Henceforth, ultrasonography (US) is an indispensible imaging technique in regional anesthesia practice. With the guidance of US, various invasive interventions in chronic pain pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, peripheral and neuroaxial pathologies has become possible. The management includes diagnostic blocks as weel as radiofrequency ablation and institution of neurolythic agents. During these algologic interventions we are able to see the target tissue, the dispersion of the drug and all nearby vascular structures. Besides these the US also protects the team from ionic radiation that one encounters when using flouroscopy of computed tomography. Latest publication in this field show that applicability of US in chronic pain syndromes is rapidly expanding with a good future. The additional equipment (echogenic needles, 3-D US etc.) will also expands its applications in algology practice. This review highlights different applications of US in chronic pain conditions.

Objectives: Preventive analgesia has been defined as reduction in noxious stimuli during preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative periods. The aim of the present study was to prevent central sensitization by administering ketamine infusion throughout the surgical procedure. In addition, possible preventive effects of dexketoprofen when administered before and after incision were evaluated.
Methods: Fifty patients were included. Group I was administered 50 mg intravenous dexketoprofen prior to surgical incision, and Group II received the same amount 10 minutes after the incision had been made. Following induction of general anesthesia, all patients received a bolus of 0.50 mg/kg ketamine in 0.07 mg/kg/h intravenous infusion.
Results: When postoperative visual analog scale values were compared, values for Group I after 1 and 4 hours were significantly lower than those of Group II. In addition, morphine consumption at 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours was significantly lower in Group I.
Conclusion: Combined with the prevention of central sensitization with ketamine, administration of dexketoprofen prior to incision led to a lower rate of morphine consumption and more effective analgesia than post-incision administration.

Objectives: Fibromyalgia is a disease characterized by chronic, widespread pain. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment methods are used. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of balneotherapy on treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome, compared with education alone.
Methods: A total of 66 patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome were randomly separated into balneotherapy and control groups. Patients in both groups were informed about fibromyalgia syndrome. In addition, the balneotherapy group received 21 sessions of spa treatment with 34.8 °C thermomineral water, attending the spa 5 days a week. Patients were evaluated by visual analogue scale, tender point count, fibromyalgia impact questioning, and modified fatigue impact scale at initiation of treatment on the 15th day, 1st month, 3rd month, and 6th month. Evaluations were performed by the same doctor.
Results: Statistically significant improvement was detected in all parameters, compared to starting evaluation, in both groups. Most improved results among all parameters were observed in the balneotherapy group on the first 3-month follow-up. In addition, all parameters beyond tender point count and modified fatigue impact were improved on 6-month follow-up.
Conclusion: It was concluded that addition of balneotherapy to patient education has both short- and long-term beneficial effects on female patients with fibromyalgia.

Objectives: Musculoskeletal injections (MIs) are frequently used in conservative treatment-resistant cases. Joint or soft tissue (ST) corticosteroid (CS) or local anesthetic (LA) injections can be used to relieve musculoskeletal pain. Assessed in the present study was the short-term efficacy of MIs for pain relief, as was the relative efficacy of injections in various joint and ST sites.
Methods: An interventional prospective cohort design was employed in the present study. Joint or ST injections for musculoskeletal pathologies were performed in patients over 18 years of age who were resistant to conservative treatment methods. Pain during rest and activity were evaluated using visual analog scale (VAS) by different clinicians prior to treatment and 3 weeks after. At the end of the study, efficacy at 7 injection sites (myofascial trigger points, shoulder, knee, lateral epicondyle, plantar fascia, lumbar, and coccyx regions) was analyzed.
Results: Injections were administered to 225 of the 250 patients included. A total of 128 patients, of whom 94 were female, completed the study. Resting VAS values before and after treatment were 4.35±1.49 and 1.63±1.74, respectively. Activity VAS values before and after treatment were 8.41±1.33 and 4.04±2.37, respectively. Changes in resting and activity VAS values were significant (p<0.005). Significant reductions in pain were observed at all injection sites following treatment.
Conclusion: Significant improvement in pain scores was observed 3 weeks after injections among all injection sites. LA or CS injections can be used safely and efficiently for pain relief over short time periods.

Objectives: The aim of the present methodological descriptive study was to test the validity and reliability of the COMFORT scale.
Methods: The study was conducted at a pediatric critical care unit at a university hospital between February 2009 and June 2010. Study sample included 84 pediatric patients (n=37) receiving mechanical ventilation. Data were collected via child information form, COMFORT scale, and visual analog scale (VAS). Having been assured of the language and context validity of the scale, researchers conducted reliability tests (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, item analysis), inter- and intra-observer reliability tests, and correlation analyses based on the data obtained during their own observations.
Results: Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.77. Results of the item analysis indicated that item-total correlations were satisfactorily high. Significance of inter-observer agreement was analyzed for each item, and it was found that weighted kappa values varied between 0.703 and 0.888. Convergent validity tests demonstrated a positive strong correlation between COMFORT scale scores of the primary researcher and the assistant researchers (r= 0.961, p<0.000), and between the scores of the COMFORT scale and the VAS (r= 0.775, p<0.000; r=0.786, p<0.000).
Conclusion: It was concluded that the COMFORT scale was a valid and reliable method of measuring sedation levels of children receiving mechanical ventilation and being sedated in a pediatric critical care unit.

