Academy News
Letter from the Executive Director
Dear Academy Members,
On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of the Academy, I wish you a joyful, healthy, and prosperous new year. Our hope is that 2007 will bring a greater awareness of the vast problem of pain and the need to manage it in balanced and effective ways. The Academy’s goals for 2007 are to: educate and inform more and more clinicians about pain and its management; provide the tools and skills needed to do this work; and, above all, further interdisciplinary pain management as the standard of care for people living with pain. (continued)
Academy Announces New Member Benefit!
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Subscribe to The Pain Practitioner! See sample articles below:
Headache Diagnosis and Treatment: An Overview—Interview with John Claude Krusz, MD, PhD Article
Talking with June L. Dahl, PhD: The Impact of Legislative and Regulatory Policy on the Practice of Pain Management in the United States Article
Caring for Bodies Pushed Beyond the Limit: Behind the Scenes at Cirque du Soleil Article
If you are a member of the Academy, you are entitled to many excellent benefits including The Pain Practitioner, our quarterly magazine. If you are not an Academy member, you can subscribe for just $35 a year!
Subscribe!
Call for Poster Abstracts
The Continuing Education Department is calling for "Poster Abstract" proposals for the upcoming 18th Annual Clinical Meeting, which will be held September 27-30, 2007, in Las Vegas, NV. The deadline for abstract submission is April 30, 2007. Please use the Poster Abstract Proposal form and return via email to Debra Nelson-Hogan, Director of Education.
Accrediting Your Pain Program?
Pay application fee now, before the survey price increases on February 15... Click here for more information
Academy Publications and Products
Weiner’s Pain Management: A Practical Guide for Clinicians (7th ed.)
The best selling resource in pain management just got better! This revised edition has been completely updated and includes new chapters, sections, and authors.
Purchase textbook
Recordings of the Academy's 17th Annual Meeting are Now Available!
Listen to conference presentations in the comfort of your home, office, car, computer, or MP3 player. Individual sessions on CD can be ordered at a cost of $12.00, or purchase the entire conference on CD-ROM with handouts for only $189.00.
Go to lawrencemg.com to place an order or call 1-800-466-1962 x7083.
Attention: All Academy Accredited Pain Program Practitioners!
APS Announces New Centers of Excellence Program
Follow this link to the APS information page about this new award for clinical excellence: www.ampainsoc.org/
news/clinical_
excellence.htm
Contact Alexandra Campbell, PhD for assistance applying for this award.
Spotlight on Shingles Campaign
The American Pain Foundation, with support from a Merck & Co., Inc. is sponsoring a "Spotlight on Shingles--Know What You Can Do Campaign" to promote public awareness on Shingles. A free comprehensive education toolkit has been developed to help you plan and implement outreach activities to raise awareness of Shingles and its potential complications. The toolkits can be ordered by calling 202-729-4103, or if you have further questions you may contact Teresa Flynn.
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~January 2007
This e-newsletter is made possible, in part, by an educational grant from Endo Pharmaceuticals. 
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Breaking
News
This section includes a wide variety of pain management stories, arranged by date and type (not significance), which have appeared in the popular media (print, broadcast, and on-line) in the last month. Because of the volume of stories, only the first few are included on the main page. Be sure to click on "More Stories" at the bottom of each front page section.
Pain Studies In The News
Women With Migraines More Likely To Have Depression
January 9, 2007
Women with chronic headache, especially migraines, are more likely to be depressed, feel tired, and have a host of other severe physical symptoms, according to a study published in the January 9, 2007, issue of Neurology Story
Thousands of Finns Suffer Headaches Caused by Pain Medication
January 9, 2007
Thousands of Finns suffer from long-term headaches, which could actually be caused by medication taken to ease pain. Story
More Pain Studies In The News
Conditions, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Drugs Nearing Approval for Mysterious Pain Condition
January 8, 2007
Not all doctors are sure about the pain and fatigue condition known as fibromyalgia, but drug companies are racing to win U.S. regulatory approval to serve this potentially lucrative market. Story
Sweet Relief for Pain
January 2, 2006
Move over, blueberries. In recent studies, cherries are revealing their extraordinary health benefits, from easing post-exercise soreness to preventing cancer and heart disease.
