Such interventions would have the potential to reduce the prevalence of chronic pain in the population .
Although certain risk factors can identify individuals who are most likely to develop chronic pain , few interventions to prevent chronic pain have been identified .
To facilitate the identification of preventive interventions , an IMMPACT meeting was convened to discuss research design considerations for clinical trials investigating the prevention of chronic pain .
We present general design considerations for prevention trials in population s that are at relatively high risk for developing chronic pain .
The efficacy of a glial inhibitor, minocycline, for preventing persistent pain after lumbar discectomy: A randomized, double-blind, controlled study
& NA ; Perioperative minocycline administration for 8 days after lumbar discectomy does not improve persistent pain . & NA ; Minocycline strongly inhibits microglial activation , which contributes to central sensitization , a major mechanism underlying chronic pain development . We hypothesized that the perioperative administration of minocycline might decrease persistent pain after lumbar discectomy . We r and omly assigned 100 patients undergoing scheduled lumbar discectomy to placebo and minocycline groups . The minocycline group received 100 mg minocycline orally , twice daily , beginning the evening before surgery and continuing for 8 days . The primary outcome was the change in lower limb pain intensity at rest between baseline and 3 months . Secondary outcomes were pain intensity on movement , the incidence of persistent pain and chronic neuropathic pain , back pain intensity at rest and on movement , and changes in Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory , Brief Pain Inventory , and Rol and ‐Morris scores at 3 months . An intention‐to‐treat analysis was performed for patients assessed from the day before surgery to 3 months . The decrease in lower limb pain intensity was similar in the placebo and minocycline groups , both at rest −1.7 ± 1.6 vs −2.3 ± 2.4 and on movement −2.5 ± 2.1 vs −3.4 ± 2.9 . The incidence and intensity of neuropathic pain and functional scores did not differ between the minocycline and placebo groups . Exploratory analysis suggested that minocycline might be effective in a subgroup of patients with predominantly deep spontaneous pain at baseline . Perioperative minocycline administration for 8 days does not improve persistent pain after lumbar discectomy
Such interventions would have the potential to reduce the prevalence of chronic pain in the population .
Although certain risk factors can identify individuals who are most likely to develop chronic pain , few interventions to prevent chronic pain have been identified .
To facilitate the identification of preventive interventions , an IMMPACT meeting was convened to discuss research design considerations for clinical trials investigating the prevention of chronic pain .
We present general design considerations for prevention trials in population s that are at relatively high risk for developing chronic pain .