics (LAs) block the sodium channels of nerve trunks, sensory nerve endings, and neuromuscular junctions. Although LAs can block all kinds of nerves, the sensitivity of nerve fibers differs according to nerve types and structures. LAs are known to block myelinated fibers faster than unmyelinated ones. Also, they block pain or sensory neurons at low concentrations without affecting the motor neurons involved in muscle contractions. This helps relieve labor pain without affecting the...
1.6K
01:44Nociception
34.3K
Nociception—the ability to feel pain—is essential for an organism’s survival and overall well-being. Noxious stimuli such as piercing pain from a sharp object, heat from an open flame, or contact with corrosive chemicals are first detected by sensory receptors, called nociceptors, located on nerve endings. Nociceptors express ion channels that convert noxious stimuli into electrical signals. When these signals reach the brain via sensory neurons, they are perceived as pain.
34.3K