Acute Pain News and Research

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Nature-based therapies can be promising complementary approaches to pain management

In a new study, an international team of neuroscientists led by the University of Vienna has shown that experiencing nature can alleviate acute physical pain.

13 Mar 2025

Strong synthetic opioids linked to poor postoperative pain experience

The use of powerful synthetic opioids, such as sufentanil and remifentanil, during surgery is linked to a subsequent poor 'pain experience'---a composite of emotional, cognitive, and physical aspects of pain- suggests research published in the open access journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.

26 Feb 2025

New guidelines urge caution with ketamine use for mental health treatment

The anesthetic ketamine is being hailed as a breakthrough therapy for people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), treatment-resistant depression and other mood disorders.

11 Feb 2025

Opioid prescriptions in emergency rooms linked to later health risks

Opioid prescriptions in the emergency department (ED) were associated with small increases in later opioid prescriptions and hospital admissions, found new research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.241542.

10 Feb 2025

Study finds no evidence linking sickle cell trait to sudden death

A systematic literature review found no evidence to support that physical exertion without rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown) or heat injury can cause sudden death for individuals with sickle cell trait (SCT), nor is there any high-level evidence that SCT causes acute pain crises.

31 Jan 2025

Research uncovers how brain activity patterns can predict pain sensitivity

In an international effort, researchers at Western University, the University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) and Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) uncovered how specific patterns in brain activity can predict an individual's sensitivity to pain, expanding opportunities for improved pain management strategies.

27 Jan 2025

$1.5 million grant supports alternatives to opioids initiative at University Hospitals

A grant of nearly $1.5 million from the Department of Health and Human Services through its Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will enable University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center to develop and implement an Alternatives to Opioids (ALTO) program within its Emergency Department (ED).

6 Dec 2024

Low-dose ketamine may be an effective adjunct analgesic to morphine for managing acute pain

A new study that investigates low-dose ketamine (LDK) as an adjunct to morphine for treating acute pain has been published in the October issue of Academic Emergency Medicine (AEM), the peer-reviewed journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM).

19 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

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

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

University of Michigan receives grant to study pain management in opioid use disorder

The University of Michigan will use a new $3.6 million federal grant to study how pain and opioids after surgery impact people with opioid use disorder, how guidelines might be adjusted to address post-surgical pain and how to prevent opioid-related harms.

12 Oct 2024

AAP publishes first clinical guideline for opioid use in pediatric care

The American Academy of Pediatrics has published its first clinical guideline for pediatricians on prescribing opioids, including explicit instructions on how and when to prescribe these medications for pain while reducing the long-term risk of addiction.

30 Sep 2024

Study highlights limited evidence for antidepressants in treating pain in older adults

University of Sydney research has found people over 65 are being prescribed antidepressants as pain treatment based on international guidelines that use limited evidence.

16 Sep 2024

New ultrasound technology provides effective treatment for urinary stones

A noninvasive ultrasound technology called Break Wave™ lithotripsy (BWL) offers a safe and effective new option for treatment of urinary stones, reports a clinical trial in the October issue of The Journal of Urology, an Official Journal of the American Urological Association (AUA).

11 Sep 2024

New study explores the potential of hormone therapy for opioid recovery

In the midst of America's growing opioid crisis, a much healthier alternative to long-term pain management is emerging - one affectionately known as "the cuddle hormone," or oxytocin.

11 Sep 2024

Benefits of less intensive stem cell transplants for sickle cell disease

So-called low-intensity blood stem cell transplants, which use milder conditioning agents than standard stem cell transplants, do not appear to damage the lungs and may help improve lung function in some patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), according to a three-year study of adults who underwent the procedure at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

28 Aug 2024