Chronic Pain News and Research

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APF launches new online educational module on safe use of CAM

The American Pain Foundation (APF) announced the launch of a new online educational module focusing on safe use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as part of its PainSAFE initiative.

5 Nov 2011

AAPM announces new plans for Safe Opioid Prescribing program

On the cusp of the recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report about the growing death toll from prescription drug deaths, the physician leadership of the American Academy of Pain Medicine announced its plans to roll-out a new education initiative: Safe Opioid Prescribing: Reversing the Trends.

5 Nov 2011

Escitalopram reduces pain severity, interference in opioid-dependent patients

In what is believed to be the first study of its kind to demonstrate an association between the antidepressant escitalopram and improved general pain, researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), have found that opioid-dependent patients treated with escitalopram experienced meaningful reductions in pain severity and pain interference during the first three months of therapy.

4 Nov 2011

USC Professor receives NSF's new Innovation Corps award

Last month, for the first time in 11 years, USC Associate Professor Ellis Meng found herself raising her hand and asking questions in the classroom - not answering them.

3 Nov 2011

Zalicus third quarter revenue increases to $2.4 million

Zalicus Inc. today reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2011.

2 Nov 2011

Prostate cancer patients with bone metastases benefit from repeated 188Re-HEDP therapy

For prostate cancer patients with bone metastases, repeated administrations of radionuclide therapy with 188Re-HEDP are shown to improve overall survival rates and reduce pain, according to new research published in the November issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

2 Nov 2011

J&JPRD submits NUCYNTA ER sNDA to FDA for DPN associated neuropathic pain

Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C. announced today that it has submitted a supplemental New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for NUCYNTA ER (tapentadol) extended-release tablets, an oral analgesic, for the management of neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy in adults.

31 Oct 2011

Study: Many older Ontarians are not visiting dentists regularly

Forty-five per cent of Ontarians 65 years and older did not see a dentist in the last year, increasing their risk of chronic diseases and a reduced quality of life , a new study by researchers at St. Michael's Hospital, Women's College Hospital and the Institute for Clinical and Evaluative Sciences (ICES) shows.

28 Oct 2011

Chronic pain may increase risk of suicide ideation in adolescents

Chronic pain in adolescents is a risk factor for suicide ideation, according to new research reported in The Journal of Pain, published by American Pain Society.

28 Oct 2011

First-ever study of chronic postoperative pain in children

Are children suffering needlessly after surgery? UC Irvine anesthesiologists who specialize in pediatric care believe so. An operation can be one of the most traumatic events children face, and according to a UCI study, many of them experience unnecessary postsurgical pain lasting weeks or months.

28 Oct 2011

Yoga for low back pain as effective as stretching exercises: Study

Study shows that weekly yoga classes eased pain and improved functioning in some people with chronic lower back pain. However the effects of yoga were not much different from usual stretching exercises.

25 Oct 2011

AHRQ: Only 8.7M of 12.1M women suffering from chronic pain received treatment in 2008

An estimated 12.1 million women age 18 and older reported suffering from chronic pain in 2008 as a result of underlying medical conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, endometriosis, fibromyalgia and vulvodynia. Of these women, only 8.7 million reported receiving treatment that year at a total cost of $12.9 billion, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

21 Oct 2011

New, more effective DBS paradigm may manage Parkinson's symptoms

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a devastating and incurable disease that causes abnormal poverty of movement, involuntary tremor, and lack of coordination. A technique called deep brain stimulation (DBS) is sometimes used to improve motor symptoms in patients with advanced disease. Now, a study published by Cell Press in the October 20 issue of the journal Neuron describes a new and more effective DBS paradigm that makes real-time adjustments in response to disease dynamics and progression and may be better for managing symptoms of advanced PD.

20 Oct 2011

Johnson & Johnson third quarter sales increase 6.8% to $16.0 billion

Johnson & Johnson today announced sales of $16.0 billion for the third quarter of 2011, an increase of 6.8% as compared to the third quarter of 2010. Operational results increased 2.6% and the positive impact of currency was 4.2%. Domestic sales declined 3.7%.

18 Oct 2011

Tailored postoperative treatment plan for women at high risk for severe pain after cesarean delivery

Nearly one third of children in the U.S. are born by cesarean delivery, a surgery that puts women at risk for persistent pain and postpartum depression. A new study presented at ANESTHESIOLOGY 2011 investigated whether an increase in pain treatment in patients at high risk for severe pain after surgery reduces these complications after a cesarean delivery.

18 Oct 2011

Headache are among the top reasons for medical evacuation of soldiers

Headaches, a virtually universal human complaint at one time or another, are among the top reasons for medical evacuation of military personnel from Iraq and Afghanistan, and for ongoing depletion of active-duty ranks in those countries, according to research led by Johns Hopkins specialists. Just one-third of soldiers sent home because of headaches return to duty in either place, the research shows.

14 Oct 2011

AIT Laboratories introduces new suite of services for prescription compliance monitoring

Chronic pain affects an estimated 116 million adults in the U.S.—more than the number affected by heart disease, diabetes, and cancer combined, according to a recent report by the Institute of Medicine.

10 Oct 2011

Alkermes initiates ALKS 37 phase 2b study in opioid-induced constipation

Alkermes plc today announced the initiation of a phase 2b study of ALKS 37, an orally active, peripherally restricted opioid antagonist for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation.

3 Oct 2011

CSRO survey explores impact of health insurance barriers

The Coalition of State Rheumatology Organizations today released the findings of a nationwide survey that explored the impact of health insurance barriers such as prior authorization and step therapy on the ability of rheumatologists to provide effective care to patients.

1 Oct 2011

Researchers use fMRI to examine patterns of brain activation in patients with chronic pain

Cognition is known to influence pain perception. As a result, several mind-body and psychological therapies are commonly used to treat chronic pain. A new study from the October issue of Anesthesiology analyzed whether two of the most commonly applied strategies involve different brain systems.

30 Sep 2011