knee pain

Prescribing Opioids in 2019

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

painkillersEvery day in my practice I sit down with patients who strongly believe that opioids are the best course of action for their pain condition. While opioids certainly can play a crucial role as part of a comprehensive treatment plan, they definitely are not a stand alone option and are far from a perfect treatment as their problems are numerous and well known.

Pain is the physical and emotional response to certain sensory signals. In chronic pain, these signals are not necessarily any indication of danger or potential damage that may occur to the body. Opioids tend to modify the signals of pain, but often are not the most effective treatment and can have devastating secondary consequences. Due to the problems opioids may cause, most physicians are reluctant to prescribe these medications. A new study from the University of Minnesota is shining light on the inconsistencies in when opioids are prescribed.

Opioids In Today’s Society

Before I get into the crux of this blog, it’s worth reiterating that every patient who is interested in opioids is not simply trying to abuse their medications. Some are misinformed, and some truly believe they can help even if they won’t solve the true problem. However, there is a small subset who want medications for reasons other than to treat the underlying pain problem. Thirty years of practice has shown me all the tricks patients play to get medications prescribed. At times it is surprising the act some patients put on to get pain medications. Most physicians are aware of the issues, but still the charades occur.

The new study from the University of Minnesota shows that physicians tend to be vulnerable to over prescribing when they are tired, running late with their schedule, or at the end of the day. These are times when saying yes is easier than explaining no and finding an alternative strategy. This is especially important in acute pain situations when patients are especially prone to abuse and other solutions are appropriate. In some acute situations, short-term prescriptions are okay for several days, especially related to trauma or surgery when other medications for pain are not advisable. Awareness and prescription protocols by primary care providers and emergency rooms about opioids has led to a significant decrease in prescribing these medications. Other providers have been somewhat slower to adopt new habits for safe prescribing.

Opioids are only a small tool in the overall arsenal to treat pain. For many situations, opioids work poorly and are not very helpful. For some patients, opioids have so many problems that  the risks of these medications are not even close to any benefit. The worst way to get these medications is to insist that they are the only thing that helps your pain. Usually that means that one does not want to work on other strategies that may be helpful. Unfortunately, some of the better treatments for pain are a struggle to implement because they take time, effort and money. Strategies like exercise, massage, relaxation and treating psychological issues are much more difficult then taking a pill. There’s no magic pill and it will take work, but you’ll be much better off for it.

Pain is difficult to manage, and pain specialists can help with a variety of options. Some problems are simple; most that end up with a pain specialist are very complex. There often is not a fix and most people will have to find a compromise and determine what they can manage and still function adequately.   If you want help with your pain condition, reach out to Dr. Cohn’s office today.

Bulletproof Vest Technology Could Impact Joint Replacement

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

bulletproofRecently I found an article in Science News on an old material with a new use. The material is polymer that is similar to a fiber used in making bulletproof vests. Apparently, with some modifications, it has been made into a very tough material with similar toughness, stiffness, and water content as cartilage in the body. Cartilage is the material that covers bones and makes up joints in the body. The degenerative type of arthritis one gets as they age, osteoarthritis, involves the deterioration of cartilage. This is also the same wear that people have in their joints that leads to the need for joint replacement.

Artificial Disc Cartilage

Developing an artificial material that would replace the cartilage-on-bone in joints with the same or better properties of current joints is desirable. Instead of preforming total joint replacements, the worn cartilage could just be replaced. This would probably be much simpler and less risky. The artificial cartilage most likely could be used on any joint versus trying to make replacement type specific joints for each joint in the body. It most likely would just be a coating placed on the current cartilage as a replacement without the need to remove the old bone and joint structure. The main problem now is that we do not know yet how to make the material adhere to the bone.

The new material is what is called a hydrogel that is mostly water and contains microscopic aramid fibers. These fibers are what strengthen bulletproof vests. The material is made of either 70 percent or 92 percent water. It was able to maintain its shape when squeezed or stretched.  Best yet it exceeded the toughness and stiffness of real cartilage that is found in our bodies.

The new material is exciting since it has the properties to replace cartilage which is the main problem we have as we age since it deteriorates. Damaged cartilage is what leads to the joint pain that many people suffer. The unique material may also be able to be used in other structures like tendons, ligaments and possibly even discs in the spine. If we can figure out if the material can be integrated into the body without difficulty and can be attached solidly to bone, it has real potential.

