Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

FDA intends to ban electrical stimulation devices to ensure safety, well-being of patients

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced a proposal to ban electrical stimulation devices (ESDs) used for self-injurious or aggressive behavior because they present an unreasonable and substantial risk to public health that cannot be corrected or eliminated through changes to the labeling.

25 Apr 2016

Study indicates that resolvin D1 has anti-arthritic properties

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a debilitating autoimmune disorder that is characterized by the accumulation of inflammatory cells within the fluid of the joints. Current therapeutic strategies mostly serve to ease pain and rarely are able to reverse damage or resolve inflammation.

22 Apr 2016

Pediatric researchers develop minimally invasive techniques to treat plastic bronchitis

Pediatric researchers have devised an innovative, safe and minimally invasive procedure that helps relieve rare but potentially life-threatening airway blockages occurring in children who had surgery for congenital heart defects.

22 Apr 2016

Motivational interviewing can help reduce risky use of pain pills

As America battles an epidemic of deaths from misused pain pills, a new study suggests an inexpensive way to cut risky use of these drugs by people who have a high chance of overdosing.

21 Apr 2016

Hot packs or hot-water immersion may be effective in treating jellyfish stings

A recent study by researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, published this month in the journal Toxins, may finally put to rest the ongoing debate about whether to use cold or heat to treat jellyfish stings. Their systematic and critical review provides overwhelming evidence that clinical outcomes from all kinds of jellyfish stings are improved following treatment with hot packs or hot-water immersion.

21 Apr 2016

Non-invasive test to diagnose EoE could replace need for repeated endoscopy

A non-invasive test to diagnose and monitor an inflammatory disease that injures the esophagus - called eosinophilic esophagitis or EoE - would replace the need for repeated endoscopy for a growing number of children and adults with this relatively new condition.

21 Apr 2016

Single dose of intraoperative radiotherapy effective for early stage breast cancer patients

In the South East of England, a patient experience study of 18 early stage breast cancer patients who opted for single dose intraoperative radiotherapy, found positive patient reported outcomes for this alternative to standard daily external beam radiotherapy.

21 Apr 2016

Non-invasive optogenetic therapy can help treat chronic pain

The potential of light as a non-invasive, highly-focused alternative to pain medication was made more apparent thanks to research conducted by scientists at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital of McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre.

21 Apr 2016

Scientists discover CD2AP protein that plays key role in nervous system

University of Louisville researchers have discovered that a protein previously known for its role in kidney function also plays a significant role in the nervous system. In an article featured in the April 13 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, they show that the adaptor protein CD2AP is a key player in a type of neural growth known as collateral sprouting.

21 Apr 2016

Athletes who have psychosomatic symptoms prior to concussion may take longer to recover

Athletes may take longer to recover after concussion if they had experienced psychosomatic symptoms before they became concussed, report researchers.

21 Apr 2016

Imatinib-related symptom burden linked to adherence in Indian CML patients

Research shows low adherence to imatinib in Indian patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia, with an association between nonadherence and worse symptom burden related to treatment.

21 Apr 2016

Strength training lowers odds of death in older adults

Older adults who met twice-weekly strength training guidelines had lower odds of dying in a new analysis by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Columbia University. The study is the first to demonstrate the association in a large, nationally representative sample over an extended time period, particularly in an older population.

20 Apr 2016

Duke-NUS study highlights Zika virus structure and behaviour

An important breakthrough in understanding the Zika virus structure and its behaviour has been highlighted in a study by Duke-NUS Medical School scientists.

20 Apr 2016

Psilocybin administration reduces reaction to social rejection in associated brain areas

Social ties are vital for mental and physical health. However, psychiatric patients in particular frequently encounter social exclusion and rejection. Furthermore, psychiatric patients often react more strongly to social rejection than healthy persons and this can have negative consequences for the development and treatment of psychiatric disorders.

19 Apr 2016

New drug combination before surgery may improve outcomes in breast cancer patients

Results from the I-SPY 2 trial show that giving patients with HER2-positive invasive breast cancer a combination of the drugs trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) and pertuzumab before surgery was more beneficial than the combination of paclitaxel plus trastuzumab.

19 Apr 2016

Therapies based on alpha defensins could help treat rheumatoid arthritis

Arthritis and other inflammatory conditions could be helped by new insights into how the immune response is switched off.

19 Apr 2016

AAN’s updated guideline on botulinum toxin use covers four neurologic disorders

The American Academy of Neurology has updated its 2008 guidelines on the use of botulinum toxin for spasticity, cervical dystonia, blepharospasm and migraine headache, based on recent research.

19 Apr 2016

Innovative wristwatch tool could improve quality of life for Parkinson's patients

An innovative new tool that resembles a wristwatch could improve the quality of life for patients with Parkinson's disease and better inform neurologists who treat them.

19 Apr 2016

New Lullaby Trust-funded study could prevent sudden, unexpected deaths of babies and children

An innovative new study funded by The Lullaby Trust is being launched, which could have profound implications for preventing the sudden and unexpected deaths of babies and children.

19 Apr 2016

Existing cancer drugs may be able to help people with enlarged heart cells

UT Southwestern Medical Center cardiology researchers have identified molecular ties between the growth of cancer cells and heart cells that suggest existing cancer drugs may be able to help those with enlarged heart cells -- a condition that can lead to heart attacks and stroke.

18 Apr 2016