Pain Studies In The News
Abuse seen in many women with chronic pelvic pain
April 5, 2007
Women with chronic pelvic pain should be routinely evaluated for abuse and for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Among 713 consecutive women seen in a pelvic pain clinic, 46.8 percent reported sexual or physical abuse, or both, according to the report in the medical journal Obstetrics & Gynecology. Story
Hope for ending pain, infertility of endometriosis
April 5, 2007
University of Michigan researchers explore possible use of diabetes medication to treat endometriosis in women. Story
Exercise may fend off arthritis in women
April 4, 2007
An Australian study suggests the more time older women spend exercising, the better their chances are of staying pain-free from one of the biggest chronic conditions plaguing developed countries. Story
Ibuprofen risky for heart patients?
April 4, 2007
The common painkiller ibuprofen when given with aspirin may boost heart attack risk by blocking the lifesaving effects of aspirin, a controversial study shows. Story
Multimechanism-targeted therapy for migraine more effective than single medications
April 4, 2007
Combining two different types of treatment for migraine results in better symptom relief than taking either one of the medications, according to a study in the April 4 issue of JAMA. Story
Oxygen chambers can ease cystitis
April 3, 2007
Spending time in a pressurised oxygen chamber can significantly reduce the symptoms of chronic cystitis. In a clinical trial, the treatment reduced symptoms - which include bladder irritation and pelvic tenderness - by about a third in some cases, and the effects were long-lasting. Story
Combining migraine drugs proves effective
April 3, 2007
In the April issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers compared the effects of combining sumatriptan and naproxen sodium medications with the use of placebos and the single use of both drugs. After two hours of taking the medications, those who took sumatriptan and naproxen sodium had fewer migraine symptoms than those in the control group or those who took single treatments. Story
Sleep disturbance increases spontaneous pain in women
April 2, 2007
Sleep continuity disturbance impairs endogenous pain-inhibitory function and increases spontaneous pain in women. This supports a possible pathophysiologic role of sleep disturbance in chronic pain, according to a study published in the April 1st issue of the journal Sleep. Story
Massage and acupuncture reduce pain after cancer surgery
March, 29 2007
Massage and acupuncture are effective in decreasing pain and depression following surgery in cancer patients, according to a UCSF study. The findings of the randomized controlled clinical trial are reported in the March 2007 issue of the “Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.” Story
Workouts can help older women dodge the pain of arthritis
March 29, 2007
A new research has revealed that women in their 70s who keep active could escape painful arthritis symptoms. The research was conducted by Kristiann Heesch and colleagues at the University of Queensland, Australia. Story
Study on arthritis-attributable work limitation
March 29, 2007
Some studies have examined work limitations for people with specific rheumatic conditions, but none have presented a complete picture for the entire spectrum of arthritis in the general population. A new study published in the April 2007 issue of Arthritis Care & Research estimated the prevalence of Arthritis-attributable work limitation (AAWL) in adults between the ages of 18 and 64 and examined characteristics related to AAWL in this age group. Story
Arthritis pain processed in emotion-linked brain area
March 28, 2007
Arthritis pain is processed in areas of the brain that also control emotions and fear, a U.K. study finds. The study, published in the April issue of the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism, may offer a new target for treating arthritis pain. Story
Where's your pain? New insights into how the brain processes pain location
March 28, 2007
Is that pain in your chest a heart attack or indigestion? New research from Wake Forest University School of Medicine reveals that more areas of the brain than previously thought are involved in determining the location of pain. Story
Researchers 'shrug off' shoulder surgery myth
March 26, 2007
Contrary to widespread belief, total surgical replacement of arthritic shoulder joints carries no greater risk of complications than replacement of other major joints, a Johns Hopkins study suggests. Story
In palliative medicine morphine kills pain, not patients
March 25, 2007
Many people, including health care workers, believe that morphine is a lethal drug that causes death when used to control pain for a patient who is dying. That is a misconception according to new research published in the latest issue of Palliative Medicine, from SAGE Publications. Story
Researchers study those with rare genetic makeup who feel little or no pain
March 24, 2007
A Canadian-led international research team has identified 17 people from seven countries born with a mutated gene that has rendered them either unable to feel pain or to experience it at levels far below normal. These scientists hope the knowledge they have gleaned from these individuals' unique genetic makeup will one day lead to drugs that mimic the effects of the mutation to help millions of people worldwide suffering from uncontrolled chronic pain. Story
Two simple questions can reduce risk of chronic pain
24 Mar 2007
If dentists ask two simple questions during annual examination, they can single out adolescents who suffer from temoromandibular dysfunction and pain. The two questions: "Do you have pain in the temple, face, jaw, or jaw joint at least once a week?" and "Do you experience pain at least once a week when you open your mouth or chew?" Story
Potential non-surgical repair technology to replace spinal fusion as the standard surgical treatment for chronic lower back pain
March 23, 2007
Scientists at The University of Manchester believe injections of tiny sponge-like particles could provide an alternative to major surgery in the treatment of chronic lower back pain. Story
