Conference Abstracts Now a Part of Currents
Starting in 2010, selected abstracts of papers and posters presented at pain management conferences and symposia have been added to the "Research Abstracts" section of Currents. This new service provides readers of Currents with unique access to these essential medical documents.
CALL FOR POSTER ABSTRACTS 2010!
American Academy of Pain Management
21st Annual Clinical Meeting
September 21-24, 2010, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada
Poster Proposal Form
Don't miss the earlybird discount deadline!
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.
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Pain Studies In The News
Complex spinal surgery jumps in U.S. elderly: study
April 6, 2010 Source: Reuters
Older patients with lower back pain are increasingly getting more complex and costlier spinal fusion surgeries, resulting in higher rates of life-threatening complications and increasing costs for the healthcare system. A new study of records from the federal Medicare program for the elderly and disabled between 2002 and 2007 revealed a 15-fold increase in the rate of complex surgeries to treat spinal stenosis.
[Story]
Study: riskier surgeries for back pain raise costs
April 6, 2010 Source: JAMA
A new study of Medicare patients shows that costlier, more complex spinal fusion surgeries are on the rise—and sometimes done unnecessarily—for a common lower back condition caused by aging and arthritis. What's more alarming is that the findings suggest these more challenging operations are riskier, leading to more complications and even deaths.
[Story]
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]
Subscribe to The Pain Practitioner!
See sample article below:
The Role of Dietary Supplements in the Management of Pain by Tieraona Low Dog, MD (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
NIH issues grants notice on 'Centers of Excellence for Research on CAM (CERC) for Pain (P01)'
Source: US State News
The National Institutes of Health has recently issued a grant opportunity to support and enhance research on the application and use of promising complementary/alternative/integrative medicine (CAM/IM) modalities or approaches in the setting of chronic pain. Estimated total program funding is $3,750,000.
[Story]
Robert Bonakdar speaks on how to manage chronic pain on Dr. DeSilva radio show
March 30, 2010 Source: HealthRadio
Many people who take medications for chronic pain sometimes wonder, "Is there more that I could be doing to better manage my condition?" Increasingly, research is showing that the answer is yes. Dr. Robert Bonakdar of the American Academy of Pain Management joins the show to explains how to use an integrative approach to manage chronic pain.
[Story]
For Your Patients
The Spring 2010 edition of the Pain Community News is now available.
Articles include Breaking Through: Renewing Attention to Cancer Pain, Healing Power of Gardening, Top 10 Tips for Coping with Cancer-Related Pain, Fast Facts on Breakthrough Cancer Pain and A Pain Advocate's Take on "I Have a Dream."
[Story]
Product News/Clinical Trial Results
Qutenza (capsaicin) 8% patch for treatment of post-shingles pain now available
April 6, 2010 Source: NeurogesX, Inc.
NeurogesX, Inc. announced today that Qutenza® (capsaicin) 8% patch, the first and only product containing prescription-strength capsaicin, is now available. Clinical studies have shown that a single one-hour Qutenza application can provide three months relief from pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), the nerve pain that can occur after shingles.
[Story]
FDA approves new formulation for OxyContin
April 5, 2010 Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
The U.S. FDA today approved a new formulation of the controlled-release drug OxyContin. The reformulated OxyContin is intended to prevent the opioid medication from being cut, broken, chewed, crushed or dissolved to release more medication. The new formulation may be an improvement that may result in less risk of overdose due to tampering, and will likely result in less abuse by snorting or injection, but it still can be abused or misused by simply ingesting larger doses than are recommended.
[Story]
Policy and Law
American Geriatrics Society president Cheryl Phillips, MD, testifies before Senate Special Committee on Aging, recommending solution to DEA policy that delays essential pain relief to nursing home residents
March 24, 2010 Source: American Geriatrics Society
To ensure that nursing home residents who are in severe pain get timely pain relief, the DEA or Congress must change legislation regarding the dispensing of narcotic pain medication in long-term care facilities, AGS President Cheryl Phillips told the Senate Special Committee on Aging today. An estimated 45% to 80% of nursing home residents suffer considerable, undertreated pain—a problem that could be addressed if DEA policy regarding narcotics pain relief in nursing homes were aligned with the agency's policy regarding the use of these pain relievers in hospitals.
[Story]
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration preventing nursing home patients from getting pain medication
March 24, 2010 Source: Quality Care Coalition for Patients in Pain
The U.S. DEA's rules and procedures are seriously delaying and in some cases preventing nursing home patients from getting the pain medication they need. According to a new survey released today by the Quality Care Coalition for Patients in Pain (QCCPP), nearly two thirds of physicians, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, nurses and other clinicians say that DEA procedures are resulting in delays in getting pain medication to their patients.
