Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

CMS adds searchable database of lowest-quality nursing homes nationwide to web site

CMS on Thursday added to the Nursing Home Compare Web site a searchable database with the names of nursing homes that rank in the lowest 5% to 10% in quality based on state inspection results, the Wall Street Journal reports

24 Apr 2008

Cuddles diminishes pain from heel lance in preterm babies

Research published today in the open access journal BMC Pediatrics suggests that very preterm babies, born between 28 and 31 weeks, could benefit from skin-to-skin cuddling with their mother before and during painful procedures such as a heel lance.

24 Apr 2008

Doctors should consider alternatives to antibiotics for sinusitis

When suffering through a sinus infection, many people ask for an antibiotic to speed their recovery. However, a recent review of clinical trials found that while antibiotics can provide minor improvements in uncomplicated sinusitis cases, most patients recover without the drugs within two weeks.

24 Apr 2008

FDA approves Relistor for opioid-induced constipation - helps reduce effects of drugs like morphine on bowel function

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Relistor (methylnaltrexone bromide) to help restore bowel function in patients with late-stage, advanced illness who are receiving opioids on a continuous basis to help alleviate their pain.

24 Apr 2008

Do patients have equal access to coronary angiography?

Seven in ten patients who have suspected angina are not given appropriate testing and are more likely to suffer from serious heart problems as a result, according to a study published on bmj.com (25 April).

24 Apr 2008

Researchers unravel heparin death mystery

An international team of researchers led by MIT has explained how contaminated batches of the blood-thinner heparin were able to slip past traditional safety screens and kill dozens of patients recently in the United States and Germany.

23 Apr 2008

Simulating surgery to reduce implant complications

A computer simulation breakthrough could mean fewer medical complications and better surgical outcomes for patients undergoing hip, knee or spinal implant surgery.

23 Apr 2008

Functional magnetic resonance imaging reveals brain circuitry associated with social status

Human imaging studies have for the first time identified brain circuitry associated with social status, according to researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) of the National Institutes of Health.

23 Apr 2008

Lumbar supports for prevention and treatment of low back pain

Lumbar or lower back supports - those large belts that people wear around their waists when they lift or carry heavy objects - are not very useful for preventing low back pain, according to a new systematic review.

22 Apr 2008

FDA approves Cimzia as treatment for Crohn's disease

A new drug has been approved to help sufferers of Crohn's disease, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today. Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) received approval for adults with moderate to severe Crohn's disease who have not responded to conventional therapies. This product was approved with a Medication Guide.

22 Apr 2008

Hypnosis in surgery

Hypnosurgery using hypnosis for pain control has been gaining acceptance over recent years in medicine in the UK and other parts of the world. In addition to pain control, hypnosurgery can provide a range of other benefits such as anxiety reduction, less complications during surgery and faster recovery times.

22 Apr 2008

U.S. and China at loggerheads over contaminated Heparin

Health officials in the U.S. appear to be at loggerheads with Chinese officials over the contamination of the blood-thinning drug Heparin.

22 Apr 2008

Migraine exacerbates skin sensitivity or pain

People with migraine are more likely to experience exacerbated skin sensitivity or pain after non-painful daily activities such as rubbing one's head, combing one's hair and wearing necklaces or earrings, compared to people with other types of headache, according to a study published in the April 22, 2008, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

21 Apr 2008

Nasal surgery improves quality of life for those with obstructive sleep apnea

Nasal surgery to remove obstructions from the airway is associated with improvements in quality of life for patients with obstructive sleep apnea and symptoms of nasal blockages, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

21 Apr 2008

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder should undergo heart tests before treatment with stimulant drugs

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) should get careful cardiac evaluation and monitoring - including an electrocardiogram (ECG) - before treatment with stimulant drugs, a new American Heart Association statement recommends.

21 Apr 2008

One man's struggle with an eating disorder

In the week that former deputy prime minister John Prescott goes public about his struggles with bulimia, the BMJ publishes a frank first person account of what it is like to live with an eating disorder when you're male.

21 Apr 2008

Computer-assisted total knee replacement to be shown live

Jason E. Lang, M.D., an assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery, will perform a computer-assisted total knee replacement during a live webcast that begins at noon, Friday, May 2, from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

21 Apr 2008

Surgery under hypnosis a pain-free event

A hypnotist in Britain has had surgery on his right hand without a general anaesthetic.

20 Apr 2008

Acupuncture provides effective relief from hot flushes for women taking tamoxifen after surgery for breast cancer

Acupuncture provides effective relief from hot flushes in women who are being treated with the anti-oestrogen tamoxifen following surgery for breast cancer, according to new research presented today (Friday) at the 6th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-6) in Berlin.

18 Apr 2008

Naftidrofuryl for leg pain

Patients with pain caused by narrowed arteries in their legs have 37% more pain-free walking if they take naftidrofuryl (200mg three times a day) than those taking placebos, a Cochrane Review has found.

17 Apr 2008