Photo credit: www.sciencedaily.com
Managing pain and symptoms is crucial for the well-being of adults with cerebral palsy.
Nonetheless, many of these individuals receive treatments that may not effectively address their specific symptoms.
This mismatch can lead to prescriptions for medications that do not target the root causes of their issues, resulting in patients taking unnecessary drugs that may exacerbate their health problems or introduce new complications over time.
Mark Peterson, Ph.D., M.S., FACSM, a professor at the University of Michigan Health specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation, investigated common pain management practices among adults with cerebral palsy. His research aimed to uncover the variations in prescribed medications based on different pain phenotypes and concurrent neurodevelopmental conditions.
Peterson and his team analyzed prescription data to identify prevalent pharmaceutical interventions for pain and symptom management in this population. Their findings revealed a range of commonly prescribed medications, ranked from the most to the least frequently prescribed: antiepileptics, antidepressants, benzodiazepines, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, non-operative opioids, antipsychotics, muscle relaxants, medications specific to irritable bowel syndrome, clonidine, anticholinergics, and botulinum toxin A injections.
Despite the importance of physical and occupational therapy as key strategies for managing pain in children with cerebral palsy, these treatments were only prescribed to 41% of the adult participants in the study.
Historically, there has been a dearth of understanding regarding prescribing practices for managing pain and related symptoms in patients with cerebral palsy, heightening the risk of adverse reactions to medications.
“One of the most concerning findings from this study was the significant number of prescriptions for individuals displaying mixed pain phenotypes, with prescriptions for muscle relaxants reaching 60% and those for non-operative opioids as high as 80%,” noted Peterson.
He emphasizes the necessity of utilizing appropriate screening tools to gain insight into not only the nature and origin of the pain being experienced but also its prevalence across the patient population.
“Understanding the connections between exposure to opioids and the common symptoms or comorbidities associated with cerebral palsy—such as respiratory, psychiatric, bowel disorders, and the risk of fall-related fractures—is essential,” he added.
As Peterson continues his efforts to improve the treatment of pain and other related symptoms in individuals with cerebral palsy, his research group has developed an overview with recommendations for pain management in this demographic. This initiative coincides with a larger international project aimed at establishing the first clinical practice guidelines specifically for adults living with cerebral palsy.
Funding/disclosures: This research was partially supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (grant no: #1R21DE032584-01).
Source
www.sciencedaily.com