| Pain Evaluation for Decision Making for Management of Spinal Pain |
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Hyoung-Ihl Kim, Dong-Gyu Shin, Dong-Ah Shin, Jung-Ok Lee |
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Department of Neurosurgery, Presbyterian Medical Center, Jeonju, Korea |
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| Abstract |
Objective
Management of spinal pain has recently gained wide attention with the advent of various diagnostic and operative techniques. However, diagnostic accuracy of spinal diagnosis is limited, for pain cannot be demonstrated by neuroimaging and electrodiagnostic methods. Authors herein present pain evaluation methods, which can enhance the diagnosis and treatment of patients with spinal pain.
Methods
and Results: Clinical classification of spinal pain in somatic and radicular pain is an initial step in pain evaluation process. These pains are further investigated with pain distribution map, which confirms the nature, level, and underlying causes of the spinal pain. Pain intensity is a useful guideline for determining the timing of intervention. In addition, epidemiology and natural course of the individual spinal disease not only can influence the treat surgical strategy, but also provide the key to performing the surgery in a timely manner. Integrative analysis of the information about the pain obtained from the patients can assist surgeons in choosing either the open spinal operations or spinal interventions among many available options. Pain mapping, including electrical and disc stimulation, can further facilitate the procedures while investigating the nerves and intradiscal structures, which are responsible for provoking the pains.
Conclusion
Pain evaluation is an efficient and convenient procedure to find the underlying etiology as well as to select the appropriate methods in treating the patients with spinal pain. |
| Key Words:
Pain, Spine, Spinal intervention. |
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