Objectives: The aim of the present randomized, placebo-controlled study was to compare postoperative analgesic effects of peroperative paracetamol and lornoxicam administration.
Methods: Sixty adult patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) risk classification I-II, who would undergo single-level lumbar discectomy under general anesthesia, were enrolled. Patients were administered either 1000 mg paracetamol (Group P), 8 mg lornoxicam (Group L), or saline (Group C) prior to induction of anesthesia (n=20 for all groups). All patients were administered the same anesthesia induction and maintainance. Postoperative analgesia was maintained with the same analgesic drug in each group. Rescue analgesia was supplied with intravenous meperidine delivered by a patient-controlled analgesia device. Numeric rating score (NRS) results, first analgesic demand time, and cumulative meperidine consumption were recorded postoperatively. Primary outcome was NRS at first postoperative hour. Secondary outcome was measure of opioid consumption during first 24 postoperative hours.
Results: At first postoperative hour, NRS of Group L [4 (0-8)] was lower than NRSs of Groups P and C [6(0-7); 6(0-9), respectively; p<0.016]. Time to first analgesic demand of Group L was longer, compared with those of the other groups (p<0.016). Cumulative postoperative meperidine consumption in Group L was less than those of Groups P and C at 2-, 12-, and 24-hour time intervals (p<0.016), while Groups P and C had similar findings for the same time intervals.
Conclusion: Preoperative lornoxicam administration decreased early postoperative pain scores more effectively than paracetamol.

Primary stabbing headache is an excruciating and relatively rare type of headache that typically lasts for only a few seconds. Pain is predominantly felt in the distribution of the first division of the trigeminal nerve and can be experienced as single stabs or as a series of stabs, either per day or every few days. Primary stabbing headache has been well-defined for decades and must be kept in mind during diagnosis. Exclusion of other possible causes is necessary in order to establish diagnosis. Indomethacin has classically been considered the first treatment option, but therapeutic failure occurs in up to 35% of cases. Recent studies have suggested that cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors, gabapentin, nifedipine, paracetamol, and melatonin are also effective treatments.

A 58-year-old woman was evaluated following complaints of pain in both lower extremities and brief involuntary movements in her toes, which had begun 2 years prior. No signs were present beyond a curling, flexion/extension, abduction/adduction movement in the toes of both lower extremities, voluntarily stoppable during neurologic examination. During investigation into etiology, lumbar vertebrae MRI revealed a posterior annular protrusion causing partial compression of the dural sac and neural elements by the L3-4 and L4-5 discs. Semirhythmic repetitious movements were detected on electromyography performed on right extensor digitorum brevis (EDB) muscle with 200 mV and 1 Hz frequency. Patient was put on a gradually increased dose of gabapentin, starting at 1200 mg/day. A brief regression in pain and involuntary movements in feet and toes was observed. GABAergic agents are very effective treatment of painful legs and moving toes syndrome. The present clinically and electrophysiologically diagnosed case was considered worth reporting, as painful legs and moving toes syndrome is a very rare condition.

Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a neuromuscular disease with a progressive course. It is the most common and most severe muscular dystrophic disorder for which the application of anesthesia is critical, due to muscle weakness, and cardiac and pulmonary involvement. Successful application of spinal anesthesia in a 2-year-old boy with DMD undergoing bilateral inguinal hernia repair is described in the present report. It is proposed that spinal anesthesia is an effective alternative to general anesthesia in certain pediatric patients, including those with DMD, for whom general anesthesia poses increased risk.

Cluster headache is characterized by severe orbital or periorbital pain with a duration of 15-180 minutes and it is a member of trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias. We report the case of an 47-year-old woman who cluster-like headache due to metformin therapy. There are a large number of drugs inducing headache as an adverse reaction.

Cluster headache is characterized by severe orbital or periorbital pain with a duration of 15-180 minutes. Episodic cluster headache occurs in clusters of weeks to months duration, whereas chronic cluster headache attacks occur for more than 1 year without remissions. Management of cluster headache is divided into acute attack treatment and prophylactic treatment. We report the case of an 38-year-old man who drug-resistant chronic cluster headache who response pregabalin (Physical and neurological examinations, magnetic resonance imaging and blood examinations were normal).