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

Antioxidants offer pain relief in patients with chronic pancreatitis
January 5, 2009 [Source: American Gastroenterological Association]
In this placebo-controlled, double blind trial, 127 chronic pancreatitis patients, ages 30.5+/-10.5, were assigned to placebo or antioxidant groups. After six months, the reduction in the number of painful days/month was significantly higher in the antioxidant group, compared with the placebo group (7.4±6.8 versus 3.2±4, respectively). The reduction in the number of analgesic tablets/month was also higher in the antioxidant group (10.5±11.8 versus 4.4±5.8, respectively). Story

Acute gastric injury due to high-dose analgesics?
December 29, 2009 [Source: World Journal of Gastroenterology]
The study group consisted of 50 patients admitted to the emergency department with high dose analgesic ingestion with suicidal intent. Thirty patients with or without mild complaints of dyspepsia were selected as the control group. The study results indicated that gastric lesions were similar between the groups. Thus, acetaminophen is not free of gastrointestinal side effects at high doses. Story

More Pain Studies In The News

Pain Stories In The News

Introducing Abstral(R) innovative drug delivery technology for rapid breakthrough cancer pain management
January 2, 2009 [Source: ProStrakan Group]
Abstral® is an important new treatment option for inadequately controlled breakthrough cancer pain (BTcP) in opioid-tolerant cancer patients. The Abstral formulation delivers the analgesic power of fentanyl in a fast dissolving sublingual tablet. Abstral provides rapid relief of BTcP from 10 minutes1, provides predictable dosing2,3 and is convenient and easy to use. Story

PriCara(R) recalls 50 mcg/hr DURAGESIC(R) (fentanyl transdermal system) CII pain patches
December 31, 2008 [Source: Pricara]
PriCara(R), Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., said today that one lot of 50 microgram/hour (mcg/hr) DURAGESIC(R) (fentanyl transdermal system) CII patches sold by PriCara in the United States and one lot of 50 mcg/hr fentanyl patches sold by Sandoz Inc. in the United States are being voluntarily recalled as a precaution from wholesalers and pharmacies. The company has identified a condition in the manufacturing equipment that has since been corrected. Story

More Pain Stories In The News

For Your Patients

Managing Pelvic Pain (fact sheet)
Many women have pain in their pelvis (lower part of the belly) from time to time, usually during their period. However, if you have daily pelvic pain, it could be a sign of a bigger problem with your bladder, bowels, reproductive organs, or pelvic muscles. Many conditions cause pelvic pain, including endometriosis, adhesions, chronic appendicitis, or hernias. Story

Tips to ease an aching back
December 26, 2008 [Source: National Athletic Trainers' Association]
To ease the backaches that may have come from such seasonal duties as lugging heavy luggage, toting bags of gifts and stretching and straining to put up holiday decorations -- and that can return any time of the year -- the National Athletic Trainers' Association offers a 10-step guide Story

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:

Andersson G.
Chronic pain and praying to a higher power: useful or useless? Abstract

Coutts P, Woo KY, Bourque S.
Treating patients with painful chronic wounds. Abstract

Darnall BD.
Self-delivered home-based mirror therapy for lower limb phantom pain. Abstract

Fishbain DA, Lewis JE, Cutler R, et al.
Does smoking status affect multidisciplinary pain facility treatment outcome? Abstract

Fishman SM.
Biofeedback in pain management: Bier blocks for complex regional pain syndrome. Abstract

Hay JL, White JM, Bochner F, et al.
Hyperalgesia in opioid-managed chronic pain and opioid-dependent patients. Abstract

Hollinghurst S, Sharp D, Ballard K, et al.
Randomised controlled trial of Alexander technique lessons, exercise, and massage (ATEAM) for chronic and recurrent back pain: economic evaluation. Abstract

Post-White J, Fitzgerald M, Savik K, et al.
Massage therapy for children with cancer. Abstract

Stuart RM, Winfree CJ.
Neurostimulation techniques for painful peripheral nerve disorders. Abstract

176 Research Abstracts

Legislative and Administrative Updates

Branch of Government: Mississippi. House
Title: HB 70 (Pain Relief Act)
Summary: Creates Pain Relief Act; provides that the licensing boards of physicians, nurses, physician assistants, dentists, podiatrists and pharmacists shall not bring any disciplinary action against a licensee, and state criminal prosecutions shall not be brought against them, for prescribing, dispensing or administering treatment for the therapeutic purpose of relieving intractable pain, if they can demonstrate that their practice substantially complied with an accepted guideline for pain management.
Sponsor: Moak
Latest Action:
01/02/2009 prefiled.
01/02/2009 To House Committee on Public Health and Human Services
01/02/2009 To House Committee on Judiciary A.
01/06/2009 Introduced.
01/06/2009 To House Committee on Public Health and Human Services
01/06/2009 To House Committee on Judiciary A. full text

Branch of Government: New York. Senate
Title: SB 217
Summary: Adds chronic pain disorder as a justifiable ailment for which one may receive compensatory payments under the workers' compensation law; defines chronic pain disorder as any process which causes pain in patients suffering from diseases known to be chronic and incurable.
Sponsor: Kruger
Latest Action:
01/07/2009 Introduced.
01/07/2009 To Senate Committee on Labor full text  

New Practice Guidelines

Arthritis
New Clinical Practice Guidelines for Osteoarthritis of the Knee
[Summary and recommendations]

Cumulative Trauma Disorders
Work Loss Data Institute
Carpal tunnel syndrome (acute & chronic).
[Summary and recommendations]

Musculoskeletal Diseases
Work Loss Data Institute
Elbow (acute & chronic)
[Summary and recommendations]

Trigeminal Neuralgia
American Academy of Neurology and the European Federation of Neurological Societies
Practice parameter: the diagnostic evaluation and treatment of trigeminal neuralgia (an evidence-based review)
[Summary and recommendations]

New Clinical Trials

Alabama

Arthritis
City: Birmingham
Summary: A research study to identify genetic and other factors that determine the severity of rheumatoid arthritis in African Americans.

California

Analgesics, Opioid
City: Laguna Hills
Summary: A study evaluating the efficacy of treatment with the fentanyl buccal tablet compared with immediate release oxycodone treatment in alleviating breakthrough pain in opioid tolerant patients with chronic pain.

Cancer Pain
City: Duarte
Summary: A study to gather information that will help researchers design an intervention aimed at reducing barriers to the effective management of cancer-related pain and fatigue.

More New Clinical Trials

Lagniappe (A little something extra)

Flowering plants speed post-surgery recovery
December 30, 2008 [Source: American Society for Horticultural Science]
Contact with nature has long been suspected to increase positive feelings, reduce stress, and provide distraction from the pain associated with recovery from surgery. Now, research has confirmed the beneficial effects of plants and flowers for patients recovering from abdominal surgery. Story

New evidence that people make aspirin's active principle -- salicylic acid
December 22, 2008 [Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry]
There is evidence that humans can make their own salicylic acid (SA) — the material formed when aspirin breaks down in the body. SA, which is responsible for aspirin's renowned effects in relieving pain and inflammation, may be the first in a new class of bioregulators, according to a new study. Story

Editorial Team
Edward Duensing, Research
Lennie Duensing, Editorial

Design Team
Carol Harper, Design
Katie Ewing, Data Input