Pain measurement: Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Verbal Rating Scale (VRS) in clinical trials with OTC analgesics in headache

Treatment results in the differential surgery of intradural extramedullary schwannoma of 110 cases

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective study of intradural extramedullary schwannoma.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to compare treatment results in the differential surgery of intradural extramedullary schwannoma.

BACKGROUND

A reference guide to the surgical procedures available to treat intradural extramedullary schwannoma has not yet been established.

METHODS

The study retrospectively reviewed 110 patients: Group A: laminectomy+microscopic excision; Group B: hemilaminectomy+microscopic excision; Group C: laminectomy+microscopic excision+pedicle screw fixation. Researchers selected patients for this retrospective review by applying the following criteria: 1) back pain spread out from the tumor level, sensory and motor loss; 2) treatment by surgery; 3) clinical diagnosis made by physical examination, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and pathology; 4) a minimum clinical and radiologic follow-up of 12 months. The clinical outcomes were assessed by comparing the Visual Analogue Pain Scores (VAS) and the Japanese Orthopedic Association Scores (JOA score). The study also performed a cost-effectiveness analysis.

RESULTS

Cervical vertebrae: The estimated blood loss in Group B was significantly less than in Group C (P<0.05) (Table 1). Thoracic vertebrae: The duration of hospital stay and estimated blood loss in Group A was significantly less than in Group C (P<0.05) (Table 2, 3). Lumbar vertebrae: The resection rate in Group C was significantly higher than in Group A and Group B (P<0.05) (Table 4). Treatment in Group B was the least expensive, and therefore, the most cost-effective.

CONCLUSION

In the case of appropriate surgical indications, the study suggests that hemilaminectomy+microscopic excision is advantageous in the removal of cervical schwannoma, and that laminectomy+microscopic excision is advantageous in the removal of thoracic schwannoma; lumbar intradural extramedullary schwannoma can be managed by laminectomy+microscopic excision+pedicle screw fixation.

The immediate effects of modified Yoga positions on musculoskeletal pain relief

Many musculoskeletal pains are related to poor posture. Thus, the aim of the present study was to assess the efficiency of a single session of two modified Yoga positions with 110 subjects and their 147 pain-related complaints. The participants were divided into two groups: The Yoga Group, which received treatment of two 20-min postures and the Control Group, which received a placebo treatment of 15 min with a turned off ultrasound. All volunteers experienced some pain before treatment and were assessed before and after treatment using the analog pain scale. A score of 0 indicated no pain whereas 10 was the maximum degree of pain on the scale. The difference before and after treatment was compared between the groups with a p-value of 0.0001, as measured by the Student's t-test. It is possible to conclude that one therapy session is effective in the treatment of various musculoskeletal problems.