Many people swear by cherries for relieving the excruciating pain of gout and arthritis. According to recent studies, this folk remedy now has the backing of science. Story
More Conditions, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Policy and Law
Genzyme's Synvisc retains high reimbursement rate
December 15, 2006
Genzyme Corp. (GENZ.O: Quote, Profile , Research) said on Friday its osteoarthritis pain treatment Synvisc will retain a separate, higher reimbursement rate, after the U.S. government reversed its earlier decision to cut the rate, sending Genzyme shares higher. Story
Prescription Addiction, Diversion, and Abuse
NIDA-Sponsored Survey Shows Decrease in Illicit Drug Use Among Nation's Teens but Prescription Drug Abuse Remains High
December 21, 2006
The 2006 Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey of eighth, 10th and 12th graders indicates that their past-month use of illicit drugs has dropped 23.2 percent since 2001 (from 19.4 percent in 2001 to 14.9 percent in 2006). Story
For Your Patients
Consumers Should Talk To Their Pharmacists About Pain Reliever Safety. Pharmacists Can Answers Questions If Consumers Have Concerns
December 23, 2006
Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed that the most popular pain relievers carry additional warnings on their labels that overuse may result in stomach bleeding or liver and kidney damage… Talk to your pharmacist about over the counter pain medications. He or she can help you choose the best product for your condition. Story
Sexuality and Chronic Pain
December 19, 2006
People need physical and emotional intimacy almost as much as they need food and shelter. Sexuality helps fulfill the vital need for human connection. It's a natural and healthy part of living, as well as an important aspect of your identity as a man or woman. But when chronic pain invades your life, the pleasures of sexuality often disappear. Story
News From Industry Sources
First Surgeries Completed Using Small Bone Innovations, Inc.'s Newly Introduced UNI-Elbow Radio Capitellum System
January 8, 2007
Small Bone Innovations, Inc. (SBi), a single-source provider of products, technology and education to small bone and joint orthopedic surgeons, announced an initial round of procedures using its new UNI-Elbow(tm) Radio Capitellum System (UNI-Elbow). The system incorporates SBi's Precise Guidance Technology(tm) (PGT) template and instrumentation. Story
Innovasis Announces Successful FDA Clearance for the 'PEEK Box' VBR System
January 7, 2007
Utah-based Innovasis, a research, development and manufacturer of spinal implant devices, has received 510(k) clearance of its "PEEK Box" System as a Vertebral Body Replacement (VBR) by the United States Food and Drug Administration after previously been cleared as a Cement Restrictor. The "PEEK Box" System will be used as a Vertebral Body Replacement within the spine. Story
More News From Industry Sources
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Research Abstracts
Stay up-to-date on the latest research! This section of Currents offers complete abstracts on a wide variety of pain and pain management topics that have been selected from the National Library of Medicine. All Abstracts
Some include:
Breuer B, Pappagallo M, Tai JY, et al.
U.S. board-certified pain physician practices: uniformity and census data of
their locations. Abstract
Cambron JA, Gudavalli MR, McGregor M, et al.
Amount of health care and self-care following a randomized clinical trial comparing flexion-distraction with exercise program for chronic low back pain. Abstract
Compas BE, Boyer MC, Stanger C, et al.
Latent variable analysis of coping, anxiety/depression, and somatic symptoms in
adolescents with chronic pain. Abstract
Eccleston C, Bruce E, Carter B.
Chronic pain in children and adolescents. Abstract
Fishman SM.
The role of the pain psychologist, trigger point injections, reflex sympathetic
dystrophy. Abstract
Grube B, Grunwald J, Krug L, et al.
Efficacy of a comfrey root (Symphyti offic. radix) extract ointment in the
treatment of patients with painful osteoarthritis of the knee. Abstract
Portenoy RK, Sibirceva U, Smout R, et al.
Opioid use and survival at the end of life: a survey of a hospice population. Abstract
All Abstracts |
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Legislative and Administrative Updates
U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announce Town Hall Meeting to discuss applications for add-on payments for new medical services and technologies under the Inpatient Prospective Payment System
U.S. Government Branch: Department of Health and Human Services. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Title: Medicare Program; Town Hall Meeting on the Fiscal Year 2008 Applications for New Medical Services and Technologies and Informational Workshop on Payment for New Technologies Under the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and the Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS).
Summary: This notice announces a Town Hall Meeting to discuss fiscal year (FY) 2008 applications for add-on payments for new medical services and technologies under the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS). Interested parties are invited to this meeting to present their comments, recommendations, and data regarding whether the FY 2008 new medical services and technologies applications meet the substantial clinical improvement criteria. Additionally, we will hold an Informational Workshop for all interested parties on the application process and criteria for new medical services and technologies add-on payments under the IPPS, the transitional pass-through payment and new technology ambulatory payment classification (APC) assignment application processes under the Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and the processes of Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) assignment and requesting new ICD-9 codes under the IPPS.
