• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제22권1호
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• pp.33-38
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• 2009

Background: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is still difficult to diagnose in the field of chronic pain management. CRPS is diagnosed by purely clinical criteria based on the characteristic signs and symptoms, which have to be differentiated from similar pain conditions like posttraumatic neuropathic pain. Until now, there has been a lack of objective diagnostic tools to confirm the diagnosis of CRPS. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of a three phase bone scan (TBS) for making the diagnosis of CRPS. Methods: A total of 121 patients who had been diagnosed with CRPS were evaluated. All the patients were examined by performing a TBS as a part of the diagnostic work-up. A diffuse increased tracer uptake on the delayed image (phase III) was defined as a positive finding for CRPS. Results: Forty-one patients (33.9%) out of 121 showed the positive results on the TBS. The patients with a duration of pain of less than 24 months had a significantly higher positive result (43.4%) on the TBS than did the patients with duration of pain longer than 24 months (12.1%). Conclusions: A TBS could give a better objective result for diagnosing CRPS for patients with a shorter duration of pain and a TBS gives little information for the diagnosis of CRPS in patients with a duration of pain longer than 24 months.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제26권4호
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• pp.327-335
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• 2013

For those of us who have read the 2 recently published articles by a Danish - British research group, it might appear that we are observing an impending paradigm shift on the origins of chronic low back pain. The results of this research indicate, that chronic low back pain associated with bone marrow edema in vertebral endplates that are adjacent to herniated intervertebral discs may be caused by infections with anaerobic bacteria of low virulence. According to these articles, treatment with certain antibiotics is significantly more effective than placebo against this low back pain. If these findings are to hold true in repeat studies by other researchers, they stand to fundamentally change our concepts of low back pain, degenerative disc disease and in consequence the suitable therapies for these entities. It may in fact require pain specialists to become familiarized with the details of antibiotic treatments and their specific risks in order to be able to properly counsel their patients. While this seems hard to believe at first glance, bacteria have been implicated in the pathogenesis of other conditions that do not primarily impose as infectious diseases such as gastric ulcers. While the authors refer to a few previous studies pointing into the same direction, the relevant research is really only from one group of collaborating scientists. Therefore, before we start prescribing antibiotics for chronic low back pain, it is imperative that other researchers in different institutions confirm these results.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.1-20
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• 2019

Neuropathic pain is a complex chronic pain state caused by the dysfunction of somatosensory nervous system, and it affects the millions of people worldwide. At present, there are very few medical treatments available for neuropathic pain management and the intolerable side effects of medications may further worsen the symptoms. Despite the presence of profound knowledge that delineates the pathophysiology and mechanisms leading to neuropathic pain, the unmet clinical needs demand more research in this field that would ultimately assist to ameliorate the pain conditions. Efforts are being made globally to explore and understand the basic molecular mechanisms responsible for somatosensory dysfunction in preclinical pain models. The present review highlights some of the novel molecular targets like D-amino acid oxidase, endoplasmic reticulum stress receptors, sigma receptors, hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated cation channels, histone deacetylase, $Wnt/{\beta}-catenin$ and Wnt/Ryk, ephrins and Eph receptor tyrosine kinase, Cdh-1 and mitochondrial ATPase that are implicated in the induction of neuropathic pain. Studies conducted on the different animal models and observed results have been summarized with an aim to facilitate the efforts made in the drug discovery. The diligent analysis and exploitation of these targets may help in the identification of some promising therapies that can better manage neuropathic pain and improve the health of patients.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• 제10권2호
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• pp.116-123
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• 2021

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of myofascial decompressiontherapy using moving suction on body temperature, pain, neck disability index, and cervical rotation for young adult with nonspecific neck pain. Design: Two-group pretest-posttest design. Methods: The subjects were randomly assigned 22 patients with chronic cervical pain who met the study conditions to the experimental group (n=11) and the control group (n=11). In the experimental group, the myofascial decompressiontherapy (MDT) was performed for 10 minutes using moving suction withnegative 15 mmHg pressure from the insertion to the origin of the upper trapezius muscle, while the control group without negative pressure. In order to investigate the effects of the intervention, an infrared thermometer, a visual analogue scale, neck disability index, and goniometer were used. Results: As a result of comparing the pre- and post- changes in each group according to the intervention, skin temperature, pain, neck disability index, and cervical rotation in both the experimental and control groups were significantly improved (p<0.05). Comparison of pre- and post- changes between the experimental and control groups showed significant differences for pain and cervical rotation (p<0.05), but no significant difference was found in the body temperature and neck disability index. Conclusions: Based on the results, MDT using moving suction was effective in reducing pain and increasing of cervical rotation for young adult with nonspecific neck pain.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제43권6호
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• pp.505-512
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• 2010

