• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.246-249
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• 1997

Hiccup is defined as an abrupt involuntary contraction of the diaphragm and intercostal muscles with sudden closure of the glottis 35 msec after onset. The term "intractable" is given to those hiccups with a duration ranging from 24 hours to more than 25 years. Short hiccup bouts are mostly associated with gastric distention or alcohol intake, resolved spontaneously or with simple remedies. In contrast, intractable hiccup is a rare but disabling condition which can induce depression, weight loss and sleep deprivation. Although the pathophysiologic mechanisms of hiccup are still poorly understood, wide variety of pathological conditions such as: brain tumor, abdominal tumor, myocardial infarction, renal failure, abdominal surgery etc., can cause intractable hiccup. A 58-year-old male who had suffered from hepatocellular cancer was consulted from medical department due to intractable hiccup. Initial treatment modalities with administrations of metoclopramide and chlorpromazine and nerve block including phrenic nerve block, cervical epidural block and glossopharyngeal nerve block were not effective. Administration of midazolam and baclofen however achieved desirable effect.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.74-77
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• 2009

There are debates about whether peripherally induced movement disorders exist. We report a case of upper limb tremor induced by peripheral nerve injury. A 20-year-old male patient presented with pain and tremor of the left upper extremity, 2 days after a car accident. Magnetic resonance images of the brain and cervical spine were normal. His past medical history was unremarkable and there were no family members with symptoms of movement disorders. He suffered from an aggravating tremor for about 10 minutes, four to six times a day. We treated the patient with medication, epidural infusion, cervical nerve root block and trigger point injection of the trapezius muscle. The pain subsided 50% and the incidence of tremor attacks was reduced to once or twice a day. The role of peripheral trauma in the genesis of movement disorders has not been generally accepted. It is unclear whether peripheral trauma can induce dystonia and other movement disorders. It has been proposed that peripheral trauma can alter sensory input and induce cortical and subcortical reorganization that generates a movement disorder. Some studies provide evidence for central reorganization following peripheral injury.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.182-186
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• 2010

Purpose: Intramuscular stimulation (IMS) shows good results in the treatment of chronic pain patients who did not respond to other treatments such as oral analgesics, trigger point injection, nerve block and epidural steroid injection. But, IMS procedure especially, patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) has sometimes serious problem. So, we present a very rare case of intramuscular abscess in the sternocleiomastoid muscle after IMS with literature review. Methods: A 66 year old male visited our department 7 days after IMS in the neck. His premorbid conditions and risk factors of deep neck infection was DM and old age. Computed tomographic scans of the head and neck region were performed in this patient: signs of deep neck infection, were seen enhanced abscess in the sternocleidomastoid muscle, cellulitis overlying tissue of the neck, and air bubbles involved muscle. Necrotic wound was excised serially and we treated this with the Vacuum-assisted closure (VAC, Kinetics Concepts International, San Antonio, Texas) system device. After appropriately shaping the sponge in the pockets, continuous negative pressure of 125 mmHg was applied. The VAC therapy was utilized for a period of 12 days. Results: We obtained satisfactory results from wide excision, drainage of the abscess with the VAC system, and then primary closure. The postoperative course was uneventful. Results: We suggest that many of the infectious complications may be preventable by strict adherence to aseptic techniques and that some of the other complications may be minimized by refining the techniques with a clear understanding of the medical disorders of patients. And, the refined technique using the VAC system can provide a means of simple and effective management for the cervical intramuscular abscess, with better cosmetic and functional results.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.51-58
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• 2024

Background: The rise in national health care costs has emerged as a global problem given the ever-aging population and rapid development of medical technology. The utilization of interventional pain management has, similarly, shown a continued rise worldwide. This study evaluates the differences in the medical costs in the field of interventional pain treatment (IPT) between two countries: Korea and Japan. Methods: Korean medical insurance costs for 2019 related to pain management focused on IPT were compared to those of Japan. Purchasing power parity (PPP) was used to adjust the exchange rate differences and to compare prices in consideration of the respective societies' economic power. Results: The cost of trigger point injections in Japan was 1.06 times higher than that of Korea, whereas the perineural and intraarticular injection prices were lower in Japan. The cost of epidural blocks was higher in Japan compared to Korea in both cervical/thoracic and lumbar regions. As for blocks of peripheral branches of spinal nerves, the cost of scapular nerve blocks in Japan was lower than that in Korea, given a PPP ratio 0.09. For nerve blocks in which fluoroscopy guidance is mandatory, the costs of epidurography in Japan were greater than those in Korea, given a PPP ratio 1.04. Conclusions: This is the first comparative study focusing on the medical costs related to IPT between Korea and Japan, which reveals that the costs differed along various categories. Further comparisons reflecting more diverse countries and socio-economic aspects will be required.