• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.305-317
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• 2020

Not all sciatica-like manifestations are of lumbar spine origin. Some of them are caused at points along the extra-spinal course of the sciatic nerve, making diagnosis difficult for the treating physician and delaying adequate treatment. While evaluating a patient with sciatica, straightforward diagnostic conclusions are impossible without first excluding sciatica mimics. Examples of benign extra-spinal sciatica are: piriformis syndrome, walletosis, quadratus lumborum myofascial pain syndrome, cluneal nerve disorder, and osteitis condensans ilii. In some cases, extra-spinal sciatica may have a catastrophic course when the sciatic nerve is involved in cyclical sciatica, or the piriformis muscle in piriformis pyomyositis. In addition to cases of sciatica with clear spinal or extra-spinal origin, some cases can be a product of both origins; the same could be true for pseudo-sciatica or sciatica mimics, we simply don't know how prevalent extra-spinal sciatica is among total sciatica cases. As treatment regimens differ for spinal, extra-spinal sciatica, and sciatica-mimics, their precise diagnosis will help physicians to make a targeted treatment plan. As published works regarding extra-spinal sciatica and sciatica mimics include only a few case reports and case series, and systematic reviews addressing them are hardly feasible at this stage, a scoping review in the field can be an eye-opener for the scientific community to do larger-scale prospective research.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.105-110
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• 2000

Central neuropathic pain may occur in 10~20% of the patients after spinal cord injury. The central pain syndrome include spontaneous continuing and intermittent pain as well as evoked pain. The pain is evoked by non-noxious stimulation of the region (allodynia) and repeated stimulation (wind-up phenomenon). Four patients were referred suffering from severe pain, allodynia and hyperaesthesia after spinal cord injury. They had received conventional treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroid, anticonvulsant, antidepressant and rehabilitation which failed to provide pain relief. We administered combination of low doses of morphine and ketamine (10 mg) through the epidural catheter with other conventional therapy. Satisfactory pain relief was achieved in each patient. The reduction of pain was not associated with severe side effects. The most bothersome side effect of ketamine was dizziness in one patient, only caused by bolus injection (ketamine 10 mg with normal saline 10 ml). This suggests synergy from this combination that provides an alternative treatment for central pain.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.172-178
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• 2010

Background: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha and other proinflammatory cytokines are becoming well recognized as key mediators in the pathogenesis of many types of neuropathic pain. Thalidomide has profound immunomodulatory actions in addition to their originally intended pharmacological actions. There has been debate on the analgesic efficacy of opioids in neuropathic pain. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of thalidomide and morphine on a spinal nerve ligation model in rats. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 100-120 g were used. Lumbar (L) 5 and 6 spinal nerve ligations were performed to induce neuropathic pain. For assessment of mechanical allodynia, mechanical stimulus using von Frey filament was applied to the paw to measure withdrawal threshold. The effects of intraperitoneal thalidomide (6.25, 12.5, 25 and 50 mg/kg, respectively) and morphine (3 and 10 mg/kg, respectively) were examined on a withdrawal threshold evoked by spinal nerve ligation. Results: After L5 and 6 spinal nerve ligation, paw withdrawal thresholds on the ipsilateral side were significantly decreased compared with pre-operative baseline and with those in the sham-operated group. Intraperitoneal thalidomide and morphine significantly increased the paw withdrawal threshold compared to controls and produced dose-responsiveness. Conclusions: Systemic thalidomide and morphine have antiallodynic effect on neuropathic pain induced by spinal nerve ligation in rat. These results suggest that morphine and thalidomide may be alternative therapeutic approaches for neuropathic pain.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.33-45
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• 2024

Purpose : This study aimed to compare the effects of spinal manipulation combined with medication on low back pain (LBP), range of motion, and disability in patients with chronic LBP. Methods : Twenty patients with chronic LBP were included in this study. The participants were randomly assigned to the spinal manipulation with medication group (n=10) or the medication only group (n=10). The intervention group received spinal manipulation for 15 minutes, twice a week, and took medication twice a day for eight weeks. The control group received the medication twice daily for eight weeks. Pain intensity assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS), range of motion, and disability due to LBP assessed using the Oswestry disability index were measured before and after the intervention. Results : The intervention group showed a significant improvement in pain intensity compared to the control group (p<.05), and the intervention and control groups significantly improved low back pain after the intervention (p<.05). The intervention group showed a significant improvement in the range of motion in flexion, extension, right lateral flexion, left lateral flexion, and right rotation (p<.05). The intervention group also showed a significant improvement in the change of disability in total score, pain intensity, personal care, lifting and standing compared to the control group (p<.05). Conclusion : This study showed that the combination of spinal manipulation and medication can benefit patients with chronic LBP, as evidenced by significant improvements in pain intensity, ROM, and disability. These findings suggest that utilizing both spinal manipulation and medication can positively affect individuals with chronic LBP. The results of this study should be applied in clinical settings to optimize treatment outcomes in patients with chronic LBP.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.229-231
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• 1996

