Virtually delivered Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) reduces daily pain intensity in patients with lumbosacral radiculopathy: a randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Lumbosacral radiculopathy (LR), also known as sciatica, is a common type of radiating neurologic pain involving burning, tingling, and numbness in the lower extremities. It has an estimated lifetime prevalence as high as 43%. Objectives: The objective of this randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the impact of virtually delivered Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) on patients with LR during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Potentially eligible patients were identified using electronic health record queries and phone screenings. Participants were then randomized to MORE or treatment-as-usual (TAU) for 8 weeks, with pain intensity assessed daily. At baseline and follow-up visits, participants completed questionnaires assessing the primary outcome, disability, as well as quality of life, depression, mindful reinterpretation of pain, and trait mindfulness. Results: In our study, patients undergoing virtual delivery of MORE had greater improvements in daily pain intensity (P = 0.002) but not in disability (P = 0.09), depression (P = 0.26), or quality of life (P = 0.99 and P = 0.89, SF-12 physical and mental component scores, respectively), relative to TAU patients. In addition, patients in MORE experienced significantly greater increases in mindful reinterpretation of pain (P = 0.029) and trait mindfulness (P = 0.035). Conclusion: Among patients with lumbar radiculopathy, MORE significantly reduced daily pain intensity but did not decrease disability or depression symptoms. Given the long duration of symptoms in our sample, we hypothesize the discrepancy between changes in daily pain intensity and disability is due to fear avoidance behaviors common in patients with chronic pain. As the first trial of a mindfulness intervention in patients with LR, these findings should inform future integrative approaches to LR treatment, particularly when considering the increasing use of virtual interventions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

High-frequency (10 kHz) spinal cord stimulation (SCS) as a salvage therapy for failed traditional SCS: A narrative review of the available evidence.

INTRODUCTION: Traditional spinal cord stimulation (t-SCS) has been used to treat chronic pain for over 50 years. However, up to 30% of patients undergo explant, with the main indication being loss of efficacy (LoE), and few alternative treatment options exist for these patients. Strategies to mitigate LoE commonly include conversion to another type of SCS (termed 'salvage' or 'rescue'). This review summarizes the existing literature concerning the efficacy and safety of 10 kHz SCS as a salvage therapy. METHODS: We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, and other sources between January 2009 and April 2021. Records were retained if the authors reported clinical outcomes with a minimum of ≥ 3 months of follow-up in patients implanted with a Senza® 10 kHz SCS system in an effort to treat t-SCS LoE. RESULTS: Ten articles were eligible for inclusion, reporting 3 prospective studies and 7 retrospective reviews. In the single study that salvaged patients without a repeat trial prior to surgery, 81% of patients were responders (≥ 50% pain relief from baseline), with mean pain relief of 60%. Among repeat-trial studies, the responder rate ranged from 46% to 80%, and mean pain relief from 47% to 68%. No unanticipated therapy-related safety issues were reported among the included articles. CONCLUSION: Preliminary data suggest that chronic back and/or leg pain patients with t-SCS LoE can experience improved and durable pain relief after conversion to 10 kHz SCS. However, additional research is needed to define predictors of success and establish whether salvage without a repeat trial is a viable conversion method.

Treatment of Lumbosacral Radiculopathy with Acupuncture and Medical Herbs: Four Case Reports.

Lumbosacral radiculopathy (LR) is a musculoskeletal disorder or pain syndrome that is generally linked to the compression or irritation of the nerve root. There is a growing interest in the development of efficient acupuncture-based treatments for LR comparable to western medicine. Structured traditional Korean medical treatments including intensified acupuncture stimulus on the EX-B2 point using the G-shaped posture modified from the sitting posture were applied to four LR patients, and the outcomes were evaluated based on objective clinical endpoints including a numeric rating scale (NRS), the Oswestry disability index (ODI), the manual muscle test (MMT), neurological symptoms, and plantar photography. Patients showed improvements in NRS, ODI, MMT, and neurological symptoms without adverse effects during hospitalization and follow-up visits. Moreover, we observed substantial dissolvement of hyperkeratinization and parchedness of the soles of the feet, which was not reported previously. These four cases demonstrate the clinical usefulness of traditional medicine and the diagnostic applicability of plantar photography. However, further randomized controlled trials are required to confirm our findings.

Protocol for mindfulness-oriented recovery enhancement (MORE) in the management of lumbosacral radiculopathy/radiculitis symptoms: A randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Lumbosacral radiculopathy/radiculitis (LR) or "sciatica" is a commonly intractable sequelae of chronic low back pain (LBP), and challenges in the treatment of LR indicate that persistent pain may have both mechanical and neuropathic origins. Mindfulness-based interventions have been demonstrated to be effective tools in mitigating self-reported pain in LBP patients. This paper describes the protocol for a randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the effects of the specific mindfulness-based intervention Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) on LR symptoms and sequelae, including mental health and physical function. Methods: Participants recruited from the Portland, OR area are screened before completing a baseline visit that includes a series of self-report questionnaires and surface electromyography (sEMG) of the lower extremity. Upon enrollment, participants are randomly assigned to the MORE (experimental) group or treatment as usual (control) group for 8 weeks. Self-reported assessments and sEMG studies are repeated after the intervention is complete for pre/post-intervention comparisons. The outcome measures evaluate self-reported pain, physical function, quality of life, depression symptoms, trait mindfulness, and reinterpretation of pain, with surface electromyography (sEMG) findings evaluating objective physical function in patients with LR. To our knowledge, this is the first trial to date using an objective measure, sEMG, to evaluate the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on LR symptoms. Hypotheses: We hypothesize that MORE will be effective in improving self-reported pain, physical function, quality of life, depression symptoms, mindfulness, and reinterpretation of pain scores after 8 weeks of mindfulness training as compared to treatment as usual. Additionally, we hypothesize that individuals in the MORE group with abnormal sEMG findings at baseline will have improved sEMG findings at their 8-week follow-up visit.

