Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

Big breasts a pain for some women

Women with macromastia, a condition of having abnormally large breasts, often experience symptoms of neck pain, numbness, tingling, and pain and weakness in one or both hands.

17 Oct 2007

New web-based software helps ease children's pain during medical procedures

A new system under development by a team of researchers at the University of Iowa will help children better cope with pain during difficult medical procedures.

17 Oct 2007

New therapy for chronic spasticity and rigidity

Research led by scientists at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine has identified a target with potential as an effective new therapy for chronic spasticity and rigidity, a painful condition that often results from spinal cord injury.

17 Oct 2007

Bypass surgery more likely than angioplasty to relieve coronary artery disease pain

Patients with mid-range coronary artery disease are more likely to get relief from painful angina and less likely to have repeat procedures if they get bypass surgery rather than balloon angioplasty with or without a stent, according to a new report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

17 Oct 2007

Breakbone fever a growing public health threat

Dengue fever, known as “breakbone fever” because of the excruciating back and joint pain that accompanies this infectious disease, is a growing public health threat for people living in tropical countries, as well as travelers to destinations such as Thailand, Brazil and Puerto Rico, according to research being presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), Nov. 4-7.

17 Oct 2007

Little difference in risk rates for angioplasty, bypass procedures

Patients with heart disease who undergo coronary angioplasty have an equivalent risk of death and heart attack as patients who undergo coronary bypass surgery, according to Stanford University School of Medicine researchers.

17 Oct 2007

Lidocaine lollipop helps prepare for upper GI endoscopy

Researchers at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) in Lebanon have found that administering a lidocaine lollipop as a single-agent anesthetic to patients undergoing an upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy procedure eliminated the need for sedation in the majority of patients.

17 Oct 2007

Using insoles may not reduce back pain

There is strong evidence that using insoles does not prevent people from getting non-specific back pain, and there is insufficient evidence to say whether or not they help solve existing low-back pain, a Cochrane Systematic Review has found.

17 Oct 2007

Sugars, not proteins make bones tough

Researchers have discovered that the structure of human bones is vastly different than previously believed - findings which will have implications for how some debilitating bone disorders are treated.

17 Oct 2007

Hands and knees posture in late pregnancy or labor for fetal malposition

Going through labor in the right posture can make it shorter, less intense and less prone to complication, according to many midwives, who say that when mothers use the posture known as “hands and knees,” it helps the baby shift into a position that eases delivery.

17 Oct 2007

Findings could lead to new therapy for spinal cord injury

17 Oct 2007

Water exercises for the treatment of knee and hip osteoarthritis

For patients suffering from osteoarthritis of the hip or knee, doing aerobic and stretching exercises in warm water can bring some relief from the pain and could improve daily function, a new review has found.

17 Oct 2007

Ear infection superbug found to be resistant to all pediatric antibiotics

Researchers have discovered a strain of bacteria resistant to all approved drugs used to fight ear infections in children, according to an article to be published tomorrow in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

17 Oct 2007

Chinese medicine for menstrual cramps

Women with menstrual cramps are often offered either non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or oral contraceptives.

17 Oct 2007

Insoles for prevention and treatment of back pain

The advertisements are vague but alluring: Wear insoles and you will be relaxed and stand with proper posture.

17 Oct 2007

British 'Nurse of the Year' quits the NHS

Britain's star nurse has quit her job with the National Health Service (NHS) only eight months after being named 'Nurse of the Year'.

17 Oct 2007

Acupuncture before and during surgery reduces the need for powerful painkillers

A new study has found that using acupuncture before and during surgery significantly reduces the level of pain and level of painkillers needed by patients following surgery.

17 Oct 2007

Dengue fever rife in the Caribbean and Latin America

Even though Latin America and the Caribbean are facing up to one of the worst outbreaks of dengue fever in decades, this information is not being passed on to travellers.

17 Oct 2007

Low levels of vitamin D may exacerbate chronic pain

Approximately one in four patients who suffer from chronic pain also have inadequate blood levels of vitamin D, possibly contributing to their ongoing pain, according to a new study. Patients lacking sufficient vitamin D also required higher doses of morphine for a longer period of time.

16 Oct 2007

Use of NSAIDs underreported

Patients underreported their use of common but potentially dangerous over-the-counter pain medications known as NSAIDs, according to research presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology.

16 Oct 2007