Note: Decreased pain is one of the criteria used to evaluate a request for special payment for a new medical service or technology
Status: Meeting to be held in Baltimore, MD on February 22, 2007
Federal Register: December 22, 2006
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs issues interim final rule to extend the deadline for veterans of the Persian Gulf War to qualify for compensation for chronic disabilities resulting from undiagnosed illnesses
U.S. Government Branch: Department of Veterans Affairs
Title: Extension of the Presumptive Period for Compensation for Gulf War Veterans
Summary: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is issuing this interim final rule to amend its adjudication regulations regarding compensation for disabilities resulting from undiagnosed illnesses suffered by veterans who served in the Persian Gulf War. This amendment is necessary to extend the presumptive period for qualifying chronic disabilities resulting from undiagnosed illnesses that must become manifest to a compensable degree in order that entitlement for compensation be established. The intended effect of this amendment is to provide consistency in VA adjudication policy and preserve certain rights afforded to Persian Gulf War veterans and ensure fairness for current and fu-ture Persian Gulf War veterans.
Note: In December 2001, section 202(a) of Public Law 107-103 amended 38 U.S.C. 1117 by revising the term "chronic disability" to include the following (or any combination of the following): (a) An undiagnosed illness; (b) a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness (such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome) that is defined by a cluster of signs or symptoms….
Status: This interim final rule is effective December 18, 2006. Comments must be received by VA on or before February 16, 2007.
Federal Register: December 18, 2006
More Legislative and Administrative Updates
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Practice Guidelines
National Comprehensive Cancer Network
Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology: Pediatric Cancer Pain Full text
Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association
Pediatric Hospice Palliative Care - Guiding Principles and Norms of Practice
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New Clinical Trials
Analgesics, Opioid
Open-Label, Safety Study of Kadian NT in Subjects With Chronic Moderate to Severe Nonmalignant Pain
Purpose: Open-Label, Safety Study to evaluate the long-term safety of Kadian NT administered for up to 12 months.
Conditions: Chronic Non-Malignant Pain
State: AL, AZ, CA, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, LA, MA, MI, MO, MT, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA
Safety and Efficacy of Tegaserod in Opioid-Induced Constipation in Patients With Non-Cancer Pain
Purpose: This study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of Tegaserod in opioid-induced constipation in patients with non-cancer pain.
Conditions: Opioid-Induced Constipation
State: NJ
Arthritis
Chronic Pain due to Osteoarthritis of the Hip or Knee
Purpose: The purpose of this research study is to find out how safe and effective Kadian NT is when taken for chronic pain over a period of up to one year.
Conditions: Moderate to severe pain of hip or knee
State: AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MA, MI, MO, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, TX, UT, VA
More New Clinical Trials
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Advocacy
Dr. Stanley C. Marinoff Vulvodynia Career Development Award
Purpose: The Dr. Stanley C. Marinoff Career Development Award was established to encourage junior faculty to pursue their clinical and/or academic interest in vulvodynia. The award provides seed money for one of the following: (i) medical research (ii) establishment of a vulvar pain clinic, or (iii) writing a publication on vulvodynia. The NVAs intent is to enrich the professional growth of faculty in this field and enable them to pursue further funding opportunities.
Eligibility: Applicants must have any clinical or full-time faculty appointment up to the level of assistant professor.
Funding: The award is $5000. The applicant’s academic or clinical institution is encouraged to contribute at least a matching amount. The grant may be used to fund any direct costs relevant to the project. (NVA does not permit any amount of the award to be spent on overhead or indirect costs.)
Selection Process: NVA coordinates the evaluation process, ensuring that each proposal is reviewed by a panel of experts in the field. The panel members submit their recommendations to the NVA Executive Board, which selects the award recipient.
Deadline: Please submit a brief letter of intent by February 1, 2007 to Christin Veasley at chris@nva.org. The final application should also be submitted electronically to chris@nva.org by March 1, 2007. The award recipient will be announced in May 2007.
Report: A final one to two page report must be submitted within one year of receipt of funding.
Contact: Christin Veasley, Director of Research & Professional Programs, National Vulvodynia Association, 401-398-0830, chris@nva.org
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Lagniappe (A little something extra)
Sword Throat - The Perils of Sword Swallowers
December 22, 2006
The art of sword swallowing carries many predictable risks, but the dangers
are magnified if animals or other distractions encroach on the performer's
act, an unusual study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) says. Story
Virtual Reality Lets Amputees 'Control' Missing Limbs
November 15, 2006
Academics from the School of Computer Science and School of Psychological Sciences have developed a virtual reality system, which gives the illusion that a person's amputated limb is still there. So far, five patients living in the Manchester area -- including one who has suffered from PLP for 40 years -- have used the virtual reality system over several weeks in a small-scale study. Story
The Truth About the Grinch
Iris Wilde, RN, gives us this humorous, but powerful story of how "all Grinch really wanted was a way to escape pain…and go back to his sweet self, enjoying life as it is meant to be lived." Story |
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Editorial Team
Edward Duensing, Research
Lennie Duensing, Editorial
Design
Carol Harper
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American Academy of Pain Management is the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization serving clinicians who
treat people with pain through education, setting standards of care, and advocacy.
American Academy of Pain Management
13947 Mono Way #A • Sonora, CA 95370
www.aapainmanage.org
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