Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient medical modality of traditional Chinese medicine. It was described in the Huang Di Nei Jing ( Yellow Emperor’s Internal Classic ) in 100 bc. Called jin…
Physical Medicine Techniques in Pain Management
This chapter focuses on the physical medicine techniques used to treat patients in pain. At the conclusion of reading this chapter the reader will have a thorough understanding of physical…
Pharmacology for the Interventional Pain Physician
This chapter reviews the clinical pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, therapeutic mechanisms, and side effects of corticosteroids and botulinum toxins. Radiocontrast agents are reviewed in greater detail elsewhere in this text. All of…
Psychological Interventions
A number of psychological interventions have been developed for patients with chronic pain, with a large body of research supporting their efficacy. Before reviewing the approaches with the greatest empirical…
Topical Analgesics
In contrast to the use of a systemic analgesic, use of a topical analgesic may result in relief of pain without the requirement for notable systemic absorption. A topical analgesic…
Minor and Short-Acting Analgesics, Including Opioid Combination Products
The use of naturally occurring plant material for the relief of pain dates back to early times. Advances in antipyretic and analgesic medications began in the late 1800s with the…
Antidepressants as Analgesics
The second half of the 20th century saw the introduction of a range of therapeutic agents that were shown to have an antidepressant effect. Among these agents were those with…
Neuraxial Agents
Medication delivery to the spinal cord or the dorsal nerve roots via the intrathecal or epidural route exploits the endogenous pharmacology of the neuraxis to relieve pain in patients. These…
Skeletal Muscle Relaxants
The term skeletal muscle relaxant is often used to describe a diverse group of medications commonly used in the treatment of back pain ( Table 41.1 ). Medications commonly referred…
Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs, Acetaminophen, and COX-2 Inhibitors
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a diverse group of chemically unrelated compounds that are classified together based on their therapeutic property of possessing anti-inflammatory action ( Fig. 40.1 ). NSAIDs…
