Chronic Pain News and Research

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Unexpected rheumatoid arthritis discovery

What makes joints in people with rheumatoid arthritis, and related conditions like Lyme disease or lupus, so susceptible to attack by the body's immune system, leading to painful flare-ups and deterioration? The answer may surprise you.

17 Feb 2006

Floating reduces stress-related pain

Treatment in the form of floating in huge tanks of saltwater, so-called 'floating', is effective for chronic stress-related pain. This is shown in a study at Karlstad University, Sweden, led by Professor Torsten Norlander.

16 Feb 2006

20 percent of people with chronic pain do not seek help

A Rochester-based study has found more than 20 percent of people with chronic pain did not seek physician help for their pain. The study supports the opinion of many physicians that a large segment of patients has an unmet need for pain care.

14 Feb 2006

Reduction in small-fiber nerves may underlie complex regional pain syndrome-I

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have found the first evidence of a physical abnormality underlying the chronic pain condition called reflex sympathetic dystrophy or complex regional pain syndrome-I (CRPS-I).

13 Feb 2006

Undamaged nerve fibres cause ongoing pain not damaged

New research shows that it is undamaged nerve fibres that cause ongoing spontaneous pain, not those that are injured.

25 Jan 2006

Cause of ongoing pain discovered

New research shows that it is undamaged nerve fibres that cause ongoing spontaneous pain, not those that are injured.

23 Jan 2006

Fatigue in long-term breast carcinoma survivors

Up to one third of women treated for breast cancer report fatigue symptoms up to 10 years after diagnosis, according to a new study.

9 Jan 2006

Hidden cost of teen pain in the UK almost £4 billion per year

Teenagers living with chronic pain could be costing the UK more than £3.8 billion each year, according to a new study published in the journal Pain.

15 Dec 2005

Chronic pain sufferers may be able to reduce pain levels by studying their own live brain images

Chronic pain sufferers may be able to reduce pain levels by studying their own live brain images, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine report in a new study.

15 Dec 2005

It's all in the mind so think that pain away

According to U.S. researchers chronic discomfort can be reduced by brain manipulation and people in chronic pain can "think away" their suffering by learning to manipulate the activity of the brain.

14 Dec 2005

New insights into pain mechanisms

Long treated as a side effect, pain is now widely recognized as an integral part of patient care.

7 Dec 2005

Mirrors to trick the brain could help people with persistent pain

Looking in a mirror at a reflection of their healthy hand could help people with persistent pain ease their symptoms and eventually overcome their problem, say scientists in the latest edition of the journal Clinical Medicine.

1 Nov 2005

Regular use of ibuprofen may increase gastrointestinal bleeding

People who take high doses of ibuprofen on a regular basis are three times more likely to experience gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding than those who do not take painkillers.

1 Nov 2005

Type 2 diabetes and depression can be a fatal mix

Patients whose type 2 diabetes was accompanied by minor or major depression had higher mortality rates, compared to patients with type 2 diabetes alone, over the three-year period of a recent study in Washington state.

27 Oct 2005

Beds closed as thousands wait for surgery in Western Australia

Many West Australians could die long before they are able to undergo surgery for painful conditions, the Australian Medical Association (WA) said last week.

26 Oct 2005

When it comes to pain, women are in fact more sensitive

For centuries, it has been generally believed women are the more sensitive gender. A new study says that, when it comes to pain, women are in fact more sensitive.

24 Oct 2005

Early nerve damage caused by repetitive strain injuries can trigger "sick worker" syndrome

...characterized by malaise, fatigue and depression, and often mistaken for poor performance, according to a study by Ann Barr, Ph.D., and Mary Barbe, Ph.D., at Temple University's College of Health Professions.

24 Oct 2005

Intravenous lidocaine and oral derivatives relieve pain from damage to the nervous system

Lidocaine and similar local anesthetics are effective for treating pain that emanates from damaged nerves, according to a systematic review of current evidence.

23 Oct 2005

Black women with chronic pain experience more psychological distress

Black women with chronic pain experience more psychological distress, physical impairments and post-traumatic stress disorder than white women with chronic pain, a finding that researchers say should help lead to a narrowing of the gap in the treatment of chronic pain between black and white women.

17 Oct 2005

Canadian adolescents and complementary or alternative medical treatment

While the study does not look at the effectiveness of these treatments, "what's concerning is that young people across the country have different levels of access to alternative therapies as publicly-funded services," says Dr. McColl. "There are noticeable differences in access and utilization based on education, income and geographic location."

13 Oct 2005