Pain Studies In The News

It's not all in your head: descending neural mechanisms of placebo-induced pain control
August 29, 2009 Source: Neuron
A new study reveals that when it comes to pain control, the "placebo effect" involves evolutionarily old pain control pathways in the human brainstem, the part of the brain that is continuous with the spinal cord.
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New data show significant misuse of pain medication among chronic pain population
08/27/2009 Source: Ameritox
A study published in the August issue of the peer-reviewed journal Population Health Management revealed that the majority of patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain were unlikely to be taking their medicine in a manner consistent with their prescribed regimen. The analysis showed that 38% of patients had no detectable level of their prescribed medication (typically an opioid or benzodiazepine type drug); 27% had a drug level higher than expected; 15% had a drug level lower than expected; 11% had major illicit drugs such as cocaine or methamphetamines detected in their urine; and 29% had a medication in their system that the doctor was likely unaware of.
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Neck surgery for cervical spine disorders found to alleviate associated headaches
August 27, 2009 Source: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
A new study finds that two years after anterior cervical neck operations, patients who have arthroplasty (disc replacement) or arthodesis (spine fusion) can be expected to have significant improvement in their headache symptoms.
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Strong thighs protect against symptoms of OA
August 27, 2009 Source:Arthritis & Rheumatism
Strong thigh muscles minimized the pain from osteoarthritis of the knee, but didn't protect against the development of radiographic evidence of the condition in a longitudinal study. Both men and women in the highest tertile of peak knee extensor strength had reduced odds of developing incident symptomatic whole knee OA.
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Results of controlled clinical study of STAR total ankle replacement versus ankle fusion presented at AOFAS 2009 Annual Summer Meeting
August 25, 2009 Source: American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society
A non-randomized clinical trial was conducted at 15 equivalent medical institutions offering a broad spectrum of surgical experience and is the first clinical study of its kind in the United States of the Scandinavian Total Ankle Replacement. After 24 months, the ankles treated with STAR ankle replacement had better function and equivalent pain relief as ankles treated with ankle fusion surgery.
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Spinal manipulation unlikely to reduce acute low back pain
August 24, 2009 Source: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
For acute low back pain, adding spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) to standard care does not appear to lead to a greater early reduction in pain compared with standard care alone, according to a Swiss study.
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Incontinence, breathing problems and gastrointestinal disorders predict back pain in women
Augusts 20, 2009 Source: American Pain Society
Australian pain researchers reviewed case histories of some 7500 young, mid-age and older women who participated in the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women's Health who reported no back pain during the preceding 12 months. They were followed for up to four years. Results showed that women with preexisting incontinence, breathing difficulties and gastrointestinal disorders were more likely to develop back pain than women without these afflictions.
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Electroacupuncture shows effects on pain perception
August 19, 2009 Source: International Anesthesia Research Society
Experiments in volunteers confirm that electroacupuncture—applying electrical current to acupuncture needles—has pain-reducing effects, Volunteers receiving electroacupuncture applied for 30 minutes experienced the least pain, compared to those receiving 20 or 40 minutes of electroacupuncture (or no electroacupuncture at all). Subjects receiving electroacupuncture for 30 minutes were able to tolerate significantly colder temperatures before sensing pain. Furthermore, the reduced pain response lasted for at least an hour after the end of electroacupuncture.
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Quick and accurate way of diagnosing endometriosis
August 19, 2009 Source: European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology
Until now there has been no way of accurately diagnosing endometriosis apart from laparoscopy—an invasive surgical procedure—and this often leads to women waiting for years in pain and discomfort before their condition is identified correctly and treated. Now researchers have discovered that if they take a small sample of the endometrium (the lining of the uterus), which can be done by inserting the device for taking the biopsy via the vagina, and then test for the presence of nerve fibres in the sample, they can diagnose whether or not endometriosis is present with nearly 100% accuracy.
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Ibuprofen is as effective as acetaminophen with codeine to treat pain in children with arm fractures, study finds
August 18, 2009 Source: Medical College of Wisconsin
A new study compared how children ages four to 18 years respond to treatment when prescribed ibuprofen or acetaminophen with codeine for pain. Overall, there was no difference in the number of children that failed treatment in the two groups but the children receiving ibuprofen reported better functional outcomes, higher satisfaction, and fewer adverse effects than those receiving acetaminophen with codeine.
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Family quarrels and a lack of free time can promote headaches in children
August 18, 2009 Source: Deutsches Arzteblatt International
Boys who experienced more than one family quarrel per week had a 1.8 times higher risk of developing headaches. The amount of free time available to them seemed to be even more important: boys who only sometimes had time to themselves had a 2.1 times higher risk of developing headaches.
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Genetic link between physical pain and social rejection found
August 17, 2009 Source: University of California - Los Angeles
Research psychologists have determined for the first time that a gene linked with physical pain sensitivity is associated with social pain sensitivity as well. Their study indicates that variation in the mu-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1), often associated with physical pain, is related to how much social pain a person feels in response to social rejection.
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Cognitive behavioral therapy improves sleep and pain in people with osteoarthritis
August 15, 2009 Source: Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine
A recent study shows that the use of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is an effective treatment for older patients with osteoarthritis and comorbid insomnia.Results of the study showed that treatment improves both immediate and long-term self-reported sleep and pain in older patients with osteoarthritis. Participants who received CBT-I reported significantly reduced pain (initially improved by 9.7 points and 4.7 points a year after treatment) and increased sleep efficiency (initially increased by 13 percent and 8 percent a year after treatment). These improvements persisted in CBT-I patients (19 of 23) who were further assessed for sleep quality and perceived pain at a one-year follow-up visit.
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Bad news for coffee drinkers who get headaches
August 14, 2009 Source: Norwegian University of Science and Technology
People who consume high amounts of caffeine each day are more likely to suffer occasional headaches than those with low caffeine consumption, a team of researchers reports in a study recently published in the Journal of Headache Pain.
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FDA issues warning letters to marketers of topical ibuprofen drug products
August 19, 2009 So8urce: U.S. Food & Drug Administration
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced that the agency issued warning letters to eight companies marketing unlawful over-the-counter (OTC) topical drug products containing the pain reliever ibuprofen. The products, which contain ibuprofen in combination with a variety of other active ingredients and are marketed for pain relief, are unapproved new drugs that require an approved new drug application in order to be legally marketed.
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A new service for health care providers who prescribe methadone to treat chronic pain or opioid addiction
August 17, 2009 Source: American Society of Addiction Medicine
A new service for health care providers prescribing methadone to treat chronic pain or opioid addiction -- the Physician Clinical Support System for Methadone (PCCS-M) -- opens this week with a mechanism to connect prescribers of methadone with experienced clinicians for one-to-one mentoring regarding the use of this medication. Using this new service, prescribers can contact a mentor, a knowledgeable colleague, by phone or e-mail with specific questions about the use of methadone for treating chronic pain or opioid addiction.
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who treat people with pain through education, setting standards of care, and advocacy.
© 2009 American Academy of Pain Management