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An opioid is a chemical that works by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. The receptors in these two organ systems mediate both the beneficial effects and the side effects of opioids.

New insights into pain signaling could lead to better chronic pain treatment

When pain signals are passed along the nervous system, proteins called calcium channels play a key role. Researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, have now pinpointed the exact location of a specific calcium channel fine-tuning the strength of pain signals.

18 Nov 2024

New oral painkiller developed for chronic abdominal pain

University of Queensland researchers have developed a new class of oral painkillers to suppress chronic abdominal pain that is based on the peptide hormone oxytocin that drives childbirth contractions.

18 Nov 2024

Prenatal cannabis exposure linked to increased risk of opioid addiction later in life

With the increased legalization of recreational cannabis, as many as 1 in 5 pregnant women in the U.S. are now using the drug to help with morning sickness, lower back pain or anxiety.

14 Nov 2024

$Gabapentinoids may increase hip fracture risk in older adults$

Gabapentinoids may increase hip fracture risk in older adults

The study, published today in JAMA Network Open, tracked patients hospitalized for hip fractures in Victoria, Australia from March 2013 through June 2018, who had used gabapentinoids before the injury.

13 Nov 2024

MUSC team develops digital toolkit to screen for intimate partner violence and PTSD in opioid use disorder

The opioid crisis has left an estimated 2.5 million people 18 and older in the U.S. with opioid use disorder, or OUD. Despite increased attention to the heavy toll taken by OUD, key risk factors such as intimate partner violence (IPV) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are often overlooked. Both increase the risk of OUD and complicate recovery efforts.

12 Nov 2024

CDC updates pain care guidelines for clinicians

Pain affects the lives of millions of Americans every day and improving pain care and the lives of patients with pain is a public health imperative.

11 Nov 2024

Study finds high hepatitis C rates among opioid overdose patients

New research from the University of Missouri School of Medicine indicates that accidental opioid overdose patients in central Missouri have high rates of hepatitis C infections, despite only 40% of patients having a history of testing.

7 Nov 2024

12 states promised to open the books on their opioid settlement funds. We checked up on them.

To discover how millions in opioid settlement funds are being spent in Idaho, you can visit the state attorney general's website, which hosts 91 documents from state and local entities getting the money.

7 Nov 2024

Weill Cornell Medicine professor receives major grant for pediatric pain management study

Dr. Chani Traube, the Gerald M. Loughlin, MD Professor of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine, has been awarded a $3.4 million grant, with the possibility of extending to a total of $17 million over five years, from the National Institutes of Health, for a large-scale clinical trial called Optimizing Pain Treatment in Children on Mechanical ventilation (OPTICOM).

1 Nov 2024

AAP issues first guideline on opioid prescribing for pediatric pain

With its emphasis on opioid overdose prevention, the first guideline for primary care providers from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on prescribing opioids for acute pain in children and adolescents extends beyond responsible pain management.

31 Oct 2024

For people with opioid addiction, Medicaid ‘unwinding’ raises the stakes

It was hard enough for Stephanie to get methadone treatment when she moved to Florida from Indiana last year. The nearest clinic was almost an hour's drive away and she couldn't drive herself. But at least she didn't have to worry about the cost of care.

30 Oct 2024

Enhancing social support through non-traditional sources may help mothers with opioid use disorder

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a growing public health problem among pregnant and parenting people in the U.S. Between 1999 and 2014, the number of pregnant women with OUD increased by more than four times.

28 Oct 2024

Study reveals misuse of scientific evidence by opioid makers

A new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that makers and marketers of prescription opioid painkillers misused scientific evidence to advance five common and inaccurate claims about the safety and effectiveness of prescription opioids - including that they were not addictive.

25 Oct 2024

The hidden effects of opioid use on the endocrine system

A new Scientific Statement released today by the Endocrine Society highlights research gaps associated with the negative effects of opioid use on the endocrine system.

25 Oct 2024

Novel device may rescue people from overdose without bystander help

The opioid epidemic claims more 70,000 lives each year in the U.S., and lifesaving interventions are urgently needed.

23 Oct 2024

Mothering over meds: Docs say common treatment for opioid-exposed babies isn’t necessary

On learning last year she was pregnant with her second child, Cailyn Morreale was overcome with fear and trepidation.

22 Oct 2024

Expanded treatment options linked to 37% reduction in drug overdose deaths

Expanded treatment options, increased naloxone distribution and targeted education campaigns likely led to a 37% reduction in overdose deaths from opioids combined with stimulant drugs other than cocaine, according to the results of a large federally funded study.

21 Oct 2024

Study reveals racial bias in postsurgical analgesia

While recovering from major surgery, Black patients may be less likely to receive certain multimodal analgesia options and more likely to receive oral opioids than white patients, according to research being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2024 annual meeting.

21 Oct 2024

It's official! Men and women experience and manage pain differently

Researchers uncover sex-specific pain management mechanisms, revealing men rely on endogenous opioids while women use alternative pathways for pain relief.

21 Oct 2024

Study suggests NSAIDs may lower postoperative delirium risk

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, may help reduce patients' risk of postoperative delirium, according to a study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2024 annual meeting.

20 Oct 2024