Chronic Pain News and Research

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Opioid receptor-triggered spinal mTORC1 activation contributes to morphine tolerance, hyperalgesia

Currently, opioids are the standard treatment for chronic pain. Patients on opioids for long periods of time become desensitized to these drugs or become paradoxically hypersensitive to pain (hyperalgesia); however, the adaptive mechanisms are not well understood.

3 Jan 2014

Study examines prevalence, severity and factors associated with chronic pain after breast cancer surgery

In a study that included more than 800 women who had undergone surgery for breast cancer, the majority reported some level of pain 12 months after surgery, and factors associated with pain included chronic preoperative pain, chemotherapy, preoperative depression and pain in the area to be operated, according to a study appearing in the January 1 issue of JAMA.

2 Jan 2014

Changes to LZTR1 gene predispose people to develop schwannomas

Changes to a gene called LZTR1 predispose people to develop a rare disorder where multiple tumors called schwannomas form near nerve pathways, according to a study published today in the journal Nature Genetics and led by researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

24 Dec 2013

People who experience chronic pain during childhood have chronic pain as adults

There is strong evidence showing that individuals who experienced chronic pain during childhood have chronic pain as adults, but few studies have evaluated the characteristics of pain that persists from childhood through adult years. Researchers from the University of Michigan found that one in six adult pain patients had pain as children or adolescents, and their pain was widespread and neuropathic with psychological comorbidities and decreased function.

20 Dec 2013

Researchers receive 3 Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute awards from PCORI

Research teams at Group Health Research Institute have been approved for funding awards by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to study opioid therapy and asthma-and to help expand a health data network that will be part of PCORnet: the National Patient-Centered National Clinical Research Network.

20 Dec 2013

People with intermittent explosive disorder elevate levels of markers of systemic inflammation in blood

People with intermittent explosive disorder — a psychiatric illness characterized by impulsivity, hostility and recurrent aggressive outbursts — have elevated levels of two markers of systemic inflammation in their blood, according to a study involving nearly 200 subjects.

19 Dec 2013

Chronic pain amongst different ethnic groups: an interview with Professor Martin Underwood, Warwick Medical School

Conventionally chronic pain is defined as pain that lasts beyond the expected period of healing. Most experts consider a pain to be chronic after three months.

18 Dec 2013

Scientists continue work to end chemotherapy pain

With this year's $600,000 grant from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and $1.5 million grant from the NIH, a Saint Louis University investigator is continuing her work to end chemotherapy pain. Noted pain researcher Daniela Salvemini, Ph.D., is using the funding to capitalize on her recent finding published in Pain, a breakthrough that helps scientists understand a molecular pathway by which pain occurs with certain anti-cancer drugs.

17 Dec 2013

Crealta to acquire all assets of Savient Pharmaceuticals

Savient Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Savient") announced that it has reached agreement on the terms of an acquisition agreement with Crealta Pharmaceuticals LLC ("Crealta") through which Crealta would acquire substantially all of the assets of Savient, including all KRYSTEXXA® assets, for gross proceeds of approximately $120.4 million.

11 Dec 2013

CatchMyPain App for patients suffering from chronic pain

Pain management as an independent medical field has been significantly growing during the last few decades. Doctors and clinics specialize in the treatment of pain in general and chronic pain specifically. These specialists often suggest using a pain diary to track the pain, see its development and adjust the treatment accordingly. CatchMyPain is an electronic version of such a pain diary and a great solution for patients suffering from chronic pain.

11 Dec 2013

St. Jude Medical evaluates effectiveness of PNfS and SCS for chronic low back and leg pain

St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, has launched a clinical study to evaluate the combination of peripheral nerve field stimulation, and spinal cord stimulation, to determine whether the two therapies together offer more effective management of chronic low back and leg pain than SCS alone. The first patient in the SENSE Subcutaneous and Epidural Neuromodulation System Evaluation study was enrolled by Dr. Thomas Yearwood, an interventional pain physician at Comprehensive Pain & Rehabilitation in Pascagoula, Miss.

5 Dec 2013

Researchers present new method of wirelessly recharging medical device batteries with ultrasound

Human beings don't come with power sockets, but a growing numbers of us have medical implants that run off electricity. To keep our bionic body parts from powering down, a group of Arizona researchers is developing a safe, noninvasive, and efficient means of wireless power transmission through body tissue.

5 Dec 2013

People who suffer with chronic pain face daily struggle with sense of self

People who suffer with chronic musculoskeletal pain face a daily struggle with their sense of self and find it difficult to prove the legitimacy of their condition.

3 Dec 2013

Sports concussions increase risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, says study

It's been widely reported that football and other contact sports increase the risk of a debilitating neurological condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

3 Dec 2013

WHO releases new report on spinal cord injury

As many as 500 000 people suffer a spinal cord injury each year. People with spinal cord injuries are 2 to 5 times more likely to die prematurely, with worse survival rates in low- and middle-income countries. The new WHO report, "International perspectives on spinal cord injuries", summarizes the best available evidence on the causes, prevention, care and lived experience of people with spinal cord injury.

2 Dec 2013

Garden-Gateway believes chronic sufferers can cope with holiday stress

The holidays are a time of high stress for all of us. This is especially true for the many Californians who suffer from chronic illness or disease. It's well documented that stress can aggravate a wide range of chronic ailments, both physical and psychological, such as back pain, cancer, PTSD or immune system deficiency.

30 Nov 2013

FDA accepts Purdue Pharma's Targiniq ER Tablets CII NDA for review

Purdue Pharma L.P. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted for review a New Drug Application for Targiniq ER (oxycodone HCl/naloxone HCl controlled-release) Tablets CII, for the management of chronic pain.

27 Nov 2013

Study compares prevalence, impact of chronic pain amongst different ethnic groups in Tower Hamlets

A new study in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, funded by medical research charity Arthritis Research UK, may help improve GPs’ understanding of chronic musculoskeletal pain amongst different ethnic groups and develop better strategies for self-management as a result

20 Nov 2013

Study suggests role for brain imaging in potential treatment of chronic pain

A study in the December issue of Anesthesiology suggests a role for brain imaging in the assessment and potential treatment of chronic pain.