Breaking News

Product Warning
Fentora Cancer Pain Drug Linked To Deaths
September 14, 2007
Drug company Cephalon has sent out a Dear Doctor and a Dear Healthcare Professional letter about safe use of its cancer pain drug Fentora (fentanyl buccal tablet) which has been linked with four deaths recently. The letters, dated 10th September, remind pain management specialists and other healthcare professionals that Fentora should only be used to manage breakthrough pain in patients with cancer who are already taking, and are already known to be tolerant to, opioids (substances that act like morphine), for their underlying persistent cancer pain. Story
Letter to doctor
Letter to healthcare professional
Cephalon Label with Medication Guide

Pain Studies In The News

Drug-free Treatments Offer Hope For Older People In Pain
September 10, 2007
Mind-body therapies, which focus on the interactions between the mind, body and behavior, and the ways in which emotional, mental, social and behavioral factors can affect health, may be of particular benefit to elderly chronic pain sufferers. Story

Medicines and Immunomodulators Top List of Drugs With Adverse Events
September 10, 2007
Reports of drug-related injury, disability, and death sent to the FDA nearly tripled during an eight-year period beginning in 1998, according to an analysis of agency data. A minority of drugs-usually painkillers and immune modulators-- accounted for a majority of adverse events reports, but only a modest number were related to drugs such as rofecoxib (Vioxx), which were withdrawn because of safety concerns. Story

More Pain Studies In The News

Pain Stories In The News

Drugs Banned, Many of World's Poor Suffer in Pain
September 10, 2007
Millions of people in the world‚s poorest countries are destined to die in pain. They cannot get the drug they needs ˜ one that is cheap, effective, perfectly legal for medical uses under treaties signed by virtually every country, made in large quantities, and has been around since Hippocrates praised its source, the opium poppy. She cannot get morphine. Story

September is National Pain Awareness Month
September 5, 2007
September is National Pain Awareness Month, dedicated to increasing understanding of pain issues and supporting the more than 70 million Americans who suffer from chronic pain daily. Story

More Pain Stories In The News

Prescription Addiction, Diversion, and Abuse

Dangers of drug patches overlooked
August 27, 2007
The FDA has cautioned about delivering painkiller fentanyl through the skin, but healthcare providers don't seem to be getting the message. Other drugs pose problems too. Story

World of pain, but who gains? Sales of painkillers are soaring, leaving a trail of battered users (free registration required)
August 21, 2007
Retail sales of five leading painkillers nearly doubled from 1997 to 2005, reflecting a surge in use by patients nationwide. More than 200,000 pounds of codeine, morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone and meperidine were purchased at retail stores during 2005, and that is enough to give more than 300 milligrams of painkillers to every person in America. Story

More Addiction, Diversion, and Abuse Stories

Flash technology prevents pain from carpal tunnel syndrome
August 28, 2007
To help fight Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, CarpalTunnelInformation.com offers a series of free exercises which can be done during a short break at the user's computer. A Flash animated "personal trainer" guides users through a series of 6 transformational movement lessons which have been remarkably effective at reducing or eliminating wrist pain. Story

Healthcommunities.com, Inc., launches Painchannel.com: an interactive resource for those dealing with pain
August 28, 2007
Painchannel.com is a new website designed to help those dealing with chronic pain effectively work with their pain management team. The new website offers reliable information about conditions that cause both acute and chronic pain, the treatments used to manage pain, diagnostic techniques, descriptions of pain medications, and a worksheet to help patients work with their pain management team. Story

More For Your Patients

News From Industry Sources

Unique Combination of Critical Vitamins, Minerals and Antioxidants Shown to Reverse the Affects of Diabetic Neuropathy According to New Study
September 10, 2007
New study revealing that the under consumption of micro-nutrients -- essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants -- can accelerate pain and other complications associated with diabetic neuropathy. Story

