Chronic Pain News and Research

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SLU researchers receive $2.1 million to find non-addictive pain medications

Neuropathic pain affects between 15 and 20 million people in the U.S. This type of pain can occur after injuries to the nervous system due to trauma, disease or exposure to neurotoxins, including after chemotherapy.

19 Aug 2019

Scientists discover new pain-sensing organ underneath the skin

Researchers have discovered a new sensory organ located underneath the skin. The discovery could lead to the development of new, more effective pain killers.

19 Aug 2019

Doctors can change opioid prescribing habits, but progress comes in small doses

When they started practicing medicine, most surgeons say, there was little or no information about just how many pain pills patients needed after specific procedures.

14 Aug 2019

Study investigates association between migraine diagnoses and dementia

Several studies have recently focused on the association between migraine headaches and other headaches and dementia and found a positive migraine-dementia relationship.

14 Aug 2019

Using cannabis and opioids for pain increases mental health issues

Opioid misuse has become a significant public health problem. Despite efforts to control its use, opioid is still the most widely prescribed class of medicines. Now, a new study shows that when adults mix prescription opioids for pain with marijuana or cannabis, they report higher rates of anxiety and depression symptoms.

13 Aug 2019

Cultural factors influence Chinese Americans' health, study reveals

Since 2011, the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago, the most extensive epidemiological cohort study of Chinese older adults in the United States, has revealed critical health disparities among the growing Chinese American population.

13 Aug 2019

Adults who combine opioids and cannabis have more mental health issues

A researcher from the University of Houston has found that adults who take prescription opioids for severe pain are more likely to have increased anxiety, depression and substance abuse issues if they also use marijuana.

12 Aug 2019

Over $1.6 million grants to support research on opioid pain medication use during pregnancy

An interdisciplinary team of experts from Indiana University, along with other researchers across the U.S. and Sweden, have received grants totaling over $1.6 million to study the effects that opioid pain medications prescribed during pregnancy have on children.

8 Aug 2019

New method can more accurately gauge pain in mice

For decades, biomedical researchers have used mouse behavior to study pain, but some researchers have questioned the accuracy of the interpretations of how mice experience pain.

8 Aug 2019

Researchers harness the pain-relieving properties of cannabis to develop new pain killers

The cannabis plant produces pain-relieving molecules that are 30x more effective than aspirin. Researchers are now working on a plant-based pain killer.

25 Jul 2019

Federal suit alleges ‘staggering’ urine drug testing fraud at Tennessee pain clinics

The Justice Department on Monday accused a defunct chain of Tennessee-based pain clinics of cheating Medicare and other taxpayer-funded health insurers out of at least $25 million in needless urine drug tests and genetic testing.

23 Jul 2019

Online pain and mood symptom self-management works better when coupled with clinician telecare

Pain is the most common physical symptom for which adults seek medical attention in the United States, while anxiety and depression are the most common mental health symptoms for which adults visit a doctor. Drugs, especially opioids, may not be the only or best therapy.

22 Jul 2019

Better funding for evidence-based treatments will improve health of chronic pain sufferers

Chronic pain affects one in five Australians, rising to one in three for those aged over 65. Its impact on individuals, families and the wider community can’t be overestimated.

22 Jul 2019

Patients taking opioids for chronic pain could face health care access problems

Finding a new doctor for health checkups and general care can pose a challenge to anyone. But for people who take prescription opioid pills for their chronic pain, it might be far harder, according to a new study.

14 Jul 2019

New computational model explores daily pain sensitivity rhythms

A new computational model successfully predicts how daily pain sensitivity rhythms affect pain processing, both in healthy adults and in people with neuropathic pain. Jennifer Crodelle of New York University and colleagues present these findings in PLOS Computational Biology.

From PLOS ONE 12 Jul 2019

Botulinum toxin may offer relief from chronic pelvic pain in women with endometriosis

Pelvic pain associated with endometriosis often becomes chronic and can persist (or recur) following surgical and hormonal interventions.

11 Jul 2019

Medicare going in ‘right direction’ on opioid epidemic

Prescriptions for two drugs used to treat opioid addiction increased significantly from 2016 to 2018 for people on Medicare, according to a federal report out Wednesday.

10 Jul 2019

IU-connected startup working to enable precision medicine for mental health issues, chronic pain

A new startup company founded on science developed at Indiana University is working to enable precision medicine by commercializing the first objective tests for mental health issues, including suicide risk, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, and for pain, all of which historically have been difficult to measure for patients and health care providers alike.

2 Jul 2019

Study shows how cannabis could be effective for both pain relief and insomnia

A new study has shown how cannabis could be an effective treatment option for both pain relief and insomnia, for those looking to avoid prescription and over the counter pain and sleep medications -including opioids.