Pain Studies in the News
MRI Of The Ankle Changes Patient Treatment And Improves Referring Physician Confidence In Diagnosis
January 8, 2007
MR imaging can make a dramatic difference in the management of patients with ankle pain, changing treatment in about one-third of the patients, a new study finds. The study, of 91 patients, found that MR changed the management plans of 35% of patients, said Philip W.P. Bearcroft, MD, of Cambridge University Hospitals in England. Story
Dysuria At Onset Of Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome In Women
January 6, 2007
Painful urination or "dysuria" has not been considered a prominent part of the PBS/IC syndrome complex, and is more often associated with urinary tract infection or recent urethral instrumentation. Researchers at the University of Maryland are conducting an ongoing case-control study to identify risk factors for the disease. Story
Patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Show Reduced Sensitivity to Pain
January 2, 2006
A new study has revealed that patients with posttraumatic stress disorder show reduced pain sensitivity, a pattern that may be related to altered pain processing in the brain. Story
What's New in Shoulder and Elbow Surgery
January 2007
This annual update on shoulder and elbow surgery is based on a review of presentations at meetings of the Arthroscopy Association of North America, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and the Orthopaedic Research Society. Story
The Majority of Ulcerative Colitis Patients are not Compliant with Medications, CCFA Survey Finds
December 31, 2006
A new, large survey supported by the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) finds that 65 percent of ulcerative colitis (UC) patients are less than fully compliant with first-line therapies to treat their disease. The findings are significant because an earlier study found that patients less than fully compliant experience five times the number of disease flare-ups. Story
Infrared Belt to Cure Back Pain
December 26, 2006
Back pain is being combatted using infrared therapy, which is giving a significant reduction in symptoms. Story
Heart Defect, Migraines Linked
December 25, 2006
LDS Hospital is part of a national, multi-center clinical study to see if it can prove what many neurology, pain management and heart specialists have come to believe: For some people, treating a migraine headache requires a heart repair. Story
Psychological Treatments Improve Outcomes for Back Pain Sufferers
December 22, 2006
Psychological interventions for chronic low back pain are effective, a new review of studies has found. Not only do these approaches improve psychological outcomes such as depression and health-related quality of life, they also reduce patients' experience of pain. Story
Genetic Mechanism Helps Explain Chronic Pain Disorders
December 22, 2006
Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have discovered that commonly occurring variations of a gene trigger a domino effect in chronic pain disorders. The finding might lead to more effective treatments for temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD) and other chronic pain conditions. Story
Pain Relief Effectiveness Down to Mind-Set?
December 21, 2006
Research by the Human Pain Research Group at The University of Manchester suggests that people's responses to placebo or "dummy" pain relief varies according to their way of thinking. Story
Study Shows Smokers Affected More by Osteoarthritis Pain
December 20, 2006
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Cox News Service) -- Osteoarthritis of the knee is more painful and more damaging in smokers, a study reports. Men who smoked had more progressive disease and reported higher levels of pain, a U.S. research team has found. Story
Pain Often Untreated in Elderly with Dementia
December 20, 2006
Many older adults with dementia and pain don't receive adequate drug treatment for their pain, according to a study. Researchers who reviewed the patient records of 115 adults with dementia living in the community found that more than half (54 percent) reported noncancer-related pain "on an average day." Story
Are Women Weak in the Knees? New Report from Harvard Medical School Answers Knee and Hip Questions
December 20, 2006
The knees suffer injury more often than any other joint, in part because of their intricate system of ligaments. Women are especially prone to knee problems, and they injure the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) twice as often as men. Story
Is Sports Activity A Pre-Existing Condition For Back Pain?
December 20, 2006
All but a few of us will experience some kind of back pain during our lifetimes, especially as we grow older. But a new study shows that being young is no longer a guarantee that back pain left untreated will simply pass. Story
Not Feeling Each Other's Pain: Men and Women Hurt Differently -- and Some of The Difference May Really Be in Their Heads
December 19, 2006
Women's emotions affect their perception of pain more than men's do. Researchers suggest women seeking pain relief may benefit from coping strategies in addition to painkillers. Story
First Evidence for a Touch Receptor Gene in Mammals
December 15, 2006
The skin is the largest sensory organ in humans. The sensory innervation of the skin allows us to perceive touch and pain. Story
Discovery of a Critical Role for Sensory Nerves in Diabetes Opens Door to New Treatment Strategies
December 14, 2006
Researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), the University of Calgary and The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine have found that diabetes is controlled by abnormalities in the sensory nociceptor (pain-related) nerve endings in the pancreatic islet cells that produce insulin. Story
Cambridge led team discovers gene mutation which prevents carriers from feeling pain
December 13. 2006
Researchers have discovered a gene mutation which prevents the otherwise healthy carriers from sensing pain, after studying three related families with a rare genetic disorder in northern Pakistan. The research, published today in the journal Nature, provides insight into the mechanics of pain and could lead to the development of more effective pain treatments. Story
New Study Helps Dispel Myth That Opioids Hasten Death
December 13, 2006
A new study appearing in the December issue of the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management suggests that the timing of death among patients with advanced illness involves a complex interplay of variables and that effective opioid use actually poses little risk of hastened death. Story
Cancer Pain May Be Undertreated in Elderly
December 12, 2006
It is commonly believed that older patients who are given opioids for cancer pain are more susceptible than younger patients to adverse effects when doses of painkillers are increased to deal with worsening pain. However, Italian researchers now report that this is not the case. Story
Migraine Sufferers Misunderstood: Survey
December 12, 2006
An Australian internet-based survey conducted by Woolcott Research last month quizzed 500 migraine sufferers about the impact the condition has on their lives. Story
Swedish Massage Benefits Osteoarthritis Patients
December 12, 2006
The 68 study participants, who were at least age 35 with x-rays confirming their diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the knee, were randomly assigned either to an intervention group that received massage therapy immediately, or to a wait-list control group that received massage after an initial eight-week delay. Story
Study Explains How NSAIDs Halt Cancer Growth
December 11, 2006
Scientists have discovered that induction of a gene known as MDA-7/IL-24 is the molecular mechanism that enables nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to halt the growth of cancer cells, a finding that could eventually lead to the development of targeted cancer treatments. Story
Fish Oils: Protection for Arthritis
December 2006
Fish oil has been well established as a treatment to reduce the pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis. A study in the Journal of Rheumatology, examined long-term use of fish oil in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and its effect on cardiovascular risk. Story
Osteoarthritis Patients Treated with Acupuncture Show Improvement.
December 2006
Now a new study published in the November 2006 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism has examined the use of acupuncture as an extension of routine medical care and whether the effects of treatment last after therapy is discontinued. Story
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