Kyung-Hoon Kim, Hyo-Jung Seo, Salahadin Abdi, and Billy Huh. Korean J Pain 2020;33:108-20. https://doi.org/10.3344/kjp.2020.33.2.108

Jae-Yeon Kim, Salahadin Abdi, Billy Huh, and Kyung-Hoon Kim. Korean J Pain 2021;34:4-18. https://doi.org/10.3344/kjp.2021.34.1.4

Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) is effective in the treatment of neuropathic pain in clinical practice. Its application to sites proximal to nerve injury can inhibit the activity of extra-cellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) for up to 28 days. The spared nerve injury (SNI)+ immPRF group (immediate exposure to PRF for 6 min after SNI) exhibited a greater anti-allodynic effect compared with the control group (SNI alone) or the SNI + postPRF group (application of PRF for 6 min on the 14th day after SNI). Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) was selected using microarray assays and according to web-based gene ontology annotations in the SNI + immPRF group. An increase in IGF2 and activation of ERK1/2 were attenuated by the immPRF treatment compared with an SNI control group. Using immunofluorescent staining, we detected co-localized phosphorylated ERK1/2 and IGF2 in the dorsal horn regions of rats from the SNI group, where the IGF2 protein predominantly arose in CD11b- or NeuN-positive cells, whereas IGF2 immunoreactivity was not detected in the SNI + immPRF group. Taken together, these results suggest that PRF treatment immediately after nerve injury significantly inhibited the development of neuropathic pain with a lasting effect, most likely through IGF2 down-regulation and the inhibition of ERK1/2 activity primarily in microglial cells.

Aim: Low back pain is a leading cause of patient disability in the USA. Our goal was to determine association between patient characteristics and their response to lumbar medial branch block, radio...

Trigeminal neuralgia represents a form of chronic facial pain that is characterized by its incapacitating nature. The current therapeutic approaches encompass pharmacological agents with carbamazep... Plain language summary Trigeminal neuralgia causes severe facial pain, often requiring medications or invasive procedures. High-intensity laser therapy (HILT), known for treating many chronic pains... Tweetable abstract In this article, the authors demonstrate the usage of high-intensity laser therapy in management of trigeminal neuralgia in an elderly patient with multiple comorbidities.