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•  Research 
•  Legislation 
•     Clinical Trials    
•  Books 

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The American
Academy of
Pain Management

The American Academy of Pain Management is an inclusive, interdisciplinary/integrative organization serving clinicians who treat people with pain through education, setting standards of care, and advocacy.

•  Studies
•  Stories
•  Rx Diversion
•  Patients
•  Guidelines
•  Product News/Clinical Trials Results


•  Policy and Law
•  Lagniappe

 Pain Studies In The News

Badly behaved children experience more pain as adults
March 10, 2010 Source: Rheumatology
Children who are bullies, disobedient and prone to bunking off school are more likely to suffer chronic pain when they grow up, according to a recent study. Researchers say their investigation found the same is true for any sort of behavioral problems, including stealing, lying and worrying, or children who are anti-social and restless.
[Story]

Abused children more likely to suffer unexplained abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting
March 9, 2010 Source: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
Children who have been abused psychologically, physically or sexually are more likely to suffer unexplained abdominal pain and nausea or vomiting than children who have not been abused, a new study concludes. The results showed that among children in the study, sexual abuse preceded or coincided with abdominal pain in 91 percent of cases. In addition, in children who said they recalled ever being abused physically, psychologically or sexually, there was a statistically significant association between abuse and both abdominal pain and nausea/vomiting.
[Story]

More Pain Studies In The News

Non-Academy News

Fibromyalgia Syndrome: Practical Strategies For Improving Diagnosis And Patient Outcomes
An Interactive Symposium With Patient Case Videos

This case-based, interactive CME program is designed to provide clinicians with new insights and strategies for the appropriate, effective diagnosis and management of fibromyalgia syndrome. Video-based doctor-patient case simulations are presented and discussed.

This activity was originally presented as a satellite symposium at the 20th Annual Clinical Meeting in Phoenix and was adapted for release on January 18, 2010. The symposium was supported by an educational grant from Forest Laboratories, Inc.
[More information]

Florida Academy of Pain Medicine Annual Meeting and Tradeshow
July 16-18, 2010 The Breakers, Palm Beach
[More information]

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See sample article below:

20th Annual Clinical
Meeting Defines the
Academy's Mission (article)
If you are a member of the Academy, you are entitled to many excellent benefits including The Pain Practitioner, our quarterly magazine. If you are not an Academy member, you can subscribe for just $35 a year!
[Subscribe!]

 Stories

Migraine with aura: magnetic stimulation is a promising non-drug treatment option
March 4, 2010 Source: Medical News Today
A recent article reports that a new hand-held device that delivers a magnetic pulse to the back of the head could be a promising non-invasive, non-drug treatment option for patients with migraine. This device offers efficient pain relief for up to 48 hours after treatment in some patients with migraine with aura. Treatment has to be given at the onset of symptoms. It does not cause any serious side-effects.
[Story]

Heel pain continues to plague adults
February 26, 2010 Source: American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons
According to foot and ankle surgeons, heel pain continues to be the most common reason patients seek care. The good news is heel pain is treatable. The key to success in eliminating the pain is early treatment; heel pain can turn chronic and debilitating if not cared for promptly by a foot and ankle surgeon.
[Story]

More Pain Stories In The News

 For Your Patients

What is heel pain? What causes heel pain?
March 6, 2010 Source: Medical News Today
Heel pain is a very common foot problem. The sufferer usually feels pain either under the heel or just behind it, where the Achilles tendon connects to the heel bone. In the majority of cases heel pain has a mechanical cause. Common causes are plantar fasciitis, heel bursitis, heel bumps, and tarsal tunnel syndrome. Heel pain is typically mild and usually disappears on its own; however, in some cases the pain may persist and become chronic.
[Story]

 Product News/Clinical Trial Results

INSYS Therapeutics, Inc. announces positive Phase III efficacy trial results for Fentanyl Sublingual Spray
March 9, 2010 Source: INSYS Therapeutics, Inc.
INSYS Therapeutics, Inc. announced positive results from the pivotal phase III efficacy trial for patients utilizing the Fentanyl Sublingual Spray (SL Spray) technology to treat breakthrough cancer pain. All primary and secondary endpoints were achieved in the study, and the drug is the first product to show statistically significant pain relief when measuring the summary of pain intensity difference at five minutes in a phase III breakthrough cancer pain trial using fentanyl.
[Story]

FDA approves Exalgo™ extended-release tablets
March 3, 2010 Source: CombinatoRx, Incorporated
CombinatoRx, Incorporated today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the New Drug Application for Exalgo™ (hydromorphone HCl) extended-release tablets for the management of moderate to severe pain in opioid tolerant patients requiring continuous, around-the-clock opioid analgesia for an extended period of time.
[Story]

More Product News/Clinical Trial Results

 Policy and Law

Major pain clinic legislation filed to combat Florida pill mills
February 25, 2010 Source: Sun-Sentinel
Florida's top officials this week unveiled sweeping legislation to combat the growing ranks of pain clinics doling out narcotic pills, especially in South Florida, saying last year's crackdown wasn't tough enough. The bill, which has the backing of Gov. Charlie Crist and legislative leaders in both parties, would ban felons from owning pain clinics and give the state new powers to halt clinics that dispense hundreds of pills at a time to drug abusers and dealers.
[Story]

Research Abstracts

Stay up-to-date on the latest research! This section 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:

Eklund A, Montgomery A, Bergkvist L et al.
Chronic pain 5 years after randomized comparison of laparoscopic and Lichtenstein inguinal hernia repair.
The British journal of surgery. 2010 Feb 23. [forthcoming]
[Abstract]

Pierce CA, Voss B.
Efficacy and safety of ibuprofen and acetaminophen in children and adults: a meta-analysis and qualitative review.
The Annals of pharmacotherapy. 2010 Feb 11. [forthcoming]
[Abstract]

Ingvarsson T, Franklin J, Hardardottir E et al.
Patients with moderate and severe knee OA do benefit from using an valgus knee brace
77th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) (New Orleans, LA: March 9, 2010)
[Abstract]

Barakatt ET, Romano PS, Riddle DL et al.
An exploration of Maitland's concept of pain irritability in patients with low back pain.
The Journal of manual & manipulative therapy. 2009;17(4):196-205.
[Abstract]

Buse DC, Manack A, Serrano D et al.
Sociodemographic and comorbidity profiles of chronic migraine and episodic migraine sufferers.
Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry. 2010 Feb 17. [forthcoming]
[Abstract]

More Research Abstracts

Legislative Updates

Branch of Government: California. Assembly
Title: AB 2548
Summary: Establishes the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) to monitor any practitioner or pharmacist who has obtained approval, to access, using the Internet, the electronic history of controlled substances dispensed to an individual under his or her care based on data contained in CURES, as well as the number, amount, and type of controlled substances being dispensed to an individual under his or her care, in order to control any resultant abuse.
Latest Action: 02/19/2010 Introduced
Sponsor: Block

Full Text

Branch of Government: Florida. Senate
Title: SB 2272
Summary: Relates to pain management; requires the Department of Health and applicable boards within it to approve a mandatory continuing education course for any practitioner who prescribes, administers, or dispenses controlled substances that are listed in Schedule II, Schedule III, or Schedule IV of ch. 893, F.S. Provides that pain-management clinics are business establishments subject to licensure by the Department of Health; provides for requirements for the registration of pain management clinics
Latest Action: 02/23/2010 Prefiled
Sponsor: Fasano

Full Text

More Legislative Updates

Guidelines

Back Pain
Manchikanti L, Boswell MV, Singh V, Benyamin RM, Fellows B et al.
Comprehensive evidence-based guidelines for interventional techniques in the management of chronic spinal pain

Summary OR Full Text

Shoulder Pain
Lindsay P, Bayley M, Hellings C, Hill M, Woodbury E, Phillips S
Selected topics in stroke management. Shoulder pain assessment and treatment

Summary OR Full Text

Clinical Trials

Arizona
Nervous System Diseases
City: Mesa
Summary: A study evaluating the safety of orally administered tapentadol ER dosages of 100 to 250 mg twice daily in patients with chronic, painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN).

California
Fibromyalgia
City: Sacramento
Summary: A study evaluating the safety, tolerability and efficacy of milnacipran in patients with an inadequate response to duloxetine for the treatment of fibromyalgia.

More New Clinical Trials

Books

Bonica's Management of Pain [4th edition]
Editors: Fishman, Scott M.; Ballantyne, Jane C.; Rathmell, James P.

Now in its Fourth Edition, with a brand-new editorial team, Bonica's Management of Pain will be the leading textbook and clinical reference in the field of pain medicine. An international group of the foremost experts provides comprehensive, current, clinically oriented coverage of the entire field. The contributors describe contemporary clinical practice and summarize the evidence that guides clinical practice.

The first section covers basic considerations, including mechanisms of nociception, functional neuroanatomy and musculoskeletal anatomy, psychological aspects of pain, cultural and environmental aspects of pain, and clinical trials. The second section addresses economic, political, legal, and ethical considerations in pain management. The third section describes current methods for evaluation of the patient with pain. The fourth section provides in-depth coverage of specific painful conditions—neuropathic pain syndromes, psychological contributions to pain, vascular, cutaneous, and musculoskeletal pains, pain due to cancer, acute pain, pain in special populations, visceral pain, regional pain, and low back pain. The fifth section describes the full range of methods for symptomatic control, including pharmacologic therapies, psychological techniques, physical and other noninterventional therapies, implanted electrical stimulators, interventional pain management, and surgical approaches. The book concludes with discussions of the provision of pain treatment in a variety of clinical settings, including pain clinics, spine clinics, the primary care setting, the emergency department, the intensive care unit, and end-of-life care.

[To Order:]

Lagniappe

Medication fears lead to worse side effects
March 9, 2010 Source: Arthritis Care & Research
A new study involving individuals with a particular kind of arthritis offers some proof that patients who are worried about their medications are more likely to have side effects from them. Patients who had concerns about their medications were more likely to have reported having side effects, both at the study's outset and if they started a new drug during the six-month study period. Side effects typically included rashes, gastrointestinal discomfort, and headaches.
[Story]

Strategies help clinicians say 'no' to inappropriate treatment requests
February 24, 2010 Source: JAMA
Clinicians may use one of several approaches to deny patient requests for an inappropriate treatment while preserving the physician-patient relationship, according to a new report. Researchers analyzed data from a randomized trial on the behavior of primary care clinicians in response to requests for antidepressant medication. Of the 199 visits in which antidepressants were requested for "feeling tired" or for wrist or low back pain, clinicians did not prescribe them in 44 percent of the cases. Clinicians used six primary approaches to deny the requests.
[Story]

More Lagniappe