Pain Studies In The News

Modifiable risk factors for headaches and migraines in teens
June 7, 2010 Source: Wiley-Blackwell
A novel study reported that alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking were associated with increased migraines and tension-type headaches (TTH) in high school students. Coffee drinking and physical inactivity were associated specifically with migraines.
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New survey reveals critical demand for fast migraine relief
June 7, 2010 Source: National Headache Foundation
In a new survey, 3 in 4 migraine sufferers said their current medication doesn't work fast enough to get them back to their life when a migraine strikes suddenly or upon waking. More education, along with awareness and adoption of the newest treatment options, is critical for migraine sufferers who are not experiencing fast relief from their current medications.
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Meditation reduces the emotional impact of pain, study finds
June 2, 2010 Source: University of Manchester
People who meditate regularly find pain less unpleasant because their brains anticipate the pain less, a new study has found. It appears to be only the more advanced meditators whose anticipation and experience of pain differed from non-meditators. While the type of meditation practiced varied across individuals, all included 'mindfulness meditation' practices, such as those that form the basis of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).
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Third of people with arthritis in the UK are in so much pain they can't have sex, according to a new survey
May 28, 2010 Source: Arthritis Care
A new survey reveals that 63% of people with arthritis find it difficult to have sex when their pain is at its worst. 36% of respondents said pain actually prevents them from having intimate relationships. Furthermore, over half of respondents (57%) said that their pain would have to be 'unbearable' for them to seek help from their doctor or specialist.
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Slow-release NSAIDs pose greater risk of gi bleeding, study finds
May 28, 2010 Source: Wiley-Blackwell
A study revealed that the risk of gastrointestinal complications due to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use varies by specific NSAID administered and by dosage. The study further determined that NSAIDs with a long half-life or slow-release formulation are associated with a greater risk of GI bleeding or perforation.
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Racial bias clouds ability to feel others' pain, study shows
May 27, 2010 Source: Cell Press
When people witness or imagine the pain of another person, their nervous system responds in essentially the same way it would if they were feeling that pain themselves. However, researchers have new evidence to show that that kind of empathy is diminished when people (black or white) who hold racial biases see that pain is being inflicted on those of another race.
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Review of pain management practices for cirrhosis patients
May 26, 2010 Source: Mayo Clinic
In the May issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, experts review current practices for pain management in cirrhotic patients. The physician experts reviewed all current literature available on PubMed and MEDLINE with no limits in the search to recommend a uniform and practical guide to approaching analgesia in the cirrhotic patients.
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New criteria proposed for diagnosing fibromyalgia suggests no longer focusing on tender points
May 24, 2010 Source: Rush University Medical Center
Although the diagnosis of fibromyalgia has typically been made by a tender point test, a physical exam that focuses on 18 points throughout the body, the American College of Rheumatology is proposing a new set of diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia that includes common symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disturbances, and cognitive problems, as well as pain.
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The majority of surveyed clinicians who have prescribed Nucynta for inflammatory and nociceptive pain perceive the drug to have efficacy that is comparable to oxycodone
May 24, 2010 Source: Decision Resources, Inc.
Decision Resources finds that 82 percent of surveyed physicians that had prescribed Nucynta (tapentadol) indicate that it has comparable efficacy to immediate-release oxycodone, although only 36 percent indicate that it was more tolerable with regard to nausea and vomiting, side effects common to potent opioid analgesics such as immediate-release oxycodone. Nucynta and Embeda - which both launched in 2009 - are still excluded from many commercial and medicare drug plans.
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Psychological influences predict chronic pain following orthopedic injuries
May 19, 2010 Source: American Pain Society
A new study suggests that psychological factors, such as pessimism about recovery and depression, are major predictors of chronic pain in trauma patients. Study authors say that indentifying psychological factors contributing to long-term pain after traumatic injuries will help to assess functional outcomes in orthopedic injury patients as they return to work.
