Chronic Pain News and Research

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Functional magnetic resonance imaging helps visualize the human brain as a massive, interacting, complex network

A team headed by scientists at Northwestern University, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), has shown how to visualize the human brain as a massive, interacting, complex network governed by a few underlying dynamic principles.

5 Jan 2005

Signaling molecule involved in osteoarthritis identified

Using naturally-occurring mutant mice with a defective collagen gene, scientists at Harvard have identified a signaling molecule involved in one of the most common causes of disability among the elderly in the United States, osteoarthritis.

4 Jan 2005

Supply problem with the opiate painkiller, diamorphine

The UK Department of Health has advised the NHS that there is a supply problem with the opiate painkiller, diamorphine, and that stocks may rapidly reach a critical level in the next few weeks.

26 Dec 2004

Nearly 6 million Americans turned to complementary and alternative medicine because of costs

Nearly 6 million American adults turned to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the past year to treat such conditions as depression and chronic pain because conventional medical treatment was too expensive, according to a national study released today by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC).

20 Dec 2004

Study of safety issues surrounding the medical use of cannabis has just been launched

A first-of-its-kind study of safety issues surrounding the medical use of cannabis has just been launched. Known as the COMPASS study (Cannabis for the management of pain: assessment of safety study), the research initiative will follow 1400 chronic pain patients, 350 of whom use cannabis as part of their pain management strategy, for a one-year period.

8 Dec 2004

African-Americans and the poor with work-related back injuries clearly fare worse

African-Americans with work-related back injuries have less money spent on their medical care and receive less compensation for their injuries than Caucasians, according to a Saint Louis University study in the December issue of Pain.

30 Nov 2004

Long-term use of opioid prescriptions by veterans

Veteran patients who receive long-term opioid prescriptions generally are treated with modest and stable medication dosages, according to an article in the November 22 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

23 Nov 2004

Chronic pain influenced by social background

Griffith University research has shown that recovery from chronic pain is heavily dependent on the socio-economic status of the patient, rather than the nature of the healthcare they receive.

16 Nov 2004

Vioxx linked with risk of cardiovascular disease

With the support of the National Research Programme (Musculoskeletal Health - Chronic Pain) , researchers at the University of Berne analysed the data in publicly available studies on the anti-inflammatory drug Vioxx.

5 Nov 2004

Reproductive hormones have effects on all of these stages of brain growth and development

Scientists are now uncovering increasing evidence that the brain not only responds to hormones produced by the reproductive system, but that these hormones-the so-called "female hormones," estrogen and progestin, and the "male" androgens, such as testosterone-play an important role in the development of differences between male and female brains.

2 Nov 2004

Pfizer provides information about its COX-2 product Bextra (valdecoxib)

In view of the increased focus on alternative treatment options for people with arthritis, Pfizer is providing information to healthcare professionals about its COX-2 product Bextra® (valdecoxib).

18 Oct 2004

$Strontium ranelate may reduce spinal, non-spinal, hip and other fractures in older women with osteoporosis$

Strontium ranelate may reduce spinal, non-spinal, hip and other fractures in older women with osteoporosis

Strontium ranelate, a new oral medication on the horizon, may reduce spinal, non-spinal, hip and other fractures in older women with osteoporosis, according to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

18 Oct 2004

Novel treatment using ketamine has shown success in reducing the severe pain caused by Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

A novel treatment using a common anesthetic drug has shown success in reducing the severe pain caused by Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), according to a study published in the September 2004 issue of Pain Medicine.

12 Oct 2004

New online resource helps people diagnosed with depression

People diagnosed with depression can now find out more about the condition by listening to the experiences of others, thanks to a new online resource launched on Friday 8 October by the Database of Individual Patient Experiences (DIPEx).

12 Oct 2004

Global effort to relieve chronic pain

The World Health Organization (WHO) co-sponsors the first Global Day Against Pain, which seeks to draw global attention to the urgent need for better pain relief for sufferers from diseases such as cancer and AIDS.

11 Oct 2004

Eight out of 10 adults experience low back pain

Eight out of 10 adults experience low back pain at some point in their lives, and while the nagging aches usually go away on their own, about half of those people will suffer another episode in the following year.

6 Oct 2004

Guideline evaluates treatments for postherpetic neuralgia

A new guideline from the American Academy of Neurology evaluates treatments for postherpetic neuralgia. The guideline is published in the September 28 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

28 Sep 2004

Sea snail offers natural healing powers for a range of illnesses from chronic pain to diseases of the brain

A beautiful, but often deadly, snail from the sea has been revealed as a largely untapped source of natural healing powers for a range of illnesses from chronic pain to diseases of the brain.

20 Aug 2004

Risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) decreases with condom use

A multi-center study from the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health suggests that women wishing to decrease their risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) should ensure that their sexual partners use condoms consistently.

31 Jul 2004

Brain builds early warning detection system by working out the odds on potentially harmful experiences

An experiment conducted by Dr Ben Seymour and colleagues at the Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience, University College London, revealed that volunteers couldn’t recall the details of a specific test which had resulted in them receiving a mild electric shock.

10 Jun 2004