Currently we do not know how well it will do in the body. The next phase of research is whether it will be safe and effective for use in animal or human bodies. Whether we have found the solution to age related degeneration or not, it is still too early to know. If the research does pan out it will be a wonderful solution to improve aging.

The Benefits of Hyaluronate Sodium For Knee Osteoarthritis Injections

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

knee injectionsIn general, the development of hyaluronate sodium for knee osteoarthritis dates back to the early to mid 1990’s. The full mechanism on how these compounds work has not been fully understood, but it is believed that they stimulate the cells in the joints to produce joint fluid and thus provide lubrication and cushioning within the joint. In the United States, these compounds have only been FDA approved for the use in the knee joint, but around the world they have been used successfully in a number of joints including shoulders, hands, hips and feet.

Knee Joint Injections

The first compound used was Synvisc. This has been produced from the rooster combs (the flesh on the top of their head) and was highly refined. Initially, it was administered in a series of five injections and has gradually been changed to a single injection. Orthopedic knee surgeons were the first to perform such injections and still probably perform the most of these injections. Since it was the first product on the market, many physicians are likely to use it.

From experience, however, it has significant drawbacks. The number one is that since it is refined from an animal product, there is a definite significant percentage of people who will have an acute inflammatory reaction to this injection. The reaction in the joint is not distinguishable from a joint infection and does often require further intervention, from checking the patient for infection, aspirating the joint, possible hospitalization, and further injection of the joint with steroid.

Since the early 2000’s, artificial hyaluronate sodium compounds have been genetically engineered and are absolutely pure compounds without any material that could cause an allergic response. All these compounds are somewhat similar and have similar effectiveness. Again, initially they came in a series of five injections, but they then refined it to a series of three injections, and now some are a single dose injection. The effectiveness in a variety of studies ranges for reducing knee pain from about 10 percent of people to 30 percent and a maximum of up to 50 percent. Injections often have to be repeated every six months to be most effective.

Who Would Benefit From Knee Injections?

The indications for these injections are osteoarthritis of the knee. Patient selection includes those who cannot take NSAID medications like ibuprofen, those who have not had long relief with steroid joint injections or are limited with steroid use, and those who have mild to moderated degenerative changes to the joint.

Once a patient is found to be a candidate for hyaluronate sodium joint injections, product selection is the next issue. In reality, this is the grey zone for recommendations, and experience with these products is helpful. Manufacturers of the products are pushing the single dose compounds, which these are convenient, however from providers it seems these may be somewhat less effective at producing results than those that are a series of three injections. Again, patient selection may be the most important factor but this is hard to tell definitively. The products that are a series of five injections do not seem to work better than those that are three injections. Further, none of the products are really better than the others when they are genetically engineered pure chemicals.

Choosing the hyaluronate sodium products for injection is based now on several practical issues. The first is to choose an artificial product that is pure. From personal experience, it is a nightmare to deal with an inflammatory reaction to one of these products and the only one that has this issue has been Synvisc, and you’d be best to avoid this injection unless you have a very experienced orthopedic surgeon who can assess your risk of a bad reaction. The best results are from genetically engineered pure products that are a series of three injections, since these tend to induce the cells in the knee to produce joint fluid on their own.

Single shot products may not be as good at inducing the knee cells to produce lubrication from a technical standpoint. The choices then are from three products that include Hyalgan, Euflexxa, and Supartz. These should all produce relatively equal results for the patients, but again on average if the knee osteoarthritis is not extreme, relief in about 30 to 50 percent of the patients is expected. All these products are FDA approved for the knee and the services to provide injections are usually covered by all insurances and are not considered experimental.

The last selection criterion is based on product cost and if an insurance carrier has a specific drug preference. The recommendation for a hyaluronate sodium supplementation product therefore would be one of the three products that include Hyalgan, Euflexxa, or Supartz unless the insurance carrier requires a single shot product, either Orthovisc or Monovisc.

Beyond the above discussion, all these injections should be done with some type of visualization procedure, either fluoroscopy or ultrasound to prove needle location and delivery to the joint space. Secondly, for those patients who want the state of the art treatment and who can pay cash, studies indicate that PRP injections have about a 50 percent success rate for pain relief for at least six months at a time. Furthermore, for the cash paying clientele, they can also use hyaluronate products as well as PRP in many of the joints in the body with about a 50% percent success rate.