Medtronic receives approval for first artificial disc for the neck in the U.S.
August 27, 2007
The Prestige Cervical Disc gives some patients who are suffering from degenerative disc disease which can cause intolerable neck and/or arm pain, the potential for motion at the treated level, as well as another option for pain relief and function. Typically, a traditional motion-limiting spinal fusion procedure is indicated for these patients. Story

More News From Industry Sources

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:

Ackerman WE, Ahmad M.
Effect of cigarette smoking on serum hydrocodone levels in chronic pain patients. Abstract

Cassileth B, Trevisan C, Gubili J.
Complementary therapies for cancer pain. Abstract

Lazorthes Y, Sol JC, Fowo S, et al.
Motor cortex stimulation for neuropathic pain. Abstract

Quartana PJ, Yoon KL, Burns JW.
Anger suppression, ironic processes and pain. Abstract

Saper JR, Mathew NT, Loder EW, et al.
A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled comparison of botulinum toxin type A injection sites and doses in the prevention of episodic migraine. Abstract

More Research Abstracts

Practice Guidelines

Age Groups, Child/ Adolescent
Chronic Care: Self-management Guideline Team, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
Evidence-based care guideline for chronic care: self-management
[full text]

Cumulative Trauma Disorders
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Clinical guideline on diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome.
[full text]

Work Loss Data Institute.
Carpal tunnel syndrome (acute & chronic)
[full text]

New Clinical Trials

Alabama

Arthritis
City: Huntsville
Summary: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Multi-Center Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of CRx-102 in Subjects With Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis. CRx-102 is a synergistic combination drug candidate containing the cardiovascular drug dipyridamole and a very low dose of the glucocorticoid prednisolone. CRx-102 is believed to work through a novel mechanism of action in which dipyridamole selectively amplifies the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities of the glucocorticoid without replicating the dose-dependent adverse effects.

Arizona

Nervous System Diseases
City: Phoenix
Summary: If you Are at least 18 years of age, have been diagnosed with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, taking an analgesic or opioid analgesic for your pain, you may qualify to participate in a clinical research study of an investigational medication for diabetic neuropathic.

More New Clinical Trials

Advocacy

The American Pain Foundation seeks nominations for the First Annual Patient Advocate Award
September 10, 2007
The American Pain Foundation is looking for nominees who have risen above their personal pain experiences in order to help and advocate for others. Nominations must be submitted electronically (by e-mail only) no later than September 20, 2007 Story

American Pain Foundation and HealthCentral Network: Call for Artistic Submissions for Creativity and Pain Exhibit
September 10, 2007
The American Pain Foundation (APF) and project partner The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.healthcentral.com) announced today a call for entries for the 2007 APF Pain and Creativity Exhibit. This online exhibit will showcase all contributing artists and their work, including visual arts, inspirational videos, poetry, and quilt squares. Select submissions will be chosen for special promotion by APF. Submit entries

Lagniappe (A little something extra)

Can WD-40 oil cure arthritis?
August 16, 2007
Thousands of people around the world swear WD-40 has cured their arthritis. Anecdotal evidence suggests there is a global craze for spraying the household lubricant on stiff knees, hips and wrists — even though it’s usually meant for jammed locks and rusty hinges. Story

Could this bucking bronco cure your back pain?
August 14, 2007
A machine that simulates horse riding is being used to help people suffering from back pain. Early results from trials using the iJoyRide have shown that the device — a sort of electronic bronco — can help to improve the mobility of sufferers and reduce their dependence on painkillers. Story

Pain, pseudoaddiction caused Howard Hughes’ eccentric behavior and lifestyle
August 13, 2007
Much of Howard Hughes’ eccentric behavior and reclusive lifestyle was a direct result of intractable pain from his now-famous devastating airplane crash in 1946–in which he fractured his jaw and neck and received third-degree burns–and his own self-prescribed attempts to alleviate that pain as a “relief-seeker” through what became a pseudoaddiction to opioids. Story

Editorial Team
Edward Duensing, Research
Lennie Duensing, Editorial

Design
Carol Harper