New test could bring children relief from arthritis
March 23, 2007
Researchers at Children's Hospital teamed up with Carnegie Mellon University to develop 3-D imaging cameras that actually show the inflammation caused by arthritis. Story
Opioids give safe pain relief for cancer patients
March 22, 2007
Concerns that morphine or other opioids will cause respiratory depression when given to cancer patients for pain are unfounded, researchers say. During titration of parenteral opioids for relief of severe pain in various forms of cancer, there was no evidence of significant respiratory depression, as measured by end-tidal CO2, found Bassam Estfan, M.D., of the Cleveland Clinic, and colleagues. Story
New research finds patients do live longer under hospice care;
March 21, 2007
A new study published in the March 2007 issue of the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management reports that hospice care may prolong the lives of some terminally ill patients. Among the patient populations studied, the mean survival was 29 days longer for hospice patients than for non-hospice patients. Story
In new study, duloxetine reduced non-specific pain and emotional symptoms associated with depression
March 20, 2007
The antidepressant duloxetine, at a once-daily dose of 60 mg, significantly reduced non-specific pain and emotional symptoms associated with depression in a new, eight-week, placebo-controlled study of 327 adult patients with at least moderate pain and major depression. Story
Neuropathic pain: symptoms, models, and mechanisms
20 Mar 2007
Simon Beggs and Michael Salter of the University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain have written an interesting research overview that will help to bring BPS/IC clinicians and researchers "up to speed" on neuropathic pain. In it, they outline the pathophysiological mechanisms known to underlie neuropathic pain and describe the changes that occur within the peripheral and central nervous systems following nerve injury. Story
Using methadone as a painkiller is proving deadly
March 19, 2007
The increasing use of methadone for pain relief, rather than to help people overcome addiction, has led to a sharp spike in deaths, both nationally and in Kansas.
A 2004 report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that increased prescription of methadone through pharmacies is driving the growth in methadone-related deaths. Story
Treatment to prevent migraines boosts work productivity
March 17, 2007
For workers with migraines, taking a daily medication to prevent headache attacks can reduce lost productive time on the job, reports a study in the March Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM). Story
Repeated samarium dosing safe and effective for metastatic bone pain
March 15, 2007
Repeated dosing of samarium-153 is safe and effective for treating painful bone metastases, according to a report in the February 1st issue of Cancer. Story
Do doctors understand that morphine kills pain, not patients?
March 10, 2007
Medical practitioners are ignorant of the facts and must stop reinforcing the public's perception that morphine hastens death in sick patients or alters their survival, finds new research published today. Story
Scientists identify protein that may promote migraines
March 09, 2007
A University of Iowa study may provide an explanation for why some people get migraine headaches while others do not. The researchers found that too much of a small protein called RAMP1 appears to "turn up the volume" of a nerve cell receptor's response to a neuropeptide thought to cause migraines. Story
Stimulating occipital nerve eases cluster headaches
March 8, 2007
Two pilot studies found that electrical stimulation of the occipital nerve helped ease the agony of cluster headaches, which some have likened to getting stuck in the eye with a hot poker. Story
Pain complicates depression treatment in elderly
March 8, 2007
By interfering with normal activities, chronic pain can impede recovery from depression in older adults, according to findings reported in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Story
ECU researcher delivers pain relief to cancer patients
March 08, 2007
In a two-year study, an East Carolina University School of Nursing researcher saw significant decreases in pain and anxiety in cancer patients whose partners used reflexology or manual pressure applied to specific points on their feet. Story
SIR: long-term pain relief found with vertebroplasty
March 8, 2007
Percutaneous vertebroplasty reduces pain of collapsed vertebrae without increasing risk of new fractures over the long term, according to Italian researchers.Among 1,005 consecutive patients who had a cement injected into frail vertebrae, pain dropped a clinically relevant 6.5 points on the 11-point visual analog scale. Story
Innovative treatment for migraines combines Botox and surgery
March 5, 2007
A new technique uses the drug Botox to pinpoint which of several specific muscles in the forehead, back of the head or temple areas may be serving as "trigger points" to compress, irritate or entrap nerves that could be causing the migraine. If the Botox is successful in preventing migraines or lessening their severity, then surgery to remove the targeted muscle is likely to accomplish the same result, but on a more long-term and possibly permanent basis, he said. Story
OA patients benefit from lateral wedge insoles
March 2007
Wearing lateral-wedge insoles may benefit patients with mild medial compartment knee osteoarthritis but has little effect on patients with more severe disease, according to a study published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in November. Story
Activity does not affect knee OA development, study finds
March 2007
The results of a Boston University study of 1279 individuals indicated that walking for exercise and performing other recreational activities do not make older people more likely to develop knee osteoarthritis. Story
Biomechanics contribute to plantar fasciitis treatment
March 2007
Many factors go into developing a preventive protocol and proper care for plantar fasciitis. Story
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