Retrospective Assessment of Salvage to 10 kHz Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) in Patients Who Failed Traditional SCS Therapy: RESCUE Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A randomized clinical trial demonstrated that 10 kHz SCS (10kHz-SCS) therapy is superior to traditional low-frequency SCS (LF-SCS) at 12- and 24-month clinical follow-ups and led to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the therapy. The results of the study led our practices to trial 10kHz-SCS in patients who had not maintained pain relief with LF-SCS therapy. Here, we report a large set of data from two clinical sites to assess if 10kHz-SCS is an effective salvage modality when LF-SCS fails. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of 120 patients across two clinical sites who had LF-SCS implants and were salvaged with 10kHz-SCS. RESULTS: Data were analyzed from 105 patients between 28 and 90 years old (median 60) with chronic pain for 13.6 years. The mean duration of LF-SCS therapy was 4.66±3.9 years. The average Visual Analog Scale (VAS) decreased from 8.30±1.4 (median of 8) cm to 3.32±2.0 (median of 3) cm at 12 months and 3.36±2.0 (median of 3) cm at the most recent clinic visit (p<0.001) following salvage therapy. Pain relief of 50% or more was obtained in 85 out of 105 (81%) patients. Opioid usage decreased from 60.3±77.1 mg to 32.1±44.0 mg MSO4 equivalents (p = 0.001) at 12 months after salvage therapy. CONCLUSION: Eighty-one percent of patient cases reviewed, where LF-SCS had failed, achieved >50% pain relief with 10kHz-SCS, and almost all exhibited some clinical improvement. Therefore, 10kHz-SCS should be considered an appropriate option to rescue failed LF-SCS.

[General hydro galvanic baths in the treatment of patients with lumbosacral radiculopathy]. / Obshchie gidrogal'vanicheskie vanny v lechenii patsientov s poyasnichno-kresttsovoi radikulopatiei.

INTRODUCTION: Hydrogalvanic baths are a hydrotherapy method based on the combined effect of electric current and fresh water on the body. AIM OF STUDY: Scientific evidence and evaluation of the effectiveness of use of general hydrogalvanic baths in the treatment of patients with lumbosacral radiculopathy with the background of degenerative spinal disorder. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized comparative clinical trial included 84 patients. The 1st (active) group included 43 patients, the 2nd (control) had 41 patients. Patients of the 1st group received general hydrogalvanic baths. Patients in the control group - drug treatment, including NSAIDs, muscle relaxants, anticonvulsants. The assessment was carried out before treatment, at the end of the course (on the 14th day) and 3 months after the end of treatment according to the results of neurological examination, VAS questionnaires, Pain DETECT, Beck scale, Oswestry scale, SF-36 scales, electroneuromyography (nerve conduction study). RESULTS: In patients receiving general hydrogalvanic baths, in comparison with the control group, there was an improvement in sensitivity (the incidence of hypesthesia decreased from 77 to 11%, p=0.008) and conductivity in peripheral sensory fibers. A decrease in pain was observed in both groups, however, a decrease in neuropathic pain was recorded only in patients receiving drug treatment. In the 1st group during therapy, an improvement in the emotional state in patients and a decrease in the level of depression were revealed. An analysis of long-term results showed that the delayed effect of non-drug treatment significantly increased in patients of the 1st group in comparison with the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to general hydrogalvanic baths is an effective way to treat lumbosacral radiculopathy, the main registered effects are: improvement of sensitivity, reduction of pain and stabilization of the emotional background. However, the studied method does not affect neuropathic pain.

Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Peripheral Nerve Stimulation for the Treatment of Lower Extremity Pain: A Rare Case Report.

OBJECTIVE: This case report presents an application of percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation to the right superficial peroneal nerve to treat a patient with chronic intractable L5-S1 radiculopathy pain that conventional treatment failed to ameliorate. METHODS: The patient underwent an uneventful implantation of a percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulator. The implanted lead (15 cm in length and 1.2 mm in diameter) containing the receiver coil and 3 stimulation electrodes (Bioness Stimrouter® , Valencia, CA, U.S.A.) was implanted parallel with the trajectory of the right superficial peroneal nerve. RESULTS: Two weeks after implantation of the percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulator, the patient experienced excellent pain relief and reported a significant increase in mobility. At the 3-month follow-up consultation, the patient reported maintenance of the reduction of pain in his right lower extremity as well as improved performance in his daily activities. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation offers an alternative treatment option for intractable pain associated with chronic radiculopathy, especially for patients in whom conventional treatment options have been exhausted. Further clinical series involving larger numbers of patients are warranted in order to assess the definitive role of percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation for the treatment of chronic intractable radiculopathy pain.