Pain Studies In The News
Nurses accurately assess pain in children, research shows
August 30, 2008
Managing children's pain is a crucial role for nurses, however there have been conflicting studies about nurses' pain assessment and treatment responses. According to a recent study, nurses evaluated children's pain at the same high levels at which the children reported it. In addition, there was no link between the nurses' backgrounds and the pain treatments they chose. Story
Nearly half of U.S. adults will develop painful knee osteoarthritis by age 85
September 2, 2008
Almost half of all U.S. adults and nearly two-thirds of obese adults will develop painful osteoarthritis of the knee by age 85, a study based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suggests. The study also found that a person’s lifetime risk rose as their body mass index or BMI increased, with the greatest risk found in those whose weight was normal at age 18 but were overweight or obese at 45 or older. Story
Duloxetine effectively reduces concomitant pain in depressive patient
September 1, 2008
The efficacy of duloxetine in a population of 40 patients meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for major depression was prospectively tested. The patients suffered from chronic pain, with the most frequently reported locations being the back followed by the neck and limbs. Improvements in pain severity occurred independently of changes in depressive symptom severity. There were no significant differences in terms of pain response between patients with severe and mild depression. Story
Army personnel show increased risk for migraine
August 27, 2008
Two new studies show that migraine headaches are very common among U.S. military personnel, yet the condition is frequently underdiagnosed. The studies examine the incidence of migraine among soldiers within 10 days of returning from a 1-year combat tour in Iraq , as well as U.S. Army officer trainees. Story
Optimism, mastery help cancer patients cope
August 26, 2008
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Cancer patients who are optimistic are better able manage the severity of their pain, while those with a strong sense of mastery (control over their environment) can control their fatigue more effectively while also keeping pain severity in check, new research shows. Story
Acupuncture may ease chronic headaches
Tue Aug 26, 2008 11:15am EDT
German researchers followed more than 15,000 adults with chronic headaches; all had been suffering from either migraine or tension-type headaches at least twice a month for 1 year or more. In the end, the study found, acupuncture patients reported greater pain improvements than those who stayed with their usual care only. At the outset, they reported an average of 8.4 headache days over 3 months; that dropped to 4.7 by the study's end. Story
Study shows traditional Chinese medicine of Qigong therapy as a potential complementary treatment for patients suffering from osteoarthritis
August 26, 2008
Qigong therapy, a form of traditional Chinese medical practice, appears to be a potential complementary treatment for osteoarthritis according to a new study. The study participants reported significant pain reduction and functionality in varying degrees after therapy. The researchers indicated during the course of the study that participating healers produced significantly different outcomes Story
Pivotal studies show milnacipran reduces fibromyalgia pain
August 25, 2008
The dual action serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) milnacipran at a dose of 100 or 200 mg daily eases the widespread muscle pain associated with fibromyalgia, according to data from 2 pivotal phase 3 studies. Treatment with milnacipran produced significantly greater improvements in the primary endpoint at both 3 and 6 months. Improvements were seen after 1 month of treatment, with maximum benefits seen after about 9 weeks. Story
Positive findings published on emergent technology for treating chronic pain
August 21, 2008
Electrical Twitch Obtaining Intramuscular Stimulation has been successfully applied to patients suffering from treatment-resistant chronic pain. Twitch-induced pain relief results from effective internal stretching of nerve-related, pain producing shortened muscles. Story
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) improves sleep, sexuality and joint pain in older women
August 21, 2008
One of the world's longest and largest trials of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has found that post-menopausal women on HRT gain significant improvements in quality of life. Even when women did not have hot flushes and were well past menopause, there was a small but measurable improvement in quality of life and a noted improvement in sleep, sexuality and joint pains. Story
Alexander technique eases back pain
August 19, 2008
The Alexander technique, a little-known type of physical therapy designed to reduce chronic pain, is more effective at reducing back pain than exercise alone or massage therapy, according to a new study. Story
New data show duloxetine maintained pain reduction for more than six months in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain
August 19, 2008
Duloxetine hydrochloride maintained pain reduction in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP) for more than six months, according to a recent study. The open-label study, which aimed to evaluate long-term maintenance of effect of duloxetine 60 mg once daily, is the first to assess the efficacy of duloxetine in DPNP beyond three months, and 53 percent of enrolled patients experienced clinically significant improvement in pain reduction. Story
Opioid pain relievers can make pain worse in some patients
August 19, 2008
As new evidence becomes available, healthcare providers are becoming increasingly aware that ongoing opioid therapy for chronic pain might actually worsen the pain in some patients – a condition called Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia or OIH. Story
A balm for pain
August 18, 2008
In recent decades, medical researchers have investigated marijuana’s effects on various kinds of pain – from damaged nerves in people with HIV, diabetes and spinal cord injury; from cancer; and from multiple sclerosis. Marijuana has also been hypothesized to help with nausea induced by chemotherapy and antiretroviral therapy, and with severe loss of appetite as seen in people with the AIDS wasting syndrome. Story
Merck Vioxx study was for marketing
August 18, 2008
A 1999 Merck & Co. study of its since-withdrawn painkiller Vioxx, touted to participating doctors and patients as meant to show whether Vioxx caused fewer stomach problems than another drug, was primarily a stealth marketing strategy, researchers report. Story
Methadone rises as a painkiller with big risks
August 16, 2008
Suffering from excruciating spinal deterioration, Robby Garvin, 24, of South Carolina, tried many painkillers before his doctor prescribed methadone in June 2006, just before Mr. Garvin and his friend Joey Sutton set off for a weekend at an amusement park. Story
Pain experts say greater focus on high-tech non-animal research could help thousands of patients
August 15, 2008
Science's understanding of human pain remains simplistic, with no safe and effective analgesia for chronic pain despite decades of animal experiments, according to an article published this week by leading pain experts in international peer-reviewed journal Neuroimage. Advanced non-animal technologies such as human brain imaging could offer greater hope for a pain-free future for people living with diseases such as osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia. Story
Prescription drug therapy often as effective as costly angioplasty in treating non-emergency patients with chronic chest pain, study finds
August 15, 2008
Treatment with medication over time is as effective as an angioplasty, which can cost $40,000, in the alleviation of chest pain in patients with stable heart disease, according to a study published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine. Story
Migraine sufferers face higher risk of serious disease
August 12 2008
Migraines are more than just occasional, minor headaches. Not only do they produce significant pain and suffering in susceptible individuals, they’re also linked to a higher risk of stroke. Story
Physical therapists offer low-cost solution to high-cost expenditures for acute low back pain
August 12 2008
A recent study demostratec that active physical therapy for patients with acute low back pain is associated with better clinical outcomes, decreased use of prescription medications, MRI and epidural injections, and lower healthcare costs than passive physical therapy. Story
Vitamin D levels associated with chronic pain in women
August, 12, 2008
Recent research suggests low vitamin D levels may contribute to chronic pain among women,
The findings are based on the blood analyses and pain scores of almost 7000 45 year old men and women from across England, Scotland and Wales, all of whom were born during one week in March 1958. Story
Pregabalin no better than placebo in treating HIV-associated neuropathic pain
August 8, 2008
Pregabalin, an anticonvulsant used for treatment of diabetic neuropathic pain, failed to prove better than placebo among patients with human immunodeficiency (HIV)-associated peripheral neuropathic pain. Story
|
