Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

New drug could alleviate symptoms of rare musculoskeletal condition

A new study shows a drug developed in conjunction with investigators at Indiana University School of Medicine to alleviate symptoms of a rare musculoskeletal condition is significantly more effective than conventional therapies.

20 May 2019

Previous dengue infection could protect against Zika-associated damage

The Zika virus outbreak in Latin America has affected over 60 million people up to now. The infection can have potentially fatal consequences for pregnant women and their unborn children: many children have subsequently been born with malformations of the head, or so-called microcephaly.

18 May 2019

Cedars-Sinai’s Music for Healing program provides medical benefits

On the worst day of her life, Rebecca Woolf found comfort in the most unexpected way. As her husband lay dying in his hospital bed, the sound of a harp wafted in.

17 May 2019

‘Sham’ sharing ministries test faith of patients and insurance regulators

Sheri Lewis, 59, of Seattle, needed a hip transplant. Bradley Fuller, 63, of nearby Kirkland, needed chemotherapy and radiation when the pain in his jaw turned out to be throat cancer. And Kim Bruzas, 55, of Waitsburg, hundreds of miles away, needed emergency care to stop sudden —and severe — rectal bleeding.

17 May 2019

As ER wait times grow, more patients leave against medical advice

Emergency room patients increasingly leave California hospitals against medical advice, and experts say crowded ERs are likely to blame.

17 May 2019

University of Virginia chemist identifies potential addiction-free pain reliever

An estimated 1.7 million Americans suffer from substance abuse disorders related to opioid use for pain relief, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

17 May 2019

Novel tool helps providers identify and track underlying causes of chronic conditions

An easy to use, brief, inexpensive new tool developed and validated by researchers at the Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University will help healthcare providers track and potentially identify early onset of more complex, serious underlying issues that could otherwise go undetected.

16 May 2019

First smartphone app to detect childhood ear infection

Researchers at the University of Washington have created a smartphone app that can detect ear infections in children, a development that could lead to a new screening tool for use at home or in clinical settings.

16 May 2019

Early contact with physiotherapist appears to provide superior benefits

Patients with muscle and joint pain are often at least as well served by seeing a physiotherapist as by consulting a doctor when they seek help at a primary health care centre. Over time, the health benefits of first going to a physiotherapist appear slightly superior, new research shows.

16 May 2019

A work schedule patching approach for improved nursing home care

Placing a loved one in a nursing home can be a traumatic experience for the entire family with concerns about the care and attention they will receive. Imagine if those concerns were eased, simply by some changes in the way the schedules are done for the staff at that facility.

16 May 2019

How to find and use new federal ratings for rehab services at nursing homes

For the first time, the federal government is shining a spotlight on the quality of rehabilitation care at nursing homes — services used by nearly 2 million older adults each year.

16 May 2019

Babies exposed to opioids prenatally react more strongly to pain

Babies exposed to opioids while their mothers were pregnant with them may need special care even before they start to experience withdrawal symptoms, according to Penn State research.

15 May 2019

A direct link established between chronic insomnia and cognitive problems

Chronic insomnia disorder, which affects approximately 10 percent of adults, has a direct negative impact on cognitive function of people aged 45 and over, independent of the effect of other health issues.

15 May 2019

Study finds extremely low use of weight loss medicines by veterans

Despite the availability of new weight management medications and several clinical guidelines recommending their use as part of a comprehensive treatment plan for obesity, a new study has found that their use is extremely low (about one percent) among eligible Veterans.

15 May 2019

Combination of different treatments can have a positive effect for IBS sufferers

The more abnormalities in intestinal and brain function that IBS sufferers have, the more severe their symptoms of this functional bowel disorder, and the more adversely their everyday life is affected.

15 May 2019

‘Living their values’: Palliative care power couple faces cancer at home

In the 18 years that Kathy Brandt and Kim Acquaviva have been together, death has been a constant companion.

15 May 2019

Researchers learn more about opioid prescribing in primary care

Chronic opioid prescribing in primary care varies significantly by patient and clinician characteristics, according to a new study.

15 May 2019

Glucosamine supplements could benefit the heart

Glucosamine supplements are used by hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide to relieve the joint pain caused due to osteoarthritis.

14 May 2019

Study finds persistently high rate of long-term opioid prescribing for older cancer survivors

Using Medicare data, new findings from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston show for the first time that the rates of long term opiate therapy - a 90-day or more supply of opioids per year - for older cancer survivors remain high for at least five years in cancer survivors.

14 May 2019

Patients with sleep apnea have higher risk of postoperative cardiovascular complications

According to a new study published today in The Journal of the American Medical Association, patients who have severe obstructive sleep apnea have a significantly higher risk of complications related to their heart in the first 30 days after major surgery.

14 May 2019