Edited by William E. Chavey, MD, MS Three medical associations have recently issued recommendations on practices that should be questioned or avoided as part of the Choosing Wisely campaign, which aims to reduce unnecessary tests and procedures. Among the 15 recommendations: The American Chiropractic Association says that lumbar supports or braces shouldn’t be prescribed for long-term […]
Read MoreEdited by Richard Saitz, MD, MPH, FACP, DFASAM Electrotherapy and acupuncture might help decrease opioid use for pain relief after total knee arthroplasty, according to a meta-analysis in JAMA Surgery. Researchers examined data from 39 randomized trials in which nonpharmacological interventions to reduce pain after knee arthroplasty were compared with routine pharmacotherapy either alone or combined with […]
Read MoreEdited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Lorenzo Di Francesco, MD, FACP, FHM Gabapentinoids, increasingly used for chronic low back pain, offer little benefit and carry substantial risks in this setting, finds a systematic review in PLOS Medicine. Researchers examined eight randomized trials in which gabapentin or pregabalin was compared with active or inactive treatments in adults […]
Read MoreEdited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Jaye Elizabeth Hefner, MD Evidence is limited on the benefits of cannabis use for treating chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder, according to two reviews in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The review on chronic pain included 75 studies that examined the potential benefits and harms of cannabis use. There […]
Read MoreThomas L. Schwenk, MD and Allan S. Brett, MD Reviewing Juraschek SP et al., JAMA Intern Med 2017 Jul 24; Blood pressure readings within 1 minute might be more useful in predicting fractures, falls, and other adverse events. According to a 2011 consensus statement, blood pressure (BP) measurement to assess orthostatic hypotension should be done “within 3 minutes […]
Read More