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In a primary care setting researchers define traits associated with prescription drug disorders
May 17, 2010 Source: Boston University Medical Center
A new study has identified clinical characteristics associated with prescription drug use disorder (PDUD) in primary care patients with chronic pain. By identifying characteristics of prescription drug abuse, primary care clinicians can identify those at risk and provide appropriate treatment. Factors associated with PDUD include jail time, severely disabling pain, cigarette smoking, family history of substance abuse, white, male and post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Diabetic peripheral neuropathy pain worse at night: presented at APS
May 14, 2010 Source: Doctor’s Guide
In patients with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy, pain exhibits a temporal effect, with peak intensity in the evening hours, a new study suggests. Researchers recruited individuals with a self-reported diagnosis of the condition. Results showed that average pain scores were highest at 11 pm and 8 pm, when they were scored at 4.65 and 4.53 points, respectively. They dropped to their daily low at 11 am, when they averaged 4.21 points.
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Efficacy of milnacipran in fibromyalgia not affected by comorbid headache: presented at APS
May 14, 2010 Source: Doctor’s Guide
In patients with fibromyalgia, the efficacy of milnacipran in relieving pain is not affected by the presence of comorbid migraine headache. In a new study, patients who reported >=30% pain improvement from baseline were classified as being pain responders. Results showed that milnacipran resulted in statistically significant increases in the number of pain responders in patients both with and without comorbid migraine.
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The older the patient, the less likely adequate pain relief will be offered: presented at AGS
May 14, 2010 Source: Doctor’s Guide
Despite suffering as much moderate to severe pain as younger patients, older individuals are less likely to receive powerful analgesics as younger subjects complaining of pain, researchers recently reported. Strong opioid treatment is prescribed to 36.2% of patients aged younger than 65 years, compared with 31.2% of patients aged 65 to 74 years, and with 24.8% of patients aged 75 years or older.
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Sodium oxybate relieves pain in patients with fibromyalgia: presented at APS
May 13, 2010 Source: Doctor’s Guide
Sodium oxybate can help to relieve the hallmark symptom of pain in patients with fibromyalgia, according to 3 new studies. More than half of patients who took sodium oxybate reported at least a 30% improvement in pain. Sodium oxybate also helped to reduce fatigue, stiffness, and other symptoms.
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Flexible dosing of duloxetine offers better symptom relief for patients with fibromyalgia: presented at APS
May 13, 2010 Source: Doctor’s Guide
In patients with fibromyalgia, flexible dosing of duloxetine (60 to 120 mg/day) is associated with greater improvement in symptoms compared with placebo, a new study shows. At 12 weeks, a total of 57% of patients who received duloxetine reported feeling "much" or "very much" better, compared with 32.2% of those receiving placebo.
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Canadians in pain could be leading to 'risky' self-medication, society says
May 13, 2010 Source: Canwest News Service
A new poll revealed that 85 per cent of Canadian adults experienced moderate to severe pain in the last three months, with more than half of those people not seeking professional treatment. Nearly one in five people (18 per cent) of those surveyed used illegal narcotics, alcohol or non-prescribed drugs to relieve pain symptoms, while more than 80 per cent turned to over-the-counter medicine to deal with their pain.
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Cancer pain and inability to express feelings, is there a relationship?
May 11, 2010 Source: Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics
Alexithymia, or the inability to express feelings and the effects of treatment, is often involved in the pain experience of cancer patients. A new study found that cancer patients who underwent a psychological intervention showed significant improvement compared to control patients at follow-up. Their level of pain intensity, alexithymia, and somatic concerns had significantly improved compared to control patients.
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Sclerotherapy reduces pain associated with chronic Achilles tendinopathy: presented at ACP
April 29, 2010 Source: Doctor’s Guide
An estimated 24% to 44% of patients who have Achilles tendinopathy fail conservative management. A new study shows that sclerotherapy, involving a solution of 25% dextrose and 1% lidocaine, is effective at reducing pain and increasing function in patients who present with chronic Achilles tendinopathy.
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