Rejected

Tendinopathy describes a combination of pain, swelling, and impaired performance of the tendon and around structures. There are various treatment options for tendinopathy with unclear efficacy. Dry needling involves inserting needles into the affected tendon, and it is thought to disrupt the chronic degenerative process and encourage localized bleeding and fibroblastic proliferation. The purpose of this review is to review the use of dry needling as a treatment modality for tendinopathy.

Post-operative pain following excisional haemorrhoidectomy poses a particular challenge for patient recovery, as well as a burden on hospital resources. There appears to be an increasing role for topical agents to improve this pain, but their efficacy and safety have not been fully assessed. This systematic review aims to assess all topical agents used for pain following excisional haemorrhoidectomy.

Gastroparesis is a chronic motor disorder of the stomach characterized by the demonstration of delayed gastric emptying without obstruction and a grouping of symptoms including nausea, vomiting, early satiety, postprandial fullness, bloating and abdominal pain. When conservative medical management is not effective, gastric electrical stimulation is an effective alternative. Gastric electrical stimulation, in general, has had a low complication rate as of yet, with the most common being infection of the implanted device. We present a complication in which the gastric electrical stimulator electrodes eroded through the colonic wall.

Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) affects animal and plant tissues; however, the mechanism has not been defined. We hypothesized that the magnetic field produced by PRF exerts its effects by the magnetic sensitivity of transitions between spin states -a spin-correlated radical-pair mechanism (SCRPM)- which, in turn, affects the rates of chemical reactions with participation of paramagnetic species.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a multifactorial disease that is sensitive to the balance between anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory cytokines. This study investigated the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of interleukin 4 (IL-4) in IVDD. Genomic DNA of peripheral mononuclear cells of 76 IVDD patients and 140 healthy controls were investigated for three SNPs of IL-4 (rs2243248 (-1098G/T), rs2243250 (-590 C/T), rs2070874 (-33 C/T)) and 1 SNP of IL-4RA (rs180275, +1902 A/G) through PCR-SSP method. The 'C' allele frequency of IL-4 rs2243250 was 104 in 76 patients, while it was 149 in 140 controls (OR = 2,  = .001); also this SNP was significantly associated with post-operative pain reduction. The 'C' allele of IL-4 rs2070874 (130 in 76 patients, and 200 in 140 controls, OR = 2.66), and the 'CC' genotype were more frequent among patients (OR = 3.98,  < .001) than controls. 'TTT' haplotype was more common in controls (OR = 0.36,  < .001) and 'TCC' was also more common in patients (OR = 1.75,  = .012). A meta-analysis of previous studies found significantly higher IL-4 levels in disc tissues of IVDD patients, which was not similarly found in blood samples. The immune system plays an important role in IVDD. The extent and progress of the disease vary significantly with IL-4 level. Meanwhile, the rs2070874 and rs2243250 SNPs of IL-4 were significantly associated with IVDD in Iranian patients.

Wandering spleen is a rare condition characterized by the absence or underdevelopment of one or all spleen ligaments that fixate the spleen in the left upper quadrant. Many different terms refer to wandering spleen like dislocated spleen, ectopic spleen and displaced spleen. We report in this case a 13-year-old Syrian girl presented to the emergency department complaining of acute generalized abdominal pain with fever, anorexia and vomiting started 2 days prior to presentation. A splenectomy was performed, with uneventful postsurgical follow-up. Wandering spleen is prone to torsion and infarction resulting in acute abdomen and a life-threatening condition with high mortality rate reaching 50%. We advise the investigation of any recurrent episodes of chronic pain keeping up within mind this diagnosis.

To evaluate the incidence, etiology, and clinical outcomes after revision distal biceps tendon repair. We hypothesized that re-ruptures are rare and can be reattached with satisfactory results.

Although multimodal analgesia (MMA) is recommended for perioperative pain management, previous studies have found substantial variability in its utilization. To better understand the factors that influence anesthesiologists' choices, we assessed the associations between patient or surgical characteristics and number of nonopioid analgesic modes received intraoperatively across a variety of surgeries in a university-affiliated Veteran Affairs hospital.

Opioid prescribing to treat chronic non-cancer pain has rapidly increased, despite a lack of evidence for long-term safety and effectiveness. A pain review service was developed to work with patients taking opioids long-term to explore opioid use, encourage non-drug-based alternatives, and, where appropriate, support dose reduction.