Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

Alcohol use, comorbidity, and mortality

Older men who drink as few as two drinks twice a week and also have diseases that could be worsened by alcohol or cause problems with medications taken while drinking alcohol have higher death rates, as compared to men who either drink less or may drink more but don't have such comorbidities.

11 Apr 2006

Guidelines for medication withdrawal

Although thousands of scientific papers evaluate and compare new and established drugs each year, providing evidence to help doctors prescribe safe and effective doses, almost no studies focus on when or how to stop these medications, even late in life.

11 Apr 2006

Study illustrates contribution of obesity to decreased mobility in high functioning older women with osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis, common among older adults, is strongly linked to late-life disability, but the process by which this happens has not been well studied.

11 Apr 2006

Lack of research forcing elderly to cope with chronic pain

Annually, over 4,000 studies related to pain are published while only one percent of those look at pain and aging.

11 Apr 2006

Type 2 diabetics' urine acidity increases risk for kidney stones

People with type 2 diabetes have highly acidic urine, a metabolic feature that explains their greater risk for developing uric-acid kidney stones, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

7 Apr 2006

Photodynamic therapy may become the first line of treatment for Barrett's esophagus

When you think of heartburn, you probably think of greasy food, not cancer. You may not know that chronic heartburn is linked to esophageal cancer.

7 Apr 2006

Discovery of a new mechanism for the neurodegenerative effects of amphetamines

University of Toronto study finds amphetamines are converted in the brain into free radicals whose effects manifest and linger long after the amphetamine has left the body.

7 Apr 2006

Researchers improve Botox treatment

There may soon be a better way to fight unsightly wrinkles. Researchers have discovered a novel way to increase the potency of botulinum neurotoxin treatments - commonly known as Botox - that they say could one day allow patients to receive the injections less frequently while maintaining or even enhancing its cosmetic benefits.

7 Apr 2006

Scientists gauge pain in premature babies

Scientists at UCL (University College London) have measured responses to pain in the brains of premature babies and have shown that they are likely to experience ‘true’ pain rather than simply displaying reflex reactions.

6 Apr 2006

Unravelling the mysteries of back pain

Researchers at Keele University in Staffordshire, UK, have begun to disentangle the problem of chronic back pain using new statistical analyses.

6 Apr 2006

Researchers identify potential targets for more effective analgesic drugs with potentially fewer side effects

Studying mice, pain researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified two key components in the pain cascade that may provide targets for more effective analgesic drugs with potentially fewer side effects

6 Apr 2006

Thermal injury induced insulin resistance is associated with the renin-angiotensin system

Researchers have found a way to prevent insulin resistance in burn-injured rats, a finding that, while still quite preliminary, could eventually save burn victims' lives and speed their recovery.

6 Apr 2006

Ingredient in red peppers inhibits prostate cancer in laboratory studies

Capsaicin is the pungent ingredient in red peppers and is presently used as a topical pain reliever. Now, a new study shows it may be justified to evaluate capsaicin for inhibiting prostate cancer (CaP) in patients.

5 Apr 2006

Adult stem cells can be used to make new tendon or ligament tissue

Weekend athletes who overexert themselves running or playing basketball may one day reap the benefits of research at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem that shows that adult stem cells can be used to make new tendon or ligament tissue.

4 Apr 2006

Celebrex appears to prevent colon cancer

Researchers say they have found that high doses of the arthritis drug Celebrex reduced the number of pre-cancerous growths in the colon.

4 Apr 2006

Evidence of estrogen and progesterone hormone allergy discovered

Some women with menstrual cycle disorders like asthma and migraine headaches may be experiencing allergies to their own estrogen and progesterone hormones, Texas researchers have discovered.

4 Apr 2006

First study of uterine fibroid embolization to treat post-menopausal women

The first study of uterine fibroid embolization to treat post-menopausal women shows that the non-surgical treatment was technically successful in 100 percent of patients, and improved bulk-related symptoms in 92 percent of the women.

4 Apr 2006

Regular use of COX-2 inhibitors may reduce the risk of breast cancer

Results from a new, five-year study show that regular use of popular prescription pain relievers may reduce the risk of breast cancer by up to 71 percent and may offer similar benefit in the prevention of prostate, colon and lung cancers.

4 Apr 2006

Quality of care provided for elderly osteoarthritic patients needs improvement

Osteoarthritis is a debilitating disease affecting up to 80% of elderly adults. Among those living on their own, it is the leading cause of an inability to engage in daily activities, especially if the knee or hip is affected.

4 Apr 2006

Multi-site vaccinations could protect against all four dengue viruses

An innovative new study explains, for the first time, the failure of previous attempts to vaccinate against the four known Dengue viruses, and it suggests a very simple solution - injecting the four vaccines simultaneously at different locations on the body.

4 Apr 2006