RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Low back pain is a prevalent symptom that occurs in all age of people, whereas the pathogenesis is unknown. Iliopsoas tendinopathy is an increasingly recognized hip disorder that may contribute to low back pain. Our purpose is to evaluate the effect of ultrasound-guided local injection of anesthetic and steroid into the trigger point of iliopsoas tendon in treating low back pain caused by iliopsoas tendinopathy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study reviewed 45 patients diagnosed with iliopsoas tendinopathy treated by B-ultrasound guided injection of 2 mL 2% lidocaine and 1 mL (5 mg) triamcinolone acetonide into the trigger point of iliopsoas tendon from March 2016 to June 2016. Medical records were collected to analyze the clinical presentation. Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) measuring low back pain and Harris Hip score (HHS) measuring hip pain and function were administered to determine patient outcomes. Telephone follow-up was conducted, and the mean follow-up was 11 months. RESULTS: We observed that most patients with iliopsoas tendinopathy also complain about chronic low back pain except for groin pain. After injection of anesthetic and corticosteroid into the iliopsoas tendon, the NRS of patients with low back pain fell from 7.68±1.31 to 2.58±1.16 immediately after the injection and 0.75±0.73 at follow-up. The HHS improved from 43.02±16.81 to 98.15±2.56 at follow-up. Statistically significant difference (P<0.001) was observed. All patients returned to their original level of function, and only five patients presented with mild low back pain at the follow-up. CONCLUSION: Low back pain is a prevalent presentation for iliopsoas tendinopathy. Diagnosis of iliopsoas tendinopathy should be considered in patients with low back pain with tenderness over the iliopsoas tendon. Ultrasound-guided local injection of anesthetic and steroid lead to satisfactory effect in relieving low back and groin pain and improving joint function.
RESUMEN
Bear bile is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been used for millennia. Several arguments support and oppose the use of bear farming in terms of conservation and nonhuman animal welfare. This study involved designing a questionnaire and surveying a random sample of general citizens and college students in Beijing to elicit their attitudes on bile extraction from living bears. Older people and people with lower education levels used more bear bile medicines. In total, 29.47% (n = 204) of citizens and 23.14% (n = 81) of students surveyed used bear bile medicine since 1990. Students were less willing to use bear bile medicines than citizens (p < .05). The level the respondents agreed with the blue side (against the extraction of bile from living bears; anti for short) was significantly higher than that for the red side (support the extraction of bile from living bears; pro for short; p < .05). Additionally, college students had a more distinct attitude toward the opposing views, which indicates they were more inclined to oppose bile extraction from living bears.