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New compound could offer pain-relieving properties without risk of addiction

Researchers at the University of Michigan have engineered a new compound that animal tests suggest could offer the pain-relieving properties of opioids such as morphine and oxycodone without the risk of addiction.

24 Apr 2018

Opioid pain medications may not be safe for hemodialysis patients

A new analysis indicates that opioid pain medications may not be as safe for hemodialysis patients as recommendations suggest, and therefore, their use should be limited when possible. The analysis appears in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

20 Apr 2018

FDA approves marijuana based medication for epilepsy treatment

An advisory panel from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended the approval of a novel epilepsy drug that is made up of ingredients from marijuana. The agency normally follows the recommendations of the advisory panels regarding approvals and rejections of applications of new drugs. The recommendation statement came yesterday (19th April 2018).

19 Apr 2018

Post-surgical opioids can prolong pain for more than three weeks, study shows

Giving opioids to animals to quell pain after surgery prolongs pain for more than three weeks and primes specialized immune cells in the spinal cord to be more reactive to pain, according to a new study by the University of Colorado Boulder.

16 Apr 2018

New OIC study may help reduce overuse of opioids by adolescents

The overuse of opioids has become a national crisis, particularly among adolescents who are considered "at risk" for opioid abuse once the medication has been prescribed to them for pain management.

9 Apr 2018

Newly expanded program at Rush offers relief from pelvic floor problems

Trouble with urine or bowel control, bladder pain, recurring urinary tract infections, constipation and other sexual function issues frequently can be traced to a dysfunctional pelvic floor -- the layer of muscles that support the bladder and bowel in men, and bladder, bowel and vagina in women.

6 Apr 2018

Simple bedside system can reduce pain levels in cancer patients, research shows

Patients with cancer could benefit from a simple bedside system to manage their pain, a study suggests.

26 Mar 2018

Back pain being mismanaged globally

According to a panel of international health experts, back pain is being grossly mismanaged globally. This could be both by ineffective treatments as well as treatment with harmful methods.

23 Mar 2018

Opioid maker funds efforts to fight addiction: Is it ‘blood money’ or charity?

A program to give naloxone overdose-antidote kits and training to front-line officers. Funding for pill disposal boxes in pharmacies, clinics and police stations across North Carolina. A radio campaign in Connecticut warning of the dangers of opioid abuse. A new medicine to treat opioid-induced constipation.

14 Mar 2018

Jury’s in: Opioids are not better than other medicines for chronic pain

A few years ago, Renea Molden’s doctors told her they wanted to take her off her opioid pills. It did not sound like good idea to her.

6 Mar 2018

Researchers aim to to better predict future chronic opioid therapy in hospital patients

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus are working to develop statistical models to better predict which patients will be prescribed opioid medications long-term following discharge from a hospital stay.

6 Mar 2018

Infants process pain in their brains in different ways based on age

Reliance on behavioral indicators, such as crying, to assess pain in infants underestimates how much pain babies actually feel when they undergo stressful medical procedures.

5 Mar 2018

Postoperative pain control following extensive pelvic exenteration

In the March issue of Diseases of the Colon & Rectum, surgeons from Australia discuss postoperative pain control following one of the most extensive operations performed for pelvic cancer.

13 Feb 2018

Opioid users have increased risk of invasive pneumococcal diseases

Opioid users have a significantly increased risk of infections severe enough to require treatment at the hospital, such as pneumonia and meningitis, as compared to people who don't use opioids.

13 Feb 2018

New algorithm provides personalized treatment approach for patients with metastatic spine cancer

Every kind of cancer can spread to the spine, yet two physician-scientists who treat these patients describe a paucity of guidance for effectively providing care and minimizing pain.

8 Feb 2018

Back pain affects nearly half of well-functioning, highly active older adults

In a Journal of the American Geriatrics Society study, many well-functioning and highly active older adults experienced back pain, which was linked with poorer perceived and observed walking endurance.

7 Feb 2018

1 in 7 patients at risk for persistent opioid use after lung surgery

While the use of opioids after surgery is intended as a short-term strategy to relieve pain, many patients who weren't prior opioid users continue to take the medication for several months after their lung operations, becoming dependent and "persistent opioid users," according to research presented today at the 54th Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

30 Jan 2018

Analysis reveals drop in long-term opioid use among military veterans

A new study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, published by Springer, shows that opioid prescribing has dropped after a peak in 2012. Lead author Katherine Hadlandsmyth of the Iowa City VA Healthcare System and the University of Iowa in the US further noted that the decline was mostly due to decreases in long-term opioid prescribing, which carries much greater risk for harmful side effects, addiction and overdose, relative to short-term prescribing.

30 Jan 2018

Research highlights benefits from enhanced recovery after surgery program

Colorectal and bariatric surgery patients benefited from an enhanced recovery after surgery program, leaving the hospital sooner and requiring fewer opioids to control pain, according to new research presented at the American Society of Anesthesiologists PRACTICE MANAGEMENT 2018 meeting.

27 Jan 2018

American Pain Society's 2018 conference aims to deepen understanding of pain mechanisms

The American Pain Society, www.americanpainsociety.org, has changed the format for its 2018 conference to a Scientific Summit titled "Understanding Pain Mechanisms." The event is March 4-6 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim.

25 Jan 2018