Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

Study explores whether Nordic countries could head towards opioid crisis like the U.S.

Addiction to prescription opioids has reached a crisis level in the United States. Now the drug is causing concern across the Atlantic. Researchers from Denmark, Norway and Sweden urge caution after discovering that prescriptions for the pain medication oxycodone have significantly increased during the last decade.

13 Mar 2019

CT scan of the lumbar spine prior to surgery reveals undiagnosed osteoporosis in many patients

For patients contemplating spinal fusion surgery to alleviate pain, bone health is an important consideration. If a patient is found to have low bone density prior to surgery, it could affect the treatment plan before, during and after the procedure.

13 Mar 2019

New findings about efficient use of resources after orthopedic surgeries

Patients who live close to the hospital at which they have undergone total hip or total knee replacement are much more likely to visit the emergency room for follow-up care of pain, inflammation and other complaints than those who live farther away, according to a new study by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City and The Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans.

13 Mar 2019

Pall Corporation partners with Broadley-James to integrate, distribute novel single-use sensor technologies

Pall Corporation, a global leader in filtration, separation and purification, has partnered with Broadley-James Corporation, a renowned sensor technology provider, to integrate and distribute Broadley-James’ advanced single-use probe and flow cell pH sensors.

From Pall Corporation 12 Mar 2019

Brain stimulation reduces depression symptoms, shows study

With a weak alternating electrical current sent through electrodes attached to the scalp, UNC School of Medicine researchers successfully targeted a naturally occurring electrical pattern in a specific part of the brain and markedly improved depression symptoms in about 70 percent of participants in a clinical study.

12 Mar 2019

New guidelines on clinical use of life-saving antibiotics

An international panel of the foremost researchers on infectious disease and antimicrobials has formed new guidelines on the use of polymyxins, a class of antibiotics employed as a last resort to treat deadly, drug-resistant bacteria.

11 Mar 2019

FDA takes action to help reduce risks linked with use of surgical staplers and staples

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a Letter to Health Care Providers to alert them that the agency is aware of an increasing number of medical device reports associated with the use of surgical staplers for internal use and implantable surgical staples - common devices used in many surgeries - and to provide updated recommendations to help reduce risks associated with their use.

11 Mar 2019

Minimally invasive procedure helps surgeons to pinpoint epilepsy patients for brain surgery

A minimally invasive procedure to determine whether patients with drug-resistant epilepsy are candidates for brain surgery is safer, more efficient, and leads to better outcomes than the traditional method, according to new research by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

8 Mar 2019

Novel drug shows potential to prevent sepsis progression

Research into a new breakthrough therapy in the fight against sepsis has shown that the drug has potential to stop all sepsis-causing bacteria from triggering organ damage in the early stages of the condition.

8 Mar 2019

Yearly flu shot may also protect from having a heart attack

There's now another reason to get your yearly flu shot. Not only can it protect you from the body aches, fever and fatigue associated with a bout of influenza, it may even prevent you from having a heart attack, according to research being presented at the American College of Cardiology's 68th Annual Scientific Session.

8 Mar 2019

Ebola survivors in Liberia have higher prevalence of health issues, study shows

Survivors of Ebola virus disease in Liberia had a higher prevalence of certain health issues--including uveitis (eye redness and pain), abdominal, chest, neurologic, and musculoskeletal abnormalities upon physical exam--when compared to a control group of household and community members who did not have a history of EVD, according to findings from an ongoing study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

8 Mar 2019

Researchers find potential new target for chronic pain treatment

A research group at Hiroshima University observed a potential new target for chronic pain treatment. Further research using this receptor could lead to new, more effective drugs to use in pain-relieving treatment for chronic pain.

7 Mar 2019

Hidden FDA reports detail harm caused by scores of medical devices

Dr. Douglas Kwazneski was helping a Pittsburgh surgeon remove an appendix when something jarring happened. The surgical stapler meant to cut and seal the tissue around the appendix locked up.

7 Mar 2019

Inflammation in the brain increases side-effects of hypnotic drugs

In a study recently published in the European Journal of Pharmacology researchers at Okayama University show how the presence of inflammation in the brain can increase its sensitivity to benzodiazepines.

7 Mar 2019

Study shows link between menopause symptoms and chronic pain

In addition to the other health conditions affected by estrogen, it has also been shown to affect pain sensitivity. This finding was the basis of a study of more than 200,000 records from the Veterans Health Administration that demonstrated a link between menopause symptoms and chronic pain.

7 Mar 2019

Patients question how FDA approves medical devices

There’s no doubt that surgically implanted medical devices can improve lives. Hip and knee replacements can help people regain their mobility. Drug pumps can deliver doses of pain-relieving medicine on demand. And metal rods can stabilize spines and broken bones.

6 Mar 2019

Cocoa can benefit patients with multiple sclerosis

A new study has shown that drinking hot chocolate daily could help to reduce fatigue and tiredness among people suffering from MS (multiple sclerosis). The results of this new study were published in the latest issue of the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

6 Mar 2019