Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

Angioplasty doesn't outweigh medicine in study

In what some leading cardiologists are calling a "blockbuster" study, new research could alter the approach to treating patients who have cardiovascular disease but may not be at immediate risk of heart attack or stroke.

30 Mar 2007

Role of emotions in how patients feel arthritis pain

How does the brain process the experience of pain? Thanks to advances in neuroimaging, we now know the answer lies in a network of brain structures called the pain matrix.

30 Mar 2007

Study on arthritis-attributable work limitation

Arthritis, a leading cause of disability among US adults, affects 46 million people. Arthritis-attributable work limitation (AAWL) can have substantial social and economic impacts including absenteeism, reduced productivity, work loss and lower income.

29 Mar 2007

World moves closer to eradicating ancient worm disease

A neglected tropical disease that has afflicted people since ancient times has moved a step closer towards eradication. In early March, twelve more countries were declared Guinea Worm Free by the International Commission for the Certification of Dracunculiasis (Guinea Worm Disease) Eradication.

27 Mar 2007

Medications plus lifestyle changes work as well as angioplasty to reduce deaths in stable heart-disease patients

Coronary revascularization with stenting or balloon angioplasty combined with optimal medical therapy is no more effective in preventing a heart attack, other major cardiovascular events or death in patients with stable heart disease, than optimal medical therapy alone, results of a new study conducted in 50 hospitals in the U.S. and Canada has shown.

27 Mar 2007

FDA warning on mineral water containing arsenic

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is re-issuing its warning to consumers not to drink "Jermuk" brand mineral water due to the risk of exposure to arsenic, a toxic substance and a known cause of cancer in humans.

25 Mar 2007

Surgical treatment comparison for spinal disease

Patients with serious degenerative spinal disease, a painful condition in which the normal function of spinal vertebrae breaks down, are presented with what can be a confusing array of surgical options.

21 Mar 2007

Tiny injected gel particles to help chronic lower back pain

Scientists at The University of Manchester believe injections of tiny sponge-like particles could provide an alternative to major surgery in the treatment of chronic lower back pain.

From The University of Manchester 21 Mar 2007

Promising new pain-killing drug

A potential new pain-killing drug developed by medical scientists at the University of Leicester and Ferrara in Italy is to be discussed at a public lecture on 20th March.

19 Mar 2007

FDA approves Soliris (eculizumab), first treatment for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Soliris (eculizumab), the first product for the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), a rare type of blood disorder that can lead to disability and premature death.

19 Mar 2007

Penwest confirms action on Oxymorphone patent application

Penwest Pharmaceuticals has confirmed that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) has posted on its website an indication that a final rejection of Penwest's patent application claiming the sustained release formulations of Oxymorphone will be mailed.

15 Mar 2007

Crocodiles provide clues to new pain treatments for humans

Sydney University researchers have identified how crocodiles and other reptiles detect temperature - shedding new light on their adaptation to environmental changes and pointing to new pain treatments for humans.

14 Mar 2007

Talk therapy works for panic disorder

Psychoanalytic therapies have been in professional use for over a century, but a new study from physician-scientists at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center is the first to show that a classic psychoanalytic talk therapy is efficacious in treating panic disorder.

14 Mar 2007

New screening tool for anxiety disorders

A new study by researchers led by Kurt Kroenke, M.D., of the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute, Inc. reports that nearly 20 percent of patients seen by primary care physicians have at least one anxiety disorder.

12 Mar 2007

GenoMed prevents sickle cell pain for over a year

GenoMed has announced the publication of a case report of a sickle cell patient whose pain has disappeared for over a year thanks to GenoMed's treatment.

12 Mar 2007

More research needed in "minimally conscious state"

Headline-grabbing news stories involving severely brain-damaged patients such as Terri Schiavo and Terry Wallis aren't doing much to clear up the public's confusion surrounding brain injury and the likelihood that specific patients will recover, say experts at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

11 Mar 2007