Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

GP clinics at hospitals should reduce waiting times in emergency departments

The addition of a GP clinic at hospitals should reduce waiting times in emergency departments, according to new research.

7 Mar 2013

Lower back pain and spinal cancer: an interview with Dr Nicholas Henschke, University of Heidelberg

While lower back pain is a common condition around the world, in only a very small proportion of people – less than 5% - will this be caused by a serious problem such as fracture, infection, or tumour.

7 Mar 2013

Researchers identify role of Merlin in regulating integrity of axons

One in 25,000 people worldwide is affected by neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), a condition where the loss of a tumour suppressor called Merlin results in multiple tumours in the brain and nervous system.

7 Mar 2013

Study now tells physicians that dystonia can occur in African-American patients

A pair of studies tells the tale of how a neuroscientist at Mayo Clinic in Florida helped to discover the first African-American family to have inherited the rare movement disorder dystonia, which causes repetitive muscle contractions and twisting, resulting in abnormal posture.

7 Mar 2013

Study suggests more accurate way to monitor patient awareness during general anesthesia

Massachusetts General Hospital investigators have identified specific EEG signatures that indicate when patients lose and regain consciousness under the general anesthetic drug propofol.

7 Mar 2013

Emerging healthcare policy aims at reducing preventable hospital readmissions

Reducing preventable hospital readmissions is a cornerstone of emerging healthcare policy. The U.S. government has developed payment policies that will decrease payments to hospitals with excess patient readmission levels, for example.

7 Mar 2013

Study investigates how cancer cells 'hijack' platelets

A new research study has investigated how cancer cells 'hijack' blood cells known as platelets, enabling cancer to spread around the body and promoting the growth of new tumours, it was reported today at the annual Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) Research Day.

7 Mar 2013

University of Sunderland pharmaceutical scientists receive CFUK grant for research into cystinosis

Pharmaceutical scientists at the University of Sunderland have been awarded £125,000 by the Cystinosis Foundation (CF) UK to fund the next stage of their research into a rare genetic disease.

7 Mar 2013

Drugs that inhibit buildup of acylcarnitines may block axonal degeneration

Anyone whose hand or foot has "fallen asleep" has an idea of the numbness and tingling often experienced by people with peripheral nerve damage. The condition also can cause a range of other symptoms, including unrelenting pain, stinging, burning, itching and sensitivity to touch.

6 Mar 2013

Laboratorios Grifols, Cadence announce new supply agreement for OFIRMEV

Cadence Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on acquiring, in-licensing, developing and commercializing proprietary products principally for use in the hospital setting, today announced a new supply agreement with Laboratorios Grifols, S.A. for the development, manufacture and supply of commercial quantities of OFIRMEV (acetaminophen) injection in flexible plastic bags.

6 Mar 2013

Primary Practice Physician Program for Chronic Pain and its impact on patients and providers

Patients who experience chronic pain may experience improvement in symptoms if their primary care providers are specifically trained in multiple aspects of pain, including emotional consequences.

6 Mar 2013

Drug to relieve pain of feline osteoarthritis identified

The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug meloxicam significantly improves nighttime physical activity in cats with osteoarthritis, indicating its potential as a pain reliever in this feline population, report Canadian researchers.

6 Mar 2013

Pain self-management and exercise ‘effective in elderly’

Techniques for the self-management of chronic pain based on cognitive behavioral therapy significantly reduce disability, suggest results from a randomized controlled trial in older adults.

6 Mar 2013

UK’s health performance declining compared with 14 EU countries over past 20 years

Six decades of universal free health care, the introduction of widespread public health initiatives (eg, tobacco control, cancer screening, and immunisation), and substantial increases in health expenditure have failed to improve the UK’s health outcomes or longevity ranking against the average of 14 other original members of the European Union, Australia, Canada, Norway, and the USA (EU15+) over the past 20 years.

6 Mar 2013

Chemotherapy-free stem cell transplant shows promise for sickle cell disease

Two brothers have been cured of their sickle cell disease at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System using a relatively uncommon type of stem cell transplant that is performed without chemotherapy.

6 Mar 2013

New bedside electronic device can determine the cause of severe dizziness

A bedside electronic device that measures eye movements can successfully determine whether the cause of severe, continuous, disabling dizziness is a stroke or something benign, according to results of a small study led by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers.

6 Mar 2013

Aerobic walking program alleviates lower back pain, says Tel Aviv University researcher

Lower back pain is a common complaint, and treatment often requires many hours of physical therapy over multiple weekly clinic visits - a costly commitment.

6 Mar 2013

Inventors from 3 leading universities receive $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize

Nikolai Begg grew up in a box of LEGO- bricks and hasn't stopped tinkering since. Today he is an accomplished inventor with a portfolio of novel medical devices. Begg is the recipient of the prestigious $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for his inventions that are making surgical procedures less invasive.

6 Mar 2013

States continue to formulate Medicaid expansion strategies

As the Obama administration gives some states the OK to pursue alternatives to the health law's Medicaid expansion, the shape of the debate in state legislatures changes.

5 Mar 2013

Cognitive behavioral therapy brings relief to people with diabetic neuropathies, researchers find

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine and VA Boston Healthcare System have found that cognitive behavioral therapy can help relieve pain for people with painful diabetic neuropathies.

5 Mar 2013