Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

Researchers block stress responses in cancer surgery patients

Cancer surgery wreaks havoc on a body's immune system and stress hormones exacerbate the problem. As a result, about half of those who undergo surgery for tumor removal experience a recurrence of cancer in the same region or other parts of the body.

22 Jul 2010

Womb cancer is the fourth most common cancer among UK women: Research

Womb cancer cases are highest ever for over three decades.The number of women diagnosed with womb cancer is at its highest for over 30 years according to new figures published today by Cancer Research UK which show more than 7,530 people now develop the disease each year in the UK.

22 Jul 2010

Surgery & physical therapy equally effective in knee ligament tears: study

A new study released this Wednesday compared intense physical therapy with surgery in common knee ligament injury and found that both techniques had similar outcomes.

21 Jul 2010

Cara Therapeutics closes Series D financing of $15 million

Cara Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that it had closed on a Series D financing of $15 million. The round was led by new investor, Rho Ventures, with participation from previous investors Alta Biopharma, Ascent Biomedical Ventures, CT Innovations, Devon Park BioVentures, Healthcare Private Equity, Mitsubishi International Corporation and MVM Life Science Partners.

21 Jul 2010

ATLIS 2010 shows gap in patient-physician dialogue that may negatively impact patients' quality of life

Results from the landmark AIDS Treatment for Life International Survey, a multi-country survey of more than 2,000 people living with HIV/AIDS, revealed a significant gap in patient-physician dialogue about critical health-related conditions that may negatively impact patients' overall long-term health, quality of life, and treatment outcomes.

21 Jul 2010

Zimmer sued over defective hip implant

Wendy R. Fleishman, a partner in the national plaintiffs' law firm Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, announced that William Kokoszka filed a personal injury lawsuit against Zimmer Inc., the nation's largest producer of orthopedic devices. Following his 2006 hip replacement, Kokoszka suffered constant and devastating pain for over 18 months before having to undergo a second hip replacement surgery due to an allegedly defective hip implant manufactured and sold by Zimmer under the brand name Durom Cup.

21 Jul 2010

Iced tea increases risk of kidney stone formation and surgery

Unfortunately, for health reasons, Mulac has been forced to go cold turkey. All the iced tea he was downing helped to bring on an excruciating bout of kidney stones that eventually led to surgery at Loyola University Hospital in Maywood, Ill.

21 Jul 2010

La Jolla Institute forms partnership to investigate potential new therapy for sickle cell disease

Researchers from the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology have joined forces with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and Washington University in St. Louis to investigate a potential new therapy for sickle cell disease, a severe and chronic illness affecting more than 70,000 Americans and several million people worldwide.

21 Jul 2010

Endovenous laser treatment can painlessly remove varicose, spider veins

Up until approximately a decade ago, vein stripping was the only means of eradicating unsightly varicose veins. This method involved making an incision in the leg, and using a hooked wire to pull the affected vein out of the body. The invasiveness of vein stripping often resulted in an overnight hospital stay and considerable restriction of physical activity for up to a month. However, since the laser surgery method first became FDA approved ten years ago, it has come a long way in allowing for more convenient, painless and rapid removal of problematic veins. One particular organization, the Renaissance Laser and Vein Institute, has become a beacon of successful laser treatment for phlebitis sufferers in Los Angeles and Southern California.

21 Jul 2010

Lifestyle changes can prevent arthritis, knee replacement

Taking a few small steps toward protecting your knees when you are younger might help you avoid debilitating problems when you get older.

21 Jul 2010

Preventative measures to avoid Lyme disease

Research on the population of black-legged ticks, which can transmit Lyme disease from host animals to humans, reinforces that it is important to take preventative measures when spending time outdoors.

21 Jul 2010

Arcion reports top-line results from ARC-4558 Phase 2b clinical trial for painful diabetic neuropathy

Arcion Therapeutics, a venture backed clinical stage biotechnology company developing topical therapies for chronic pain, today announced top-line results from a successful Phase 2b double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of its lead topical pain candidate, ARC-4558, in adult patients with painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN). Arcion recently held an End of Phase 2 meeting with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the ARC-4558 program is now poised to enter Phase 3 studies.

20 Jul 2010

Winston Laboratories receives NOC for CIVANEX

Winston Laboratories, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Winston Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel pain management therapies, announced that it has received Notice of Compliance from the Therapeutics Drug Directorate, Health Canada for its New Drug Submission for CIVANEX (zucapsaicin cream 0.075%) for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis.

20 Jul 2010

Frameless radiosurgery can treat most sensitive regions of brain: Study

While four in 10 clinicians use frameless radiosurgery exclusively to treat cranial indications, user data collected at the 5th International Conference of the Novalis Circle, held last month in Munich, Germany, shows that there are still significant opportunities to increase utilization of the effective treatment approach.

20 Jul 2010

Athletes who undergo tissue transplant surgery for knee damage can return to sports: Study

Athletes with bone and cartilage knee damage who are treated with transplanted tissue can return to sports after surgery, according to a Hospital for Special Surgery study reported at the annual meeting of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, held July 15-18 in Providence, Rhode Island. The study (abstract 8970) overturns the widely held belief that patients who undergo this surgery do not return to athletics.

20 Jul 2010

Study shows nonwhite physicians attain better pain control using less analgesia

Research has shown that patients from ethnic minority groups receive less analgesic-based pain treatment in emergency departments than whites, however, a study published in The Journal of Pain reports that nonwhite physicians achieve better pain control using less analgesia.

20 Jul 2010

Obesity, chronic pain linked to family history, mood disorders: Study

Though it is well known obese individuals have a high incidence of persistent pain problems, a new study in The Journal of Pain, published by the American Pain Society, reports that comorbid obesity and pain also are linked to family history and mood disorders.

20 Jul 2010

Phase 3 study: Tapentadol ER lowers incidence of gastrointestinal adverse events

A Phase 3 open-label study, recently published online by Pain Practice, has compared tapentadol extended release tablets, an investigational pain medication, to an existing prescription pain medication, oxycodone controlled release tablets.

20 Jul 2010

Pfizer suspends chronic low back pain, diabetic peripheral neuropathy studies in tanezumab clinical program

Pfizer Inc. today announced, at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the suspension of the chronic low back pain and painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy studies in the clinical program for the investigational compound tanezumab. Investigation of the compound continues in some areas of high unmet medical need, including cancer pain.

20 Jul 2010

Vertos Medical announces 12-week data from MiDAS I clinical study for lumbar spinal stenosis

Medical device company Vertos Medical Inc. has announced the unveiling of 12-week clinical data from its prospective, 75-patient MiDAS I (mild Decompression Alternative to open Surgery) study that further validate the safety and efficacy of mild for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Consistent with the positive six-week study results released in March and May, the new MiDAS I data demonstrate that mild patients continued to experience statistically significant improvement in pain, physical function and mobility 12 weeks following treatment.

20 Jul 2010