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Knee pain not associated with daily walking levels in people with knee osteoarthritis

Knee pain was not associated with daily walking levels in an Arthritis Care & Research study of individuals with mild-to-moderate, symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.

6 Mar 2019

Using Pinterest to cope with chronic pain

A new study by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University that analyzed 502 posts on Pinterest about chronic pain revealed that the social media platform is helping people with chronic pain cope by sharing self-care and pain-management tips, venting about their pain's severity, and supporting others who are similarly suffering.

26 Feb 2019

VA pushing research, inventions into commercial markets to improve public health

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced on Monday a new effort to improve public health by pushing its research and inventions into commercial markets.

12 Feb 2019

New research reveals that prescription opioids are used long-term to treat severe osteoarthritis

New research published in Arthritis & Rheumatology, an official journal of the American College of Rheumatology, reveals that prescription opioids are commonly used long-term to treat pain in older patients with severe osteoarthritis.

28 Jan 2019

Penn's novel ERAS protocol for spinal surgery patients reduces opioid use

A novel "Enhanced Recovery After Surgery" (ERAS) protocol developed by Penn Medicine for patients undergoing spinal and peripheral nerve surgery significantly reduced opioid use.

25 Jan 2019

County by county, researchers link opioid deaths to drugmakers’ marketing

Researchers sketched a vivid line Friday linking the dollars spent by drugmakers to woo doctors around the country to a vast opioid epidemic that has led to tens of thousands of deaths.

18 Jan 2019

Misused veterinary prescriptions could contribute to the ongoing opioid epidemic

The increase in opioid prescriptions for people over the past decade may have been paralleled by an increase in opioid prescriptions for pets, according to a study from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine and the School of Veterinary Medicine.

11 Jan 2019

Opioids contribute to rise in suicides and overdoses in the U.S.

Suicides and drug overdoses kill American adults at twice the rate today as they did just 17 years ago, and opioids are a key contributor to that rise, according to a new review and analysis by a University of Michigan team.

7 Jan 2019

New study reveals twist in how intoxication happens

As New Year's Eve approaches, many people will experience the familiar buzz that comes from imbibing a favorite cocktail or glass of wine.

27 Dec 2018

Study examines opioid prescribing rates for pediatric patients in EDs

Opioids for pain management in pediatric patients are sometimes necessary but their use has raised concerns about the effects of opioids and later abuse.

21 Dec 2018

UC San Diego Health offers new DRG stimulation device for phantom limb pain

In May 2000, Raul Silva was involved in a motorcycle accident in Baja California, Mexico, badly breaking his left femur, or thighbone. He underwent emergency surgery in Mexicali and, at first, everything seemed fine. Then an infection set in, worsened, and Silva eventually made his way to San Diego, where his left leg was amputated.

18 Dec 2018

Early postpartum initiation of opioids associated with persistent use

Vanderbilt researchers have published findings indicating that regardless of whether a woman delivers a child by cesarean section or by vaginal birth, if they fill prescriptions for opioid pain medications early in the postpartum period, they are at increased risk of developing persistent opioid use.

18 Dec 2018

Early physical therapy associated with reduction in opioid use

Patients who underwent physical therapy soon after being diagnosed with pain in the shoulder, neck, low back or knee were approximately 7 to 16 percent less likely to use opioids in the subsequent months, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the Duke University School of Medicine.

14 Dec 2018

Ultrarestrictive opioid prescribing strategy linked with reduction in number of pills dispensed

An ultrarestrictive opioid prescribing strategy was associated with a reduction in the number of pills dispensed in a study of patients having surgery for gynecologic cancer, without changes in postoperative pain scores, complications or increases in prescription refill requests.

9 Dec 2018

World's first robot-assisted bilateral breast reconstruction performed by Penn surgeons

A team of surgeons from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania are the first in the world to use a surgical robot to assist with a bilateral free flap breast reconstruction - a procedure in which tissue is taken from the lower abdomen - similar to a "tummy tuck" - and used to rebuild the breast.

6 Dec 2018

Survey: Misconceptions about opioid use undermine pain control among Asian cancer patients

Misconceptions about the use of strong opioids showed to undermine optimal pain control among Asian cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy according to a cross-sectional survey conducted at the Sarawak General Hospital in Malaysia.

21 Nov 2018

FDA warns against use of unapproved pain medications with implanted pumps

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today alerted health care providers and patients about the serious complications that can occur when using medications not approved for use with implanted pumps that deliver medication into the spinal fluid to treat or manage pain.

15 Nov 2018

Yelp reviews help understand strengths, weaknesses of emergency departments and urgent care centers

Yelp reviews reveal that emergency departments are viewed as being higher quality but lacking in service as compared to urgent care centers, which patients rate the opposite, according to a new study from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

12 Nov 2018

Number of VHA facilities offering acupuncture has increased rapidly

Acupuncture is an increasingly important and effective component of chronic pain management and other areas of care in the Veterans Health Administration.

16 Oct 2018

CU Denver professor receives funding to study opioid addiction treatment for chronic pain sufferers

The University of Colorado Denver and assistant psychology professor Dr. Amy Wachholtz were awarded more than $700,000 in funding by the National Institute of Health (NIH) to study treatments for chronic pain sufferers who become addicted to opioids. Recruitment is underway to enroll study patients for this clinical research.

12 Oct 2018