Acute Pain News and Research

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AI platform uncovers promising target for chronic pain treatmen

Despite the widespread availability of analgesics, pain management remains one of the most significant and pervasive challenges in modern medicine, with more than 20% of the global population suffering from chronic pain, especially chronic neuropathic pain characterized by central sensitization.

22 Jul 2026

New peptide from cone snail venom shows promise for non-opioid pain relief

An international research team led by the Medical University of Vienna has investigated a new peptide derived from cone snail venom which significantly reduced inflammation-induced pain in an animal model.

21 Jul 2026

Researchers identify opioids with highest risk of respiratory depression

University of Manchester researchers have identified which opioids are most likely to be associated with respiratory depression, in a major new study.

9 Jul 2026

Personalized self-management effectively prevents chronic back pain

Almost everyone will deal with back pain at some point in their lives. Most recover quickly - but for about 20% of people, acute pain becomes a chronic condition that interferes with daily life and keeps them out of the workforce.

1 Jul 2026

Varicella-zoster virus inflicts lasting damage to nerves and the brain, study reveals

For millions worldwide, herpes zoster pain does not end when the rash fades. Postherpetic neuralgia can last for years or even a lifetime, devastating quality of life.

26 Jun 2026

Vitamin D deficiency linked to higher postoperative breast cancer pain

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with more moderate to severe pain following breast cancer surgery and an increased consumption of opioid drugs, finds research published online in the journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.

19 May 2026

Study identifies intersectional biases affecting care for sickle cell patients

In season 1, episode 2 of the popular show The Pitt, a Black woman with sickle cell disease arrives at the emergency department in acute pain, only to be initially dismissed as drug-seeking.

13 Apr 2026

New brain circuit discovery offers hope for chronic pain treatment

A new map of a brain circuit specific to chronic pain suggests a promising route to treatment for the roughly 60 million Americans living with persistent pain, according to a study published in Nature.

1 Apr 2026

Chronotherapy offers new hope for timing pain relief to match body cycles

Time plays a key role in our perception of pain and administering pain relief and medication for chronic pain-related depression may be more effective at certain times of day, UCL and University of Toronto researchers say.

23 Mar 2026

Review identifies sucrose as an effective pain reliever for hospitalized infants

Mariana Bueno, an Assistant Professor at the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, is the lead author of a recently published Cochrane review investigating the administration of sucrose as a form of pain management for hospitalized infants who undergo venepuncture.

6 Mar 2026

NIH’s continued investment fuels TMJ pain research

Chronic pain is one of the most common health conditions worldwide. Back pain is the most frequently reported type, followed closely by head and face pain linked to the jaw joint, in the form of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder.

27 Feb 2026

Opioids offer limited short-term relief for acute pain

The world's largest review of opioid pain relievers prescribed for acute pain found these medicines provide only small, short-term relief for some acute conditions and are ineffective for some others.

25 Feb 2026

Silencing a specific brain circuit can prevent and reverse chronic pain

A neural circuit hidden in an understudied region of the brain plays a critical role in turning temporary pain into pain that can last months or years, according to new University of Colorado Boulder research.

27 Jan 2026

Discovery of unexpected mechanism may help improve healing across muscle injuries

At the cellular level, the mechanics of how muscle tissue repair occurs gets complicated. There are significant differences between, say, tearing a muscle in a sports injury versus muscle tissue wasting away from diseases like muscular dystrophy.

21 Nov 2025

New brain circuit discovery offers hope for chronic pain relief

Acute or short-lived pain, despite its bad reputation, is usually a lifesaver. It acts as a transient negative sensory experience that helps us avoid danger.

8 Oct 2025

Active music therapy offers greater pain relief for hospital patients

A new study from University Hospitals Connor Whole Health found that music therapy interventions involving singing, active instrument play, and relaxation/imagery may be more effective for reducing pain intensity than receptive interventions only involving live or recorded music listening among hospitalized patients with moderate-to-severe pain.

25 Sep 2025