Sleep and Caffeine May Play Key Role In Controlling Chronic Pain

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

sleep caffeineNew research out of Boston suggests that sleep and caffeine may play integral roles in controlling chronic pain flareups.

It’s probably not a huge surprise that sleep is beneficial for controlling chronic pain, as we’ve talked about the restorative benefits of sleep on our blog many times before, but the part about caffeine is interesting. Here’s what the researchers had to say.

Benefits of Sleep and Caffeine

For their study, researchers looked at the effects of sleep (or lack thereof) and caffeine on mice and their pain sensitivity. Researchers began by tracking normal sleep cycles and measuring brain activity, then they began to disrupt this healthy sleep cycle by giving mice toys and activities that entertained them and kept them awake (much like Netflix or our iPads do for humans).

“Mice love nesting, so when they started to get sleepy (as seen by their EEG/EMG pattern) we would give them nesting materials like a wipe or cotton ball,” says Dr. Alban Latremoliere, PhD and pain expert at Boston Children’s Hospital. “Rodents also like chewing, so we introduced a lot of activities based around chewing, for example, having to chew through something to get to a cotton ball.”

Researchers kept mice awake for up to 12 hours in one night or for six hours five nights in a row. They examined that fatigue, stress and pain sensitivity all increased during this time.

“We found that five consecutive days of moderate sleep deprivation can significantly exacerbate pain sensitivity over time in otherwise healthy mice,” says Dr. Chloe Alexandre, a sleep physiologist.

Caffeine’s Role

According to researchers, common painkillers did not help mice combat pain, and morphine was less effective in sleep-deprived mice, meaning chronic pain patients who are tired may have to up their morphine dose in order for it to be effective. However, researchers found that caffeine helped to block pain sensitivity.

This led researchers to conclude that a good night’s sleep combined with caffeine during the day (along with other good habits like regular exercise and a healthy diet) may be more effective for managing chronic pain than simply relaying on analgesic medications.

“Many patients with chronic pain suffer from poor sleep and daytime fatigue, and some pain medications themselves can contribute to these co-morbidities,” Dr. Kiran Maski, M.D. at Boston Children’s hospital who studies sleep disorders. “This study suggests a novel approach to pain management that would be relatively easy to implement in clinical care.”

Yoga And Acupuncture May Ease Chronic Pain Symptoms

/ Thomas Cohn, MD

Yoga Chronic Pain MinnesotaNew research published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings suggests that activities like yoga, Tai Chi and other complementary health approaches may help alleviate discomfort associated with some types of chronic pain.

Lead author Richard L. Nahin, Ph.D., of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), suggested that activity options like Tai Chi and yoga may help prevent symptoms from chronic pain, especially when paired with other treatment options like regular exercise, a healthy diet and certain pain medications.

“For many Americans who suffer from chronic pain, medications may not completely relieve pain and can produce unwanted side effects,” said Nahin. “As a result, many people may turn to non-drug approaches to help manage their pain.”

Chronic Pain, Yoga and Tai Chi

For their study, researchers identified 150 randomized, controlled U.S. clinical trials conducted over the past 50 years that examined non-drug approaches to chronic pain. Specifically, the research targeted five common sources of pain, which were:

The treatment techniques analyzed were considered effective if patients reported that it led to improvements in pain severity and pain-related disability/function. After looking at the data, researchers found that both yoga and acupuncture were safe and effective for chronic back pain, while Tai Chi and acupuncture may be most beneficial for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Massage therapy was also somewhat beneficial for patients suffering from neck pain when it was managed with one-hour sessions 2-3 times per week.

“These data can equip providers and patients with the information they need to have informed conversations regarding nondrug approaches for treatment of specific pain conditions,” said David Shurtleff, Ph.D., deputy director of NCCIH. “It’s important that continued research explores how these approaches actually work and whether these findings apply broadly in diverse clinical settings and patient populations.”

At the end of the day, the study paints an interesting picture at some non-drug techniques that can be used in conjunction with other lifestyle interventions to provide relief. Simply getting massages or doing some yoga isn’t going to fully rid you of your pain, but it can play an important role in a total pain management plan. There is no magic pill to cure many of the above conditions, but with a multifaceted approach that involves treatment with a physical medicine pain specialist, relief can be found.