Novel Insights for Spinal Pain Management: From Physical Therapies to Ultrasound-Guided Procedures

Dear Colleagues,

Recent advancements in advanced biophysical agents and medical imaging allow a tailored and personalized diagnosis and management of spinal pain. For instance, peripheral magnetic stimulation or percutaneous electrical neuromodulation are increasingly being used in the clinical practice of pain physicians to optimize pain relief stemming from several anatomical structures, such as facets, intervertebral disks, spinal nerve roots and paraspinal muscles. Likewise, modern ultrasound equipment can be used to guide the needle to specific spinal pain generators, allowing for the performance of several techniques, including articular corticosteroid injection, spinal nerve block, hydrodissection of the fascial system, muscular needling and orthobiologic therapies.

The present Special Issue aims to explore the clinical benefits of modern biophysical agents and innovative ultrasound-guided interventions in the management of patients with spinal pain. Likewise, the combination of physical therapies and interventional procedures may boost the functional recovery of the spine by promoting the recruitment of paraspinal muscles and counteracting the pathological arthrogenic spinal reflexes.

Lastly, modern rehabilitation techniques for the spine, which are focused on the neuromuscular activation of deep paraspinal muscles (such as the multifidus muscle) and the gliding of the neural chains, may be investigated in the present Special Issue to optimize the ‘functional approach’ in association with the physical agents and the spinal procedures under ultrasound guidance.

Dr. Ke-Vin Chang
Dr. Vincenzo Ricci
Guest Editors

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