Use of gabapentinoid treatment and the risk of self-harm: population based self-controlled case series study.

Objective: To estimate the effect of gabapentinoid treatment on self-harm.

Design: A population based self-controlled case series study.

Setting: UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink Aurum database linked to the Hospital Episode Statistics and Office for National Statistics databases.

Technical Modification of Cervical Facet Joint Radiofrequency Ablation: A Novel Approach.

Background: Current standards of practice recommend performing the cervical medial branch block (MBB) and applying the subsequent radiofrequency ablation (RFA) electrode via anterior-posterior (AP) and lateral fluoroscopic views. The lateral views of the lower cervical segment are frequently hindered by patients' anatomical factors and prevent the accurate and safe placement of the RFA needle.

Objective: The goal of this technical modification is to introduce and standardize an oblique angle view using fluoroscopy to enable more accurate placement of the MBB needle and RFA needle electrode in the cervical facet joint.

Characteristics, risk factors and clinical impact of penicillin and other antibiotic allergies in adults in the UK General Practice: A population-based cohort study.

Objective: To assess the characteristics, risk factors and clinical impact of penicillin and other antibiotic allergy labels in general practice in the UK.

Design: Population-based cohort study.

Setting: Primary care in the UK, 2000-2018.

Radiofrequency Ablation of the Thoracic Descending Branch of the Posterior Rami: An Effective Intervention for Facet Joint Pain. A Case Report.

Background: Thoracic spine pain is believed to have a comparable prevalence to that of neck pain and low back pain in the general population. Recent discoveries in thoracic spine neuroanatomy have shown that the descending branch of the posterior ramus innervates the thoracic facet joint capsule. We present a case in which thermal radiofrequency ablation of the descending branch was used to significantly relieve pain in a patient with thoracic facet joint pain.

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Profiling of CONSTANS-Like Genes in Pepper (): Gaining an Insight to Their Phylogenetic Evolution and Stress-Specific Roles.

() genes play important regulatory roles in multiple growth and development processes of plants but have rarely been studied in . This study explored the evolutionary relationship and expression patterns of genes from . A total of 10 genes were identified in the genome of the cultivated pepper and were named -.

Sternocleidomastoid Tendinopathy in a Pediatric Athlete.

To our knowledge, this case report describes the first known case of sternocleidomastoid tendinopathy, occurring in a pediatric athlete who had gone undiagnosed for a period of 2 yrs. She presented to our pain clinic with bilateral otalgia, occipital headaches, and occasional bouts of tinnitus and dizziness. An extensive workup by otolaryngology (ENT) including computed tomography imaging of the head, ear pressure equalization, and an attempt at therapeutic tonsillectomy left her with no diagnosis and no symptom relief.

Insight into chlorine evolution during hydrothermal carbonization of medical waste model.

In order to reveal the chlorine behavior during hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of medical waste, polyvinyl chloride and medical waste model (MW) were respectively treated by HTC at temperature ranging from 220 °C to 300 °C for 30 min. HTC products were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, etc. It is found that HTC can efficiently remove chlorine from both polyvinyl chloride and MW.

Successful Treatment of Gluteal Pain from Obturator Internus Tendinitis and Bursitis with Ultrasound-Guided Injection.

This case report describes what the authors believe is the first case of a patient with obturator internus tendinitis and bursitis successfully treated with a corticosteroid injection using a trans-tendinous lateral to medial approach. The patient presented with right gluteal pain not relieved by physical therapy or right hip and ischial bursa corticosteroid injections. Pelvic and lumbar spine MRIs and EMG/NCS findings were unremarkable.

A tomato plastidic ATP/ADP transporter gene increases starch content in transgenic .

A plastidic ATP/ADP transporter (AATP) is responsible for importing ATP from the cytosol into plastids. Increasing the ATP supply is a potential way to facilitate anabolic synthesis in heterotrophic plastids of plants. In this work, a gene encoding the AATP protein, named , was successfully isolated from tomato.

Use of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Intra-Articular Knee Injections for Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review.

Objective: To systematically analyze the literature on the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for intra-articular injections of the knee and its efficacy in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Design: Systematic literature reviews were conducted in PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL (ie, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) on October 30, 2013, using the keywords "platelet-rich plasma" and "knee" and "osteoarthritis." Inclusion criteria included (1) studies with human subjects, (2) prospective clinical studies (including either clinical trials or observational studies), and (3) full-text articles published in English.

Ganglion cyst at the fibular head causing common peroneal neuropathy diagnosed with ultrasound and electrodiagnostic examination: a case report.

