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Understanding factors associated with long-term opioid use in fibromyalgia patients

Fibromyalgia is common, affecting around 2% of people in the general population. The 2017 EULAR recommendations state that tramadol - a weak opioid - may be considered for pain management in fibromyalgia, but advise against use of strong opioids due to lack of evidence of efficacy, and the high risk of side effects and addiction.

2 Jun 2023

Study analyzes the effects of state-level policies on use of anti-opioid medication

States that want to increase access to buprenorphine, a lifesaving medication used to treat opioid use disorder, should consider efforts to enhance professional education and clinician knowledge, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

26 May 2023

IV plus PA corticosteroids may improve key indicators of functional recovery after total knee arthroplasty

For patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA), a combination of intravenous and periarticular corticosteroids does not improve pain control – but, may improve key indicators of functional recovery in the days after surgery, reports a trial in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.

25 May 2023

Global analysis paints a picture of growing low back pain cases

Analysis of over 30 years of data has shown the number of cases of low back pain is growing, with modeling suggesting by 2050, 843 million people will be affected by the condition largely due to population increases and aging of populations.

23 May 2023

Researchers identify brain signatures for chronic pain in a small group of individuals

For the first time, researchers have recorded pain-related data from inside the brain of individuals with chronic pain disorders caused by stroke or amputation (phantom limb pain).

22 May 2023

Researchers show the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on somatosensory abnormalities in a hamster model

In a recent article published in the journal Science Immunology, researchers in the United States performed a longitudinal cohort study in a golden hamster model to investigate the sensory-altering mechanisms induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection compared to an influenza A virus (IAV).

11 May 2023

Ketogenic diet's surprising impact on opioid sensitivity and withdrawal

Research investigates the effects of a ketogenic diet (KD) on responses to oxycodone, a commonly prescribed opioid for pain management. The study found sex-biased effects of KD on oxycodone responses in mice, suggesting potential implications for clinical pain management and treatment of opioid use disorder.

10 May 2023

Spinal cord stimulation may help reduce chronic pain in people undergoing active cancer treatment

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine say they have evidence from a new study in rats that spinal cord stimulation (SCS) may be useful in reducing chronic pain in people undergoing active treatment with a common anti-cancer drug.

From Elekta 27 Apr 2023

Neutrophils found to play a key role in fibromyalgia pain

Targeting neutrophil activity and interactions with sensory neurons may be a potential approach for treating fibromyalgia pain.

25 Apr 2023

New research set to benefit people suffering from debilitating joint pain after tropical viral infection

Patients who suffer from debilitating joint pain following a tropical viral infection are set to benefit from new Keele University research.

13 Apr 2023

Online "e-health" program helps people with chronic pain reduce opioids and pain intensity

An online "e-health" program helped more people with chronic pain reduce their opioid medications and pain intensity than a control group that had only regular treatment in a recent clinical study.

3 Apr 2023

CBD treatment in elite athletes: topical administration tolerated well with only minor adverse effects

Researchers conducted an open-label pilot study to determine the efficacy and tolerability of CBD as a potential pain management therapy in a group of former elite athletes with chronic levels of pain in the lower extremities.

3 Apr 2023

Buprenorphine can be safely started in the ER without triggering withdrawal even for people using stronger opioids

Results from a multi-site clinical trial supported by the National Institutes of Health showed that less than 1% of people with opioid use disorder whose drug use includes fentanyl experienced withdrawal when starting buprenorphine in the emergency department.

30 Mar 2023

Researchers secure $7.5 mllion from NIH HEAL initiative to tackle opioid and pain public health crises

Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine have been awarded a five-year, $7.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health Helping End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) initiative.

24 Mar 2023

Short sleep duration at night associated with increased risk of peripheral artery disease

Sleeping less than five hours a night is associated with a 74% raised likelihood of developing peripheral artery disease (PAD) compared with seven to eight hours.

16 Mar 2023

$Male geriatric patients at greater risk of skull fractures from falls than females$

Male geriatric patients at greater risk of skull fractures from falls than females

Each year, more than 3 million people ages 65 and older are treated in emergency departments for fall injuries. Head trauma is the leading cause of serious injury with skull fractures being reported as a serious outcome.

8 Mar 2023

Cedars-Sinai receives $2 million CIRM grant to combat lower back pain

Investigators at Cedars-Sinai have received a $2 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to develop a new cell therapy that helps improve quality of life for patients with degenerated discs and chronic lower back pain.

28 Feb 2023

Novel multimodal analgesia protocol following total knee arthroplasty provides pain relief without opioids

A study led by Vinod Dasa, MD, Professor of Orthopaedics at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, reports that a novel surgical pain management strategy following total knee arthroplasty (TKA), or total knee replacement, provided pain relief without opioids.

27 Feb 2023

New approach to pain management can reduce opioid use after urethroplasty

For men undergoing surgery to repair scarring in the urethra (urethroplasty), a new approach to pain management can reduce the need for strong opioid drugs without compromising pain control, reports a study in Urology Practice, an Official Journal of the American Urological Association.

21 Feb 2023

A call to action proposed for health providers to ensure widest distribution, easy availability of naloxone

In 2021, 100,306 Americans died from drug overdoses – a 28.5 percent increase from the prior year – with 75,673 attributed to opioids.

16 Feb 2023