Objectives: Because of the changing life style of Koreans, we have witnessed an increase of patients with back pain. The development of medical knowledge and technology has resulted in more numerous and better treatment methods. However, the outcomes of diverse treatments have been examined by using a few medicine-oriented measures like pain. This study aims at identifying the factors that influence the outcomes of back pain treatments by using two outcome measures (e.g., quality of life and pain). Methods: We used the questionnaire survey method for data collection. The questionnaires contained 5 categories (treatment methods, clinical conditions, exercise, quality of life and, socio-demographic characteristics). We interviewed 188 back pain patients. We used the regression analysis method to predict the quality of life or pain. Results: Surgery showed a statistically significant effect on the quality of life as well as pain. The illness period, age and exercise were turned out to be significant factors for both of the dependent variables. The social class and surgery methods showed a statistically significant effect solely on the quality of life. Conclusions: In choosing the surgical methods, doctors need to provide detailed explanations on the quality of life outcomes for each of the surgical methods to the patients.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• 제40권2호
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• pp.47-54
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• 2015

Purpose: Besides depression and anxiety, recently pain catastrophizing has been emphasized for an important psychological factor explaining pain response in various pain conditions including temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). The aims of this study were to evaluate pain catastrophizing of TMD patients and to investigate how the level of pain catastrophizing related with clinical variables and psychometric morbidity. Methods: Inclusion criterion was all new TMD patients ${\geq}18$ years old attending the Department of Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine of Dankook University Dental Hospital (Cheonan, Korea) over three-month period in 2014, who completed questionnaires. The questionnaires included the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), and Symptom Check List- 90-Revised (SCL-90-R). All of them were examined clinically and diagnosed. Results: One hundred fifty five patients diagnosed as TMDs were participated in this study (mean age of $38.7{\pm}15.2$ years, male:female=1:2.5). Mean PCS score of the patients was 17.3 with standard deviation of 12.6. By the median of the PCS score (i.e., 15), the subjects were categorized into the high (${\geq}15$) and low catastrophizers (<15). Increased pain severity and interference and increased score of psychological features of SCL-90-R were found in the TMD patients with higher level of catastrophizing (p<0.001) and there was weak to moderate correlation between those factors (p<0.05). Difference in catastrophizing level was not found for other variables such as age, gender, duration of pain, education level and types of TMDs. Conclusions: Conclusively, pain catastrophizing of TMD patients relates positively to pain severity and pain interference. In addition to depression and anxiety, pain catastrophizing is positively correlated with variable other psychological morbidity such as somatization, obsessive- compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, paranoid ideation and psychoticism. Types of TMD diagnosis do not seem to affect catastrophizing level. The results of this study suggest that pain catastrophizing should be emphasized and assessed in the TMD patients.

• 정신신체의학
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.57-61
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• 2010

복합부위 통증증후군은 하나 혹은 그 이상의 사지에 극심한 통증과 장애를 일으키는 질환이다. 하지만 질환의 원인과 경과에 대한 지식이 매우 한정되어 있어, 복합부위 통증증후군의 치료에 대한 최신의 이론들은 다른 신경병증성 통증의 치료에 많은 부분 의존하고 있다. 본문에서는 복합부위 통증증후군의 다양한 치료에 대해 소개하고 있으나, 그 효과에 대해 잘 설계된 논문은 극히 드문 실정이다. 따라서 복합부위 통증증후군에 대한 조기 진단과 다과적인 치료적 접근이 좋은 결과를 얻는데 필수적인 것으로 사료된다.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제5권1호
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• pp.92-95
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• 1992

Coccygodynia is severe burning pain around the coccyx and idiopathic coccygodynia refers to the forms of coccygeal pain that are not associated with well defined pathological conditions, such as recent fractures, dislocation, infectious diseases, or tumors of the coccyx. We experienced a case of coccygodynia in which patient had suffered from intermittent severe pain around the coccyx for nine years without a well defined cause. So coccygeal nerve block and low caudal blocks were performed with local anesthetics and steroid and the pain was controlled effectively.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제49권2호
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• pp.117-128
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• 2006

Non-traumatic acute abdominal pain in children presents a diagnostic dilemma. Numerous disorders can cause abdominal pain. Although many etiologies are benign, some require a rapid diagnosis and treatment in order to minimize morbidity. This review concentrates on the clinical office evaluation of acute abdominal pain in infants and children and details the clinical guideline for the diagnostic approach to imaging and the salient clinical features of some of the conditions. The clinical outcomes of children presenting with acute abdominal pain and the risk factors of the high risk underlying diseases would be provided for the diagnostic algorithm.

• 대한물리치료과학회지
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• 제4권1호
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• pp.351-359
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• 1997

The joint dysfunction is the major cause of pain in trunk and extremities according to J. McM. Mennell who mentioned that there were no pathological changes that was found in the painful joint. The referred pain due to joint dysfunction has to be differentiated from other painful conditions, particularly of the neuromusculoskeletal system. Most of the pain in the lower extremities is due to the sacroiliac joint dysfunction according to Setsuo Hakata who had developed arthrokinematic approach(AKA) for sacroiliac joint in 1989. AKA for sacroiliac dysfunction is made up of distraction & gliding technics that are no violent to recover the disturbed intra-articular movement and result in immediate relief of pain.