Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

Personalized mRNA cancer vaccine cuts melanoma recurrence risk when added to immunotherapy

Adding a personalized mRNA-based cancer vaccine to immunotherapy after surgery for high-risk melanoma reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 42%, according to results from the phase 3 INTerpath-001 trial presented at the ESMO Congress 2026.

24 Oct 2026

Kidney Week 2026 features late-breaking clinical trials in kidney care

The American Society of Nephrology, has selected the following late breaking clinical trials to be presented in-person at Kidney Week 2026 October 22–25.

24 Oct 2026

Brain-computer interface enables unresponsive ICU patients to control sounds

Unresponsive ICU patients in a new Columbia study were able to raise and lower the frequency of a beeping tone with their minds, via noninvasive EEG electrodes that recorded and translated their brainwaves.

23 Oct 2026

Are heavy school bags really to blame for children's back pain?

A study of 221 schoolchildren in the Czech Republic found no statistically significant association between relative school bag weight and back pain, although nearly half reported experiencing back discomfort in the previous month. Longer carrying duration was weakly associated with perceived heaviness, suggesting that bag weight and carrying time capture different aspects of children's experiences.

22 Oct 2026

AI-powered eye tracking could personalize virtual reality therapy for chronic pain

Combining artificial intelligence (AI) with eye tracking in virtual reality could one day help personalize treatment for millions living with chronic pain, according to world-first research from the University of East Anglia.

21 Oct 2026

Mayo Clinic surgeon explains the benefits of surgery for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Hearing that someone you love may need heart surgery can be scary, especially when you're also trying to understand an unfamiliar heart condition.

21 Oct 2026

Biological framework tracks postpartum vulvar tissue recovery timelines

A new biological model published in Sexual Medicine Reviews by Oxford University Press addresses why pain with sex after childbirth-reported by 60% of women at three months-persists for some long after hormones return to normal.

21 Oct 2026

Operating room air purification fails to reduce surgical infections

A study of more than 110,000 surgeries found that adding advanced air purification and sterilization systems to operating rooms did not reduce surgical site infections, postoperative complications, or deaths.

20 Oct 2026

Simple medical card game reduces preoperative anxiety in children

Preoperative anxiety affects about 60% of children and is linked with poorer cooperation at anesthesia induction, greater postoperative pain, and maladaptive behavioral changes.

20 Oct 2026

Hunger may drive the propensity to develop alcohol addiction

Researchers at Brown University have discovered a molecular link between hunger and the formation of "reward" memories that play a role in alcohol addiction.

20 Oct 2026

Chronic Hand Eczema (CHE) is affecting NHS healthcare professionals and can impact patient care, report finds

LEO Pharma and the British Skin Foundation (BSF) today launched a new report exploring the impact of Chronic Hand Eczema (CHE) on NHS healthcare professionals (HCPs) and the wider healthcare workforce.

20 Oct 2026

Hospitals can lower surgical emissions through greener anesthesia choices

Hospitals can sharply reduce the climate impact and cost of surgery without compromising patient safety by changing routine anesthesia practices, including reducing the use of high-emission anesthetic gases, suggests a new study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2026 annual meeting.

19 Oct 2026

Antibiotic exposure during childhood linked to higher risk of IBS in young adults

Antibiotic use from childhood through early adulthood was associated with higher odds of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) at age 24, with the odds increasing as the number of antibiotic prescriptions rose, according to a new study presented today at UEG Week 2026.

19 Oct 2026

Cannabis smokers may need more anesthesia during upper endoscopy

Patients who smoke or vape cannabis may need more anesthesia during an upper endoscopy than those who use edibles or do not use cannabis, according to a new study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2026 annual meeting.

19 Oct 2026

Presurgical sleep medications linked to less pain and anxiety after surgery

Improving sleep before surgery through the use of melatonin or Ambien (zolpidem) may ease presurgical anxiety, reduce pain after surgery, decrease opioid requirements and help patients recover better, according to an analysis of 25 years of research presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2026 annual meeting.

19 Oct 2026

GLP-1 medications linked to reduced postoperative infections and heart complications

GLP-1 medications, widely prescribed for diabetes and weight loss, may also help protect people from serious complications after surgery.

19 Oct 2026

Preoperative physical activity linked to lower delirium risk after surgery

Staying active before surgery may do more than strengthen the body for recovery - it may protect the brain.

19 Oct 2026

Cannabis users face increased heart attack risk around surgery

As marijuana use becomes more common and legal in most U.S. states, patients who use cannabis may face a significantly higher risk of heart attack around the time of surgery, while also showing an unexpected lower risk of dangerous blood clots in the veins, suggests a study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2026 annual meeting.

19 Oct 2026

Ketamine may ease early depressive symptoms after cesarean delivery

Ketamine, a medication used in operating rooms for anesthesia and pain control, may offer another benefit for some new mothers: easing early symptoms of postpartum depression after cesarean delivery (C-section), according to a study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2026 annual meeting.

19 Oct 2026

Noise-canceling headphones reduce nausea and vomiting after surgery

Patients who wore noise-canceling headphones during minimally invasive gynecologic surgery were significantly less likely to experience postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), suggest findings from a randomized clinical trial presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2026 annual meeting.

19 Oct 2026