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

Study shows major pain research funding decline at NIH
December 11, 2008 [Source: American Pain Society]
Federal funding for pain research is declining sharply, more than 9 percent a year since 2003, according to a new study. As a result, pain research now accounts for only 0.6 percent of all grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), despite the high prevalence of chronic pain in the U.S. Story

Americans use 'alternative' treatments for chronic pain
December 10, 2008 [Source: National Center for Health Statistics]
Thirty-eight percent of adults and 12 percent of children use some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), which is also called "integrative' medicine, according to the report by the National Center for Health Statistics. Adults used CAM most often to treat pain including back pain or problems, neck pain or problems, joint pain or stiffness/other joint condition, arthritis, and other musculoskeletal conditions. Story

More Pain Studies In The News

Pain Stories In The News

U.S. advisers back Genzyme therapy for knee pain
December 09, 2008 [Source: Genzyme]
A U.S. advisory panel has unanimously backed a new version of a Genzyme Corp injection to relieve knee pain from osteoarthritis. The panel of experts voted 5-0 on Tuesday to urge the Food and Drug Administration to approve Synvisc-One, a single-dose formulation of the company's Synvisc injection. The FDA usually approves products that win panel endorsements. Story

Cancer patients lessen their pain with laughter
December 8, 2008 [Source: Baltimore Sun]
The off-color jokes flew around the room. As the anecdotes got bawdier, the laughter intensified. Some recited from memory; others read from notebooks they brought along. The setting for the hilarity was the Montefiore-Einstein Cancer Center at Montefiore Hospital. The participants were cancer patients, some in advanced stages. They were taking part in the hospital's monthly "Strength Through Laughter" therapy. It is one of several types of humor therapy being offered by medical facilities around the country for patients diagnosed with cancer or other chronic diseases. Story

FDA approves tapentadol immediate-release tablets for relief of moderate to severe acute pain
November 21, 2008 Source: Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development
Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved tapentadol immediate-release tablets for the relief of moderate to severe acute pain in adults 18 years of age or older. Tapentadol is a new centrally acting oral analgesic. It has two mechanisms of action, combining mu-opioid receptor agonism and norepinephrine reuptake inhibition. Story

Policy and Law

Unintentional overdose deaths associated with nonmedical use of prescription pain relievers
December 09, 2008 [Source: AMA]
An examination of unintentional overdose deaths in West Virginia, a state that has experienced one of the highest increases in the rate of drug overdose deaths, finds that the majority of these were associated with the nonmedical use and diversion of pharmaceuticals, primarily pain relievers. Story

Utah tries to reduce prescription overdoses
December 8, 2008 [Source: AP]
State health officials are writing guidelines for doctors who prescribe powerful drugs to treat chronic pain. The state is trying to reduce the number of overdoses from prescription drugs. Recommendations by the state include random testing for illegal drugs and overuse of pain pills. Doctors may also ask patients to sign a contract before being prescribed opioids like oxycodone. 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:

Alentorn-Geli E, Padilla J, Moras G, et al.
Six weeks of whole-body vibration exercise improves pain and fatigue in women with fibromyalgia. Abstract

Braden JB, Sullivan MD.
Suicidal thoughts and behavior among adults with self-reported pain conditions in the national comorbidity survey replication. Abstract

Dumas EO, Pollack GM.
Opioid tolerance development: a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic perspective. Abstract

Rundell SD, Davenport TE, Wagner T.
Physical therapist management of acute and chronic low back pain using the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Abstract

MacLennan SC, Wade FM, Forrest KM, et al.
High-dose riboflavin for migraine prophylaxis in children: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Abstract

150 Research Abstracts

Advocacy

New online resource to help bridge communication gap between healthcare professionals and pain patients
November 18, 2008 Source: Let’s Talk Pain
Let's Talk Pain created a new interactive Web site, www.letstalkpain.org, to provide visitors with comprehensive information and tools to help enhance the dialogue between those affected by pain and healthcare professionals. The Let's Talk Pain Coalition conducted a national online survey that investigated attitudes and behaviors of 500 pain patients and 275 physicians treating pain. The survey revealed the need for an increase in open and direct conversations about pain and highlighted the impact pain has on patients' quality of life. Story

