[Neurosurgical treatment of chronic pain].

Abstract

Neurosurgical treatment of pain is based on 3 concepts: 1) lesional techniques interrupt the transmission of nociceptive neural input by lesionning the nociceptive pathways (cordotomy, radicotomy...), they are indicated to treat morphine-resistant cancer pain; 2) neuromodulation techniques try to decrease pain by reinforcing inhibitory mechanisms, using chronic electrical stimulation of the nervous system (peripheral nerve stimulation, spinal cord stimulation, motor cortex stimulation...) to treat chronic neuropathic pain; 3) intrathecal infusion of analgesics (morphine, ziconotide), using implantable pumps, allows to increase their efficacy and to reduce their side effects. These techniques can improve, sometimes dramatically, patients with severe and chronic pain, refractory to all other treatments.

• Authors: Denys Fontaine
• Journal: La Revue du praticien (Rev Prat) Vol. 63 Issue 6 Pg. 805-9 (Jun 2013) ISSN: 0035-2640 [Print] France
• Vernacular Title: Traitement neurochirurgical de la douleur chronique.
• PMID: 23923757 (Publication Type: English Abstract, Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Analgesics

Topics

• Analgesics (administration & dosage)
• Chronic Pain (etiology, surgery)
• Electric Stimulation Therapy (adverse effects, methods)
• Humans
• Injections, Spinal (adverse effects, methods)
• Neuralgia (surgery)
• Neurosurgical Procedures (adverse effects, methods)
• Professional Practice