Spinal cord stimulation(SCS) was first attempted to relieve intractable pain in 1966. SCS has evolved into percutaneously implanted electrode with aim of activating spinal pain-inhibiting mechanism via dorsal columns. SCS is valuable for the treatment of many painful and difficult to treat conditions such as postamputation pain, painful peripheral neuropathies, chronic sciatic pain and so on. We treated a case of causalgia of the right lower extremity with successful outcome of 90% sustained relief of pain. And patient has satisfied using SCS(Model MNR-94, Neuromed) for 6 months follow-up.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.23-31
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was finding out the effects of spinal stabilization exercise using Centaur which is a 3D spinal stabilization sports implement on Chronic low back pain patients over 8 weeks. Methods: 30 patients with DDD were observed during the study. Their average age was 66.88years, height was 152.12cm and average weight was 58.91kg, 4 males and 26 females were involved. 8 various investigations were performed and varied values were compared with reinvestigation done after having exercised 8 weeks using 3-D CENTAUR We used VAS(visual analog scale) in order to see the variation of pain intensity, MOI(modified oswestry index) in order to see limitation of daily life. Results: VAS was lessened from 7.57 to 2.63, limitation of routine life(MOS) from 23.48 to 11.30, there were remarkable differences statistically(p<0.05). As a result of muscular investigation for static spinal stabilization by 8 variations of body deflection, muscular strength were all increased and there were signigicant differences statistically(p<0.05). Conclusion: It has turned out that pain and limitation of routine life was lessened, as a result of 8 weeks exercise using CENTAUR, and deep muscular power was increased. Thus it has turned out that 3-D spinal stabilization exercise has an effect on the strengthening spinal muscles and alleviation of their pain for old patients with DDD.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.109-116
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• 1993

In March of l992, We performed two intentional total spinal blocks for the relief of pain. This was for 2 cases of post-traumatic cervical syndrome whose various symptoms were chronically unresponsive to the usual conservative treatments. We regularly checked the blood pressure, pulse rate, oxygen saturation and observed clinically the changes of respiration, consciousness, lid and light reflexes during the total spinal block. Pain relief was evaluated by using the Visual Analog Scale which is designed to measure the subjective intensity of pain. The results were as follows; 1) The effectiveness of total spinal block was 60% in case 1, 40% in case 2. 2) We observed two complications from the procedure. Firstly during the block, these were transient periods of hypotension. Following the block, accidental procedures related direct neural trauma resulted in anterior chest wall pain. In conclusion we believe that total spinal block is a satisfactory and reliable method for the treatment of post-traumatic cervical syndrome.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.186-189
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• 2007

The most important factors for successful stimulation of the spinal cord are strict patient selection and proper lead position. To ensure proper lead position, paresthesia produced by the stimulator should cover all of the areas in which pain is occurring. Until recently, only the quadripolar electrode lead has been used in for spinal cord stimulation in Korea, however, the 8 electrode lead was recently introduced to offer greater programming options and enhance the precision with which paresthesias is delivered to the desired sites. In addition, because the 8-electrode lead has a longer electrode span, it provides greater dermatomal coverage of up to 2 vertebral segments. Furthermore, the 8-electrode lead allows electronic repositioning of the stimulation to accommodate changing pain patterns, thereby reducing the need for lead revisions due to lead migration. Here, we present a case in which complex regional pain syndrome type I was successfully managed using an 8-electrode lead to induce spinal cord stimulation.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.907-915
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• 2001

The purpose of this study is to effectively treat low back pain for the out patients who have been treated at the oriental hospital. Sorting the low back pain patients into four types based on scapular and ilium tilting hyper/hypo mobility characteristics, it has used several kinds of acupuncture stimuli on the 4 motor points of limb skeletal muscles, analyzing the acupuncture treatment on the 12 acupuncture points with which oriental hospitals has given to the low back pain patients and comparing with this effect. It has been analyzed how effectively the acupuncture stimuli has been contributed to the low back pain patients who suffered from skeletal muscles of spinal limb thorax abdominal and spinal skeletal system. The results are as follows. 1. There has been changes after treatment in both the control and experimental groups for low back pain patients, but the latter has been more increased in changes than the former. 2. There were much effects on the balanced restorations for spinal skeletal muscle in both the control group and experimental one, but on terms of restoration degree, the degree of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group. 3. Both the contrastive treatment and the experimental one have been contributed to the balanced restoration for all of the limb thorax abdominal muscles, but there were a few differences in terms of the way for restoration and the effects for improvement according to body types. 4. On both the control and the experimental group, spinal skeletal system has been restored with balance, but the experimental group has been higher effective on the balanced restoration than the one of the control group. Considering these results both the control and the experimental treatments have been contributed to the balanced restorations for all of low back pain patients who were suffering from skeletal muscles of spinal limb thorax abdominal and spinal skeletal system, but the contribution degree for the experimental group has been higher than that of the control group.

• The Journal of Korea CHUNA Manual Medicine
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.133-142
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• 2001

Objectives : The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between spinal distortion and pain in elementary and middle school students. Methods : Using the phase-shifting moire developed by KAIST(Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) we measured the back surface distortion, and using questionnaire investigation, we investigated the partial pain in 1008 elementary and middle school students(532 boy students(52.8%), 476 girl students(47.2%)) in Seoul in 1999. And, we statistically analyzed the relationship between spinal distortion and partial body pain Results : This study show that the more age increase, the more the pain in head, neck, shoulder, back and low back Increase considerably among the students aged 9 to 15. The ratio of each partial body pain was 28.4%, 19.7%, 18.2%, 18.7%. 16.0% at the age of 9 and 59.7%, 67.4%, 51.8%, 51.8%, 64.4% at the age of 15 respectively. And, it was shown there was a significant correlation between spine distortion and partial body pain area. When the spinal distortion was found at the upper thoracic and cervical area, the students complained the more pain on head, neck and shoulder(p<0.05) and when the spinal distortion was found at the sacral base, the more headache(p<0.05) Conclusions : It is suggested that the significant correlation exist between the spinal distortion and pain and the pain related to spine disorder get more increase as students grow. We have to study further more about Juvenile postural distortion and it's prevention.