Legislative and Administrative Updates

State/Branch: Illinois. Senate
Synopsis: Creates the Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Education Act. Provides that the Department of Public Health, subject to appropriation, shall establish the Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Education Program to promote public awareness of the syndrome and the importance of early detection, diagnosis, and treatment
Bill Number: S.B. 1861
Sponsor: Dahl and Garrett
Latest Action: 11/20/2008 To Senate Committee on Executive. [full text]

State/Branch: New York State. Department of Health
Synopsis: To govern and control-possession prescribing manufacturing dispensing administering and distribution of controlled substances within NYS.
Title: Controlled Substances Data Submissions [HLT-46-08-00003-E]
[full text]

New Practice Guidelines

Analgesics, Opioid
Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement
Assessment and management of chronic pain: percentage of patients diagnosed with chronic pain who are prescribed an opioid who have an opioid agreement form and urine toxicology screen documented in the medical record
[Summary and recommendations]

Cancer Pain
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Cancer Pain Algorithm
[Note: The following link will bring you to a page entitled “Guidelines by Disease Site.” In left column, click on the link entitled “Cancer Pain Algorithm.”]
[Summary and recommendations]

ESMO Guidelines Working Group
Management of cancer pain: ESMO Clinical Recommendations
[Summary and recommendations]

More New Practice Guidelines

New Clinical Trials

Alabama

Musculoskeletal Diseases
City: Birmingham
Summary: A study is to determine the safety and efficacy of a dexamethasone iontophoretic transdermal patch for the treatment of pain associated with lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow).

Arizona

Arthritis
City: Chandler
Summary: A research study testing a new method of delivering pain medication for treating knee pain due to osteoarthritis.

Headache Disorders
City: Chandler
Summary: A study testing the effect on blood pressure of sumatriptan and naproxen sodium combination tablets, tablets containing only sumatriptan, and tablets containing only naproxen sodium in the treatment of migraine headaches.

More New Clinical Trials

Books

Audette, Joseph F.; Bailey, Allison (Eds.) 2008, XVI, 579 p. 74 illus., 10 in color., Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-58829-786-0
Integrative Pain Medicine
The Science and Practice of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Pain Management
This important book fills a need in the developing area of Pain Medicine, providing physicians with an up-to-date resource that would detail the current understanding about the basic science underlying the mechanism of action of the various CAM therapies used for pain, summarizing the clinical evidence both for efficacy and safety, and then end with practical guidelines about how such treatments could be successfully and safely integrated into a Pain practice.
Written for: Anesthesiologists, rheumatology, neurologists, pain medicine specialists, psychiatry internal medicine physicians, family medicine physicians.
To order this title and receive an AAPM member discount of 15% off the list price of $129, please call Julie Handel at Springer at 212-620-8488 or email Julie.handel@springer.com. For additional information and to view the table of contents, please click on the following link: Book

Lagniappe (A little something extra)

Pain is in the eyes of the beholder
November 25, 2008 [Source: Current Biology]
By manipulating the appearance of a chronically achy hand, researchers have found they could increase or decrease the pain and swelling in patients moving their symptomatic limbs. The findings—reported in the November 25th issue of Current Biology, a Cell Press publication—reveal a profound top-down effect of body image on body tissues, according to the researchers. Story

Patients use touchscreen technology to record pain and distress
November 19, 2008 Source: Clinical Oncological Society of Australia
When out-patients see their doctor at Calvary Mater Newcastle, Australia, they use touchscreen computers to complete pain and distress "thermometers", as well as a brief psychological assessment. The the system automatically issues clinician alerts for patients who exceed pain or distress thresholds, as well as providing cancer care coordinators with instant electronic access to patient updates. Story

The sting of intentional pain
Source: Psychological Science December 2008
This study provides evidence that the experience of pain changes depending upon the psychological context in which people are harmed. Specifically, the meaning of a harm—whether it was intended—influences the amount of pain it causes. Although people can become accustomed to the pain of an unintentional harm, the malice behind an intentional pain keeps it stinging. Story

Editorial Team
Edward Duensing, Research
Lennie Duensing, Editorial

Design Team
Carol Harper, Design
Katie Ewing, Data Input