Assessment of Factors Affecting the Preference of Pain Medicine Subspecialty Choices and Training Course in Turkey: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Objective:The aim of this study is to assess the factors affecting the preference for the Pain Medicine subspecialty and the fellowship training programs by the pain specialists who have completed or continued the Pain Medicine fellowship training program from 2014 to 2021 in Turkey.Methods:The study was conducted in October 2020 and March 2021. By reaching out to the pain specialists who completed their fellowship or had been continuing their training by getting the right to receive a Pain Medicine fellowship. Via e-mail or WhatsApp application, an e-questionnaire link was sent to the participants, and data were collected on demographics, factors affecting the choice of Pain Medicine subspecialty, level of realization of the expectations during the training course and the level of proficiency in the field of pain specialization. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 20.0 software, and tests were considered statistically significant if P < 0.05.Results:Participants reported that the factors that most affected their preferences were personal interest (55.1%), more comfortable working conditions (43.6%), and interest in an academic career (38.5%). Seventy-six participants answered the level of realization of expectations about performing interventional pain procedures using ultrasound imaging, and 31.6% reported that their expectations were not met, and 25% reported that their expectations were partially realised.Conclusion:We hope that our findings will lead to improving Pain Medicine subspecialty training programs, upgrading standards, and more comprehensive studies on these issues

Alt ekstremitenin segmental zoster parezisi: Olgu sunumu Segmental zoster paresis of the lower extremity: Case report

Herpes zoster (HZ) is a segmental vesicular eruption, pain, and sensorial symptoms. Segmental motor weakness can rarely be seen as a complication of HZ. Here, we present two cases of motor paresis associated with HZ, case 1 was L2 and L3 segmental motor paresis with femoral neuropathy and case 2 was L5 and S1 segmental motor paresis with sensorial ganglion involvement. In both cases after electrotherapy, exercise program, and medication for pain, there were no motor weakness and pain. Zoster motor paresis is a rare complication that responds to treatment and physicians should be careful about its presence in clinical follow-up

The effect of cervical spinal cord stimulation on cervical spinal nerve root/brachial plexus injury Servikal spinal kord stimülasyonunun servikal spinal sinir kökü/brakiyal pleksus yaralanması üzerine etkisi

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been used for the treatment of chronic pain for almost 50 years. There have been several reports regarding to thoracic and lumbar SCS, while fewer publications have been documented for cervical SCS administration. In this article, we presented patient satisfaction after cervical SCS application in patients with chronic upper extremity pain. Three patients with cervical spinal nerve root or brachial plexus injury who reported no pain relief with the previous treatment modalities were identified. The patients were performed percutaneous cervical SCS. Cervical SCS implantation was successful in the first and the second patients, and with respect to decrease in VAS scores, analgesic drug requirements, and an increase in their quality of life, while the third patient had no pain relief. Cervical SCS may be an effective treatment option in upper extremity chronic pain syndromes as in the lower extremity pain syndromes treated with thoracolumbar SCS

Characterization of head and neck pain symptoms of patients presenting to a tertiary care pain clinic

Objective: To characterize the presentation and symptomatology of individuals presenting with pain in head and neck regions