[The effect of palliative neural therapy on the improvement of chronic pain]. / A palliatív jellegu neurálterápia hatása idült fájdalmak csökkentésében.

Background and purpose: To assess the extent to which pain therapy can improve chronic pain in a heterogeneous group of patients, its impact on their quality of life and the correlation of the changes with their age and the underlying disease. The investigation has its actuality by its impact on public health. Methods: a prospective, non-randomized, interventional, clinical cohort study was conducted under real-life conditions in a general pain clinic, which lasted for 6 months. Changes in pain intensity (VAS) and related quality of life changes (SF-36 HRQoL) were measured using validated internationally accepted questionnaires. The questionnaires were filled out by all patients on their own, so they provided information of self-esteem on their own. All patient post-treatment results were compared to pre-treatment results. The general quality of life changes found in our patients were compared to the representative norms of healthy population in Hungary. Subjects - patients participated voluntarily at their own decision in the survey. The underlying disease of chronic pain, age and gender of the patients did not limit the inclusion into the study. Results: Data of 231 patients were evaluated. After pain therapy, the decrease in intensity of pain was confirmed by VAS at p=0.002. This was linked to a quality of life change that has been shown to be p=0.003 for men, with p=0.002 in women with SF-36 HRQoL. Based on the correlation coefficients, the changes in quality of life improved regardless of the age of the patients and the nature of the underlying conditions causing the pain. Conclusion: Although analgesia is basicly a symptomatic therapy, our findings suggest that the reduction of pain improves the quality of life of patients independently from their, and the curability of the underlying and accompanying diseases.

[Effects of neural therapy on quality of live in patients with inoperable lower extremity artery disease]. / A palliatív neurálterápia életminoségre gyakorolt hatása inoperábilis alsó végtagi obliteratív veroérbetegeknél.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Our aim was to evaluate the effects of percutaneous neurolysis of lumbal sympathetic ganglions on pain and the resulting changes in quality of life with validated objective and subjective methods. To follow the adverse effects and complications of the procedure. METHODS: A prospective, non-randomized, interventional, clinical cohort study under real life conditons was conducted. The time of the observation was 6 months. Palliative neural therapy was performed to reduce the ischemic pain of the affected leg of the patients involved in the study. Prior to treatment and after 35 days, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to measure the intensity of lower limb pain. The related changes in the quality of life were followed by a general 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire. We measured the changes of the patients' skin temperature and ankle/arm index. The post-treatment results were compared to the pre-treatment results. We compared the results of objective and subjective measures. We followed the side effects and complications of the pain therapy. Each of the examined subjects had obliterative (Fontaine II/b stage) arterial disease of the lower limbs, in which no revascularization intervention was feasible and their ischemic pain was of VAS≥7. RESULTS: Data of 124 patients (69 male, 55 female) could be evaluated. The decrease in intensity of limb pain in the post-treatment period was significant (p=0.001). Quality of life also indicated a significant improvement (p=0.004). Changes in skin temperature and ankle/arm index demonstrated significant improvement (p≤0.005): skin temperature increased from 27.6°C to 31.2°C, the ankle/arm index inceased from 0.67 to 0.83 on average. Changes in objective and subjective measures correlated with each other. No worthening of symptoms, serious adverse events or complications were observed. CONCLUSION: The chemical denervation of the lumbar sympathetic ganglions with percutaneous application is a minimally invasive intervention, useful in outpatient care, which can be well tolerated by the patient without any significant side effect or complication. Its hyperaemic effect and the pain reduction of the leg can improve the quality of life of the patients.