[Story]
Nurse anesthetists dispute Senate bill
March 3, 2010 Source: Edmundsun.com
A bill that will dramatically decrease rural Oklahomans' access to quality health care is moving forward in the state Legislature. Senate Bill 1133, by Rep. John Trebilcock, R-Broken Arrow, and Sen. Clark Jolley, R-Edmond, would remove certified registered nurse anesthetists' ability to help Oklahomans manage chronic pain, something these graduate degree-trained providers have been doing for decades.
[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:
Palermo TM.
Assessment of chronic pain in children: current status and emerging topics.
Pain research & management. 2009 Jan-Feb;14(1):21-6.
[Abstract]
Elliott TE.
Increasing use of opioid treatment agreements in primary care
26th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) (San Antonio, TX: February 3, 2010)
[Abstract]
Lush E, Salmon P, Floyd A, et al.
Mindfulness meditation for symptom reduction in fibromyalgia: psychophysiological
correlates.
Journal of clinical psychology in medical settings. 2009 Mar 10. [forthcoming]
[Abstract]
Frey ME, Manchikanti L, Benyamin RM, et al.
Spinal cord stimulation for patients with failed back surgery syndrome: a
systematic review.
Pain physician. 2009 Mar-Apr;12(2):379-397.
[Abstract]
Mahrer NE, Gold JI.
The use of virtual reality for pain control: a review.
Current pain and headache reports. 2009 Apr;13(2):100-9.
[Abstract]
Legislative Updates
Branch of Government: United States. House
Title: HR 4956 (Stop Oxy Abuse Act of 2010)
Summary: A bill to direct the Commissioner of Food and Drugs to modify the approval of any drug containing controlled-release oxycodone hydrochloride to limit such approval to use for the relief of severe-only instead of moderate-to-severe pain, and for other purposes
Latest Action: 03/25/10 Introduced
Sponsor: Mack MB
Full Text:
Branch of Government: Alabama. Senate
Title: SJR 94
Summary: Chiropractic care recognized as effective method for the treatment of back and neck pain
Latest Action: 03/12/10 Signed by Governor.
Sponsor: Mitchell W
Full Text:
Guidelines
Nervous System Diseases
British National Formulary
Neuropathic pain
Summary OR Full Text
Pain /therapy (general)
American Society of Anesthesiologists Task Force on Chronic Pain Management and the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
Practice Guidelines for Chronic Pain Management
Summary OR Full Text
Clinical Trials
Arizona
Arthritis
City: Peoria
Summary: A study to demonstrate that canakinumab given upon acute gout flares relieves the signs and symptoms and prevents recurrence of gout flares in patients with frequent flares of gout for whom NSAIDs and/ or colchicine are contraindicated, not tolerated or ineffective.
California
Analgesics, Non-Narcotic
City: Stanford
Summary: A study to discover genetic pain biomarkers and determine the measurable effects of a known NSAID on biomarkers of pain and inflammation.
Books
Pharmacology of Pain
Editors: Pierre Beaulieu, David Lussier, Frank Porreca, and Anthony Dickenson
Pharmacology of Pain provides a complete review of the pharmacology of pain, including mechanisms of drug actions, clinical aspects of drug usage, and new developments. This authoritative book describes the different systems involved in the perception, transmission, and modulation of pain and discusses the available options for pharmacological treatment of pain.
Who should buy this book?
Basic researchers and clinicians, including physicians, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, and physical therapists
Other professionals in the field of pain research and treatment
Students and trainees
[To Order:]
Lagniappe
Sitting down on the job: New data finds that patients are happier when doctors sit down, even if they don't stay as long
April 7, 2010 Source: PR Newswire
Sitting down on the job has its advantages. New data from The University of Kansas Hospital finds that patients perceive doctors who sit down during their hospital room visits stay longer than doctors who stand during the visit -- even when doctors who sit don't stay as long as doctors who stand.
[Story]
Words easily trigger painful memories
March 31, 2010 Source: Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
A new study shows that words alone are capable of activating our pain matrix. As soon as we hear words like "tormenting," "gruelling" or "plaguing," exactly those areas in the brain are being activated which process the corresponding pain. Psychologists were able to examine this phenomenon using functional magnetic resonance tomography (fMRT).
[Story]
Canadian scientists uncover poppy's painkilling power
March 14, 2010 Source: Globe and Mail
Canadian researchers have unlocked the genetic secrets of the poppy plant, raising the possibility of making powerful narcotics from simple raw materials. Building on the discovery of two elusive genes that enable the opium poppy to make morphine and codeine, researchers inserted synthetic versions of those genes into yeast and coaxed it to produce the potent painkillers. It is an important step in a project that aims to produce the analgesics from a cheap raw material like sugar.
[Story]
The American Academy of Pain Management is the nation's largest interdisciplinary/integrative organization serving clinicians
who treat people with pain through education, setting standards of care, and advocacy.
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