The common peroneal nerve is a major source of innervation to the lower limb, but it is sometimes compressed or entrapped at the fibular head. The authors present what they believe is the first reported case where peroneal nerve impingement caused by ganglion cyst compression of the nerve at the fibular head was diagnosed using a combination of ultrasound imaging and electrodiagnostic studies. The authors described the history, physical examination, electrodiagnostic findings, and musculoskeletal ultrasound findings of a patient with a left foot drop caused by a ganglion cyst compressing the common peroneal nerve at the fibular head.

Optimal needle entry angle for cervical transforaminal epidural injections.

Background: Cervical epidural steroid injections can be performed through either interlaminar or transforaminal approaches, although the interlaminar approach is more frequently used, for cervical radicular pain as a result of cervical disc herniation or spinal stenosis. Cervical selective nerve root block (CSNRB) is an injection that uses a similar approach to that of cervical transforaminal epidural steroid injection (CTFESI) but CSNRB is mainly used for diagnostic injection, often with local anesthetic only.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate an optimal needle entry angle for cervical transforaminal epidural steroid injection (CTFESI) or cervical selective nerve root block (CSNRB) using the fluoroscopically guided anterior oblique approach.

Factors influencing the persistence of organochlorine pesticides in surface soil from the region around the Hongze Lake, China.

Contamination by organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), such as hexachlorobenzene (HCB), DDTs and hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs) was examined in surface soils from paddy, upland and wetland fields in the region around the Hongze Lake in 2009, and some factors influencing residual levels of OCPs in soils were analyzed. DDTs and HCHs were the predominant contaminants in soils. The residual levels of OCPs in cultivated soils were significantly higher than those of corresponding counterparts in wetland soils.

Efficacy and safety of hyaluronan treatment in combination therapy with home exercise for knee osteoarthritis pain.

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of intra-articular injections of sodium hyaluronate combined with a home exercise program (HEP) in the management of pain associated with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee.

Design: Single-blinded, parallel-design, 1-year clinical study with sequential enrollment.

Setting: University-based outpatient physiatric practice.

Injections in patients with osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal disorders: use of synthetic injection models for teaching physiatry residents.

This study examined whether resident injection skills could be enhanced using synthetic injection models. A total of 30 physiatry residents underwent written and injection-model pretesting and posttesting. After randomization into injection-model and control groups, the experimental group trained by watching an instructional videotape and by using models that gave visual feedback on injection accuracy, whereas the control group studied technical aspects of injections.

Pyridoxine hydrochloride treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome: a review.

It has been hypothesized that idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a manifestation of vitamin B6 deficiency. Some claim that B6 supplementation can alleviate symptoms. Others argue that pain relief occurs because of vitamin B6's anti-nociceptive properties or because B6 supplementation addresses an unrecognized peripheral neuropathy.

Central post-stroke pain syndrome: yet another use for gabapentin?

Although gabapentin was originally developed for treating partial seizures, it has been used mainly to treat various peripheral neuropathic pain conditions; however, there is very limited experience with gabapentin for the treatment of pain conditions of the central nervous system like central post-stroke pain syndrome. We report the case of a 45-yr old man with central post-stroke pain syndrome who failed to respond to a variety of oral analgesics, but within 2 wk of the inception of gabapentin therapy, his average pain was significantly reduced and his level of function improved. We conclude that gabapentin may be an effective medication for the treatment of central post-stroke pain syndrome.

Gabapentin in the treatment of neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, crossover trial.

Background: Neuropathic pain is a common complaint after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Gabapentin, a synthetic structural analogue of GABA, has been shown to have beneficial effects in the treatment of neuropathic pain in other diagnostic groups; however, no standardized clinical trial has been performed to evaluate its efficacy after SCI.

Design: A 10-week, prospective, randomized, double-blind, crossover, and placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Pain, dizziness, and central nervous system blood flow in cervical extension: vascular correlations to beauty parlor stroke syndrome and salon sink radiculopathy.

Objective: Professional shampoos have previously been implicated in beauty parlor stroke syndrome and salon sink radiculopathy. The purpose of this study was to record pain, dizziness, and cervical blood flow while subjects were specifically placed into the salon sink position and to determine whether an additional cervical support would alter these symptoms and measurements.

Design: In 25 volunteers who reported previous dizziness from salon shampoos, we recorded subjective levels of pain and dizziness and objective measurements of blood flow within the vertebral and carotid arteries at baseline and then during cervical extension into a salon sink, with and without additional cervical support.