Pain MedicinePub Date : 2026-08-01DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnag044
Alper Kilicaslan, Bahadır Çiftçi, Selcuk Alver
{"title":"Anatomical clarification of superficial and deep lumbar ESP injections based on the erector spinae fascial boundary.","authors":"Alper Kilicaslan, Bahadır Çiftçi, Selcuk Alver","doi":"10.1093/pm/pnag044","DOIUrl":"10.1093/pm/pnag044","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19744,"journal":{"name":"Pain Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"958"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147646088","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pain MedicinePub Date : 2026-08-01DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnag043
Kevin S Batti, Kaiulani M Houston, Ugur Yener, Hatice Begum Ciftci, Sayed E Wahezi
{"title":"Losing sight: how scoliosis can impact MRI interpretation in lumbar spinal stenosis of the central canal.","authors":"Kevin S Batti, Kaiulani M Houston, Ugur Yener, Hatice Begum Ciftci, Sayed E Wahezi","doi":"10.1093/pm/pnag043","DOIUrl":"10.1093/pm/pnag043","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19744,"journal":{"name":"Pain Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"931-933"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147499698","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pain MedicinePub Date : 2026-08-01DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnag029
Benjamin H Balderson, Alison J Firemark, Jennifer L Schneider, Carmit K McMullen, Meghan Mayhew, Francis J Keefe, Jennifer L Murphy, Lynn L DeBar
{"title":"Qualitative analysis of lessons learned by Master's-level behavioral health practitioners for remote delivery of cognitive behavioral therapy-based treatment for chronic pain.","authors":"Benjamin H Balderson, Alison J Firemark, Jennifer L Schneider, Carmit K McMullen, Meghan Mayhew, Francis J Keefe, Jennifer L Murphy, Lynn L DeBar","doi":"10.1093/pm/pnag029","DOIUrl":"10.1093/pm/pnag029","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic pain (CBT-CP) is a recommended but underutilized treatment for patients with chronic pain. Access to CBT-CP is limited in part because of a dearth of qualified providers. RESOLVE was a multisite comparative effectiveness study that evaluated a CBT-CP-based intervention delivered by Master's-level behavioral health practitioners (MLPs) via telephone/video. We interviewed the study's MLPs to learn about their experiences and summarize here considerations for future implementation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted semi-structured interviews with MLPs after the start of the intervention (n = 12) and near the end of the intervention (n = 11). Transcripts were analyzed thematically to capture content related to training, implementation, participant engagement strategies, suggested improvements, and considerations for future implementation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>MLPs felt well prepared to deliver the intervention and found their work impactful and rewarding. Seven factors were identified: (1) Consider intervention structure and participants' skill building, (2) enable appropriate flexibility in delivering manualized treatment, (3) make the most of remote delivery, (4) employ MLPs with strong basic counseling skills, (5) provide comprehensive intervention training, (6) invest in ongoing training and supervision, and (7) consider MLP satisfaction and retention.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Remote delivery of a CBT-CP-based intervention was rewarding for MLPs and addressed many patients' needs. However, to ensure that MLPs have the confidence and expertise to effectively deliver this intervention, considerable resources must be devoted to training and supervision. We advocate for further exploration of best practices for involving non-psychologists, particularly MLPs, in the delivery of CBT-CP-based protocols within both research and clinical settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":19744,"journal":{"name":"Pain Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"921-930"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13428908/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147276823","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pain MedicinePub Date : 2026-08-01DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnag035
Leah H Linfield, Leon S Moskatel
{"title":"Substance-related disorders in patients with chronic migraine: an exploratory, observational study.","authors":"Leah H Linfield, Leon S Moskatel","doi":"10.1093/pm/pnag035","DOIUrl":"10.1093/pm/pnag035","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19744,"journal":{"name":"Pain Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"938-941"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147348876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pain MedicinePub Date : 2026-08-01DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnag049
Haneen Sabet, Abdallah Abbas, Johnson S Ho, Mohamed El-Moslemani, Dina Essam Abo-Elnour, Majed Aldehri, Ibrahim Alnaami, Ahmed M Raslan
{"title":"Spinal cord stimulation, peripheral nerve stimulation, and pulsed radiofrequency in the management of herpes zoster-related pain: a network meta-analysis.","authors":"Haneen Sabet, Abdallah Abbas, Johnson S Ho, Mohamed El-Moslemani, Dina Essam Abo-Elnour, Majed Aldehri, Ibrahim Alnaami, Ahmed M Raslan","doi":"10.1093/pm/pnag049","DOIUrl":"10.1093/pm/pnag049","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Neuromodulation therapy is gaining importance in managing chronic neuropathic pain. This network meta-analysis aims to compare the efficacy and safety of spinal cord stimulation (SCS), peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS), pulsed radiofrequency (PRF), and their combinations in the management of herpes zoster (HZ)-related pain.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We searched Scopus, Cochrane CENTRAL, PubMed, and Web of Science from inception until August 27, 2025. Clinical trials and observational studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of SCS, PNS, PRF, or their combinations in HZ-related pain were included. Mean difference (MD) and risk ratio (RR) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Eleven studies (1035 patients) were included. When compared to the reference group (PRF), SCS+PRF achieved the greatest reduction in pain intensity (MD: -3.58 points, 95% CI: -5.05 to -2.12) and the highest treatment success rate (RR: 2.54, 95% CI;: 1.45 to 4.45). PNS+PRF demonstrated the most significant improvement in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score (MD: -1.75 points, 95% CI: -3.24 to -0.27), while SCS alone showed the greatest reduction in pregabalin dose (MD: -36.58 mg, 95% CI: -68.93 to -4.24), physical role (MD: 9.70 points, 95% CI: 6.21 to 13.19), and bodily pain (MD: 8.42 points, 95% CI: 2.10 to 14.73) domains of the Short Form-36 (SF-36) score, while no significant differences were observed among the interventions regarding the physical function domain.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Combination neuromodulation therapies, particularly SCS+PRF, may provide superior pain relief. PNS+PRF and PNS also showed marked improvements in sleep quality, whereas SCS was most effective in reducing pregabalin use and enhancing SF-36 scores.</p>","PeriodicalId":19744,"journal":{"name":"Pain Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"904-916"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147581454","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Association of postlaminectomy syndrome with cardiovascular events in patients undergoing posterior lumbar fusion.","authors":"Yih-Cherng Wang, Wei-Thing Khor, Pang-Shuo Perng, Hong-Min Lin, Kuan-Yu Chi, Chih-Yuan Huang, Yu Chang","doi":"10.1093/pm/pnag028","DOIUrl":"10.1093/pm/pnag028","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Postlaminectomy syndrome (PLS) is a chronic pain condition characterized by persistent or recurrent symptoms after lumbar spine surgery. Although chronic pain states have been linked to autonomic dysregulation, inflammation, and increased cardiometabolic burden, the long-term cardiovascular implications of PLS remain unclear. Posterior lumbar fusion (PLF) is one of the most common lumbar procedures, providing a clinically relevant population in which to evaluate whether PLS signals broader cardiovascular vulnerability.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the TriNetX Global Collaborative Network. Adults aged ≥18 years who underwent PLF between 2015 and 2020 were identified by CPT codes. The exposed cohort included individuals with a new diagnosis of PLS (ICD-10 M96.1) occurring ≥6 months after fusion; matched controls were assigned an index encounter at the corresponding postoperative interval. Outcomes included major cardiac events (MCE), stroke, and MACE (MCE + stroke) within 5 years. Propensity score matching was performed based on demographics, comorbidities, and medication use. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After matching, 6384 patients were included in each cohort. PLS was associated with increased 5-year risk of MACE (12.3% vs 10.8%; OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.04-1.29) and MCE (9.9% vs 8.1%; OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.11-1.42). Stroke risk was not significantly different (OR 1.11, 95% CI 0.92-1.34).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>PLS after PLF is associated with elevated long-term cardiac risk. These findings suggest PLS may represent a marker of broader systemic vulnerability, warranting enhanced cardiovascular surveillance and multidisciplinary postoperative management.</p>","PeriodicalId":19744,"journal":{"name":"Pain Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"879-882"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146207427","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pain MedicinePub Date : 2026-08-01DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnag033
Patric Bialas, Jonas Tesarz, Elmar Brähler, Ulrike Dinger, Markus Zenger, Bjarne Schmalbach, Winfried Häuser
{"title":"Graded chronic pain scale revised: validation in a sample of the general German population.","authors":"Patric Bialas, Jonas Tesarz, Elmar Brähler, Ulrike Dinger, Markus Zenger, Bjarne Schmalbach, Winfried Häuser","doi":"10.1093/pm/pnag033","DOIUrl":"10.1093/pm/pnag033","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19744,"journal":{"name":"Pain Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"945-947"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147290505","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pain MedicinePub Date : 2026-08-01DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnag032
Sebastian T Tong, Brennan Keiser, Karina Cortez, Elise Hoffman, Jin Wang, Kari A Stephens, Stacy Shaw Welch, Hazel Tapp, Caleb Holtzer, Kelly W Reeves, Sophia Jawort, Andrew T Humbert, Basia Belza, Thomas Ludden, Dennis C Ang, Kushang V Patel
{"title":"Integrated nurse care management to reduce pain interference for primary care patients in rural communities: results from a pilot study.","authors":"Sebastian T Tong, Brennan Keiser, Karina Cortez, Elise Hoffman, Jin Wang, Kari A Stephens, Stacy Shaw Welch, Hazel Tapp, Caleb Holtzer, Kelly W Reeves, Sophia Jawort, Andrew T Humbert, Basia Belza, Thomas Ludden, Dennis C Ang, Kushang V Patel","doi":"10.1093/pm/pnag032","DOIUrl":"10.1093/pm/pnag032","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19744,"journal":{"name":"Pain Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"934-937"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13019325/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147308863","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pain MedicinePub Date : 2026-08-01DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnag031
Priyanka Singla, James R Babington, Alexandra Adler, Fei Cao, Zheyan Chen, Jianguo Cheng, Timothy Furnish, Jennifer M Hah, Marie N Hanna, Tigran Kesayan, Philip Kim, Narayan R Kissoon, Zachary L McCormick, Kate Nicholson, Michael D Osborne, Nilesh Patel, Jeffrey D Petersohn, David A Provenzano, Joshua M Rosenow, Nathaniel M Schuster, Wahenoor Singh, Amol Soin, Antje M Barreveld
{"title":"CMS proposed restrictions on peripheral nerve blocks and procedures for chronic pain: clinical, ethical, and policy implications for millions of Americans.","authors":"Priyanka Singla, James R Babington, Alexandra Adler, Fei Cao, Zheyan Chen, Jianguo Cheng, Timothy Furnish, Jennifer M Hah, Marie N Hanna, Tigran Kesayan, Philip Kim, Narayan R Kissoon, Zachary L McCormick, Kate Nicholson, Michael D Osborne, Nilesh Patel, Jeffrey D Petersohn, David A Provenzano, Joshua M Rosenow, Nathaniel M Schuster, Wahenoor Singh, Amol Soin, Antje M Barreveld","doi":"10.1093/pm/pnag031","DOIUrl":"10.1093/pm/pnag031","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19744,"journal":{"name":"Pain Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"863-866"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13423471/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147271328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}