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New essential oil inhaler facilitates pain management

A new study testing the effectiveness of a patented essential oil inhaler (AromaStick) extends the existing body of evidence that the direct application of specially formulated scents reduces stress and increases attention and concentration.

22 Jan 2018

New clinical practice guideline provides recommendations for use of anticoagulants during heart surgery

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists, and the American Society of ExtraCorporeal Technology released a new clinical practice guideline that includes major recommendations for the use of blood thinning medication (anticoagulants) during heart surgery.

22 Jan 2018

VA clears the air on talking to patients about marijuana use

"Don't ask, don't tell" is how many veterans have approached health care conversations about marijuana use with the doctors they see from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

9 Jan 2018

An opioid remedy that works: Treat pain and addiction at the same time

Seven years ago, Robert Kerley, who makes his living as a truck driver, was loading drywall when a gust of wind knocked him off the trailer. Kerley fell 14 feet and hurt his back.

8 Jan 2018

UTA researchers analyze challenges in pain management for the elderly

Researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington are focusing their attention on pain management in older adults, a segment of the population which presents a specific series of challenges to health providers.

20 Dec 2017

Gene that could be associated with reduced pain response found

Researchers found an Italian family, the Marsilis that have six individuals who respond significantly differently to pain than others. This includes a 78-year-old lady and her two daughters and their three children.

18 Dec 2017

Rare gene mutation gives rise to low sensitivity to pain

Researchers at University College London have identified a rare gene mutation in an Italian family who have little sensitivity to some forms of pain. Chronic pain caused by conditions such as lower back pain and osteoarthritis is one of the most prominent causes of disability worldwide, as assessed by the Global Burden of Disease reviews.

15 Dec 2017

Medicare fails to recover hundreds of millions of dollars in lab overcharges

Five years ago, Companion DX Reference Lab hoped to cash in on cutting-edge genetic tests paid for by Medicare.

15 Dec 2017

APS Scientific Summit explores biopsychosocial mechanisms that influence pain

Understanding Pain Mechanisms is the theme of the American Pain Society's Scientific Summit, www.americanpainsociety.org, March 4-6 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim.

15 Dec 2017

Female veterans experience improvement in low back pain with course of chiropractic care

A new study finds that female veterans—one of the fastest growing populations receiving treatment through the Veterans Administration health care system—experience improvement in low back pain with a course of chiropractic care, according to the American Chiropractic Association.

13 Dec 2017

Opioids after surgery left her addicted. Is that a medical error?

In April this year, Katie Herzog checked into a Boston teaching hospital for what turned out to be a nine-hour-long back surgery.

11 Dec 2017

Study: Doctors may prescribe double the number of opioids than what patient needs after hysterectomy

Doctors may be prescribing nearly twice the number of opioids than what the average patient needs after a hysterectomy, a new study suggests.

4 Dec 2017

Guidelines to control opioid prescribing for post-surgery pain

A recent study, conducted at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH, suggests that more vigilant prescribing guidelines could reduce the number of opioid pills a patient receives after surgery, whilst still meeting pain management needs.

1 Dec 2017

Guideline for surgeons could reduce opioids prescribed after operations by 40%

Rising rates of opioid prescriptions have been linked to the opioid epidemic, and a significant number of opioid deaths have been linked to prescriptions written by surgeons.

1 Dec 2017

Researchers receive DoD grant to identify alternatives to opioids for pain management

What does a marine snail's ability to kill prey with two shots of venom have to do with the opioid epidemic ravaging the United States?

29 Nov 2017

Study highlights need to focus on all opioid prescribers to curb epidemic

A cross-section of opioid prescribers that typically do not prescribe large volumes of opioids, including primary care physicians, surgeons and non-physician health care providers, frequently prescribe opioids to high-risk patients, according to a new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

29 Nov 2017