Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

Majority of hospitalized patients with advanced cancer have functional impairment

New research from Mass General Cancer Center, published in the June 2020 issue of JNCCN--Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, found 40.2% of hospitalized patients with advanced, incurable cancer were functionally impaired at the time of admission, meaning they needed assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) like walking, bathing, getting dressed, or other routine tasks. Patients with functional impairment also had higher rates of pain, depression, and anxiety, and were more likely to have longer hospital stays and worse survival.

8 Jun 2020

Tear-gassing protesters during an infectious outbreak ‘a recipe for disaster’

In nationwide demonstrations sparked by the killing of George Floyd in police custody, protesters have been frequently pepper-sprayed or enveloped in clouds of tear gas.

5 Jun 2020

Telephone interventions can help treat cancer symptoms

Telephone interventions could be used to successfully treat symptoms of cancer such as fatigue, depression and anxiety, new research in theCochrane Libraryreports.

5 Jun 2020

New digital tool to support mental health of MS patients developed with UK HCPs

Biogen Inc. today announced the launch of a free, new, digital self-help tool to help people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) navigate the emotional challenges of life with the disease. The tool, named ACT MySelf, was developed by Biogen in collaboration with people living with MS, the MS Trust, a team of MS specialist nurses and an MS clinical psychologist.

5 Jun 2020

A learning health system for dentists

The largest study to date of electronic dental records delves into both previously inaccessible data and data from understudied populations with the ultimate goal of improving oral treatment outcomes.

5 Jun 2020

Study highlights increased consumption of opioids in patients with osteoarthritis

Fentanyl, tramadol or tilidine: New European figures show that even in Europe increasingly more people are taking opioids for pain connected with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.

5 Jun 2020

WHO resumes hydroxychloroquine drug trial in COVID-19

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has rippled across the world with a devastating effect. As scientists raced to find an effective treatment for patients, existing malaria and rheumatoid arthritis drug hydroxychloroquine became one of the most popular candidates.

5 Jun 2020

New report documents trends before the legalization of cannabis in Michigan

Nearly twelve years ago, Michigan voters approved the use of medical cannabis by residents with certain health conditions. A year and a half ago, they voted to approve its use by all adults, for any reason.

5 Jun 2020

Trial results show efficacy of netakimab for treating moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis

Netakimab is a humanized anti-interleukin 17A antibody approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

5 Jun 2020

U.K. doctors test lipid ibuprofen as COVID-19 treatment

The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) Ibuprofen is being tested as a potential treatment for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Doctors in the United Kingdom rolled out a clinical trial of the everyday painkiller to see if it reduces respiratory failure in patients experiencing severe COVID-19 disease.

4 Jun 2020

Using supercomputers to knock out drug side effects

Psychedelic drugs could be effective in treating psychiatric disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, but medical use of these drugs is limited by the hallucinations they cause.

4 Jun 2020

New research focuses on protein-coding gene's role in inflammatory bowel disease

A protein-coding gene associated with autoimmune diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, collectively referred to as inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, will be the focus of new research in the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside.

4 Jun 2020

DFG to establish ten new Collaborative Research Centers

The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft is establishing ten new Collaborative Research Centres to further support top-level research in German universities.

4 Jun 2020

Efforts to curb congenital syphilis falter in COVID’s shadow

U.S. public health officials are closer to identifying a road map for curbing the rising rates of syphilis infections in newborn babies, but with so many resources diverted to stopping the spread of COVID-19, many fear the rate of deadly infections will only get worse.

4 Jun 2020

Excruciating cluster headaches often misdiagnosed

A headache is a painful sensation in any part of the head and can have a multitude of causes that are not necessarily due to underlying illness. They result from signals interacting among the brain, surrounding nerves, and blood vessels.

4 Jun 2020

Avoiding 'air hunger' and psychological trauma in COVID-19 ARDS survivors

A new paper published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society examines ventilation and medication strategies that can help avoid psychological trauma for severe COVID-19 survivors treated for acute respiratory distress syndrome with mechanical ventilation.

4 Jun 2020

Antiepileptic drug use linked to higher risk of death among people with Alzheimer’s disease

The use of antiepileptic drugs is associated with a higher risk of death among persons with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study from the University of Eastern Finland.

4 Jun 2020

Kawasaki-like inflammatory syndrome appears to be more common in children of African ancestry

An inflammatory syndrome in children and adolescents, believed to be linked to covid-19, seems to be more common among children of African ancestry, finds a small study from a hospital in Paris, published by The BMJ today.

3 Jun 2020

Spine surgeons across the world are experiencing the effects of COVID-19

Spine surgeons across the world are experiencing effects of COVID-19, including canceled procedures, changes in clinical roles, anxiety and risk of exposure to the disease themselves due to insufficient protective equipment. An international team of researchers reported these findings recently in the Global Spine Journal.

3 Jun 2020

Number of heart attack patients has dropped over 50% during COVID-19 outbreak

The number of heart attack patients seeking urgent hospital care has dropped by more than 50% during the COVID-19 outbreak, according to an extensive worldwide survey by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

3 Jun 2020