Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

Viewpoints: Romney needs to explain his Medicare plan; Ryan plan would end Medicaid protections for spouses of nursing home patients'

Mr. Ryan's Path To Prosperity blueprint includes more than $700 billion in Medicare cuts over the next decade. Medicare would no longer function as an insurance program that directly pays medical bills for seniors. Instead, seniors would receive a fixed subsidy. The value of that subsidy almost certainly wouldn't keep up with health care costs, meaning seniors would pay more out of pocket. That might not play well in Boca Raton. Of course, Mr. Ryan's just the prospective V.P. What does the top of the ticket think?

16 Aug 2012

Therapeutic breaks for prostate cancer patients

Men with advanced prostate cancer receiving androgen-deprivation therapy may be better off being treated intermittently rather than on a continuous basis, show study findings.

15 Aug 2012

Addiction to morphine and heroin can be blocked via brain's immune response

In a major breakthrough, an international team of scientists has proven that addiction to morphine and heroin can be blocked, while at the same time increasing pain relief.

15 Aug 2012

Kessler Foundation investigates Ekso's new capabilities for autonomous use by people with SCI

Kessler Foundation has begun testing the upgraded Ekso in individuals unable to walk due to spinal cord injury. Ekso, a wearable, battery-powered robotic exoskeletal device, has been undergoing clinical investigation at Kessler since October 2011, when the research team received the second commercial unit distributed by Ekso Bionics.

15 Aug 2012

Study to test how osteopathic treatment helps patients with COPD

Researchers at Michigan State University are working to show how a noninvasive, drug-free form of hands-on medical care can help patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease improve their breathing.

15 Aug 2012

Roundup: Abortion-rights groups mostly silent on fetal pain laws; Conn. advocates worry over Medicaid cuts; Examining readmission penalties

When new limits on abortions are proposed, abortion-rights groups usually go all out to stop them. So why haven't they gone all out against state fetal-pain laws, enacted in nine states since early 2010? These laws ban abortion after 20 weeks, based on the controversial assertion that the fetus can then experience pain. They're handing victories to anti-abortion groups, and so far there's only one major challenge from an abortion-rights group: in Arizona, where the 9th Circuit Court early this month temporarily blocked the state law.

15 Aug 2012

U-M Survival Flight helicopters can save lives of all the Great Lakes states

Three new maize-and-blue helicopters will soon be saving lives in the air above the Great Lakes states, and speeding patients toward advanced care at the University of Michigan Health System's hospitals.

15 Aug 2012

Walking and cycling can benefit people with cancer

Exercise may improve quality of life for people with cancer, according to Cochrane researchers. In two separate Cochrane systematic reviews, the authors gathered together evidence showing that activities such as walking and cycling can benefit those who are undergoing or have completed treatment for cancer.

15 Aug 2012

Abdominal pain duration influences appendicitis imaging diagnosis

Clinicians should not rely on ultrasonography for diagnosing pediatric appendicitis early in the course of illness, say US researchers.

14 Aug 2012

Depressed cardiac patients at added risk

Coronary artery disease patients may have an increased risk for peripheral arterial disease if they are depressed, study findings show.

14 Aug 2012

Somatic dysfunction possible linchpin to osteopathic back treatment

Somatic dysfunction, particularly in the lumbar and sacrum/pelvis regions, is common in patients with chronic lower back pain and contributes to poor functioning and general health, results from the OSTEOPATHIC Trial show.

14 Aug 2012

Heartburn and cancer: an interview with Mindy Mintz Mordecai

What most of us think of as heartburn is a symptom of Reflux Disease or GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease). It’s that burning discomfort an individual experiences when stomach acids and other fluids come back up into their esophagus.

14 Aug 2012

Pathway describes how alpha hydroxyl acids cause skin exfoliation

A team of investigators from UC Davis and Peking University have discovered a mechanism that may explain how alpha hydroxyl acids (AHAs) -- the key ingredient in cosmetic chemical peels and wrinkle-reducing creams -- work to enhance skin appearance. An understanding of the underlying process may lead to better cosmetic formulations as well as have medical applications.

14 Aug 2012

Study shines light on specific link between oral health and performance in school

Poor oral health, dental disease, and tooth pain can put kids at a serious disadvantage in school, according to a new Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC study.

14 Aug 2012

FDA accepts Teva's NDA for Quartette oral contraceptive

Teva Women's Health, Inc., a U.S.-based subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted for filing its New Drug Application for Quartette (levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol tablets and ethinyl estradiol tablets).

13 Aug 2012

Meritage commences OBS Phase 2 clinical trial for eosinophilic esophagitis

Meritage Pharma, Inc. announced that it has initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate oral budesonide suspension (OBS) for the treatment of adolescents and young adults with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), an allergic inflammatory condition of the esophagus. EoE is a chronic disease characterized by symptoms related to esophageal dysfunction and eosinophil-predominant inflammation.

13 Aug 2012

Chronic nerve pain: researchers identify which sensory nerve cells are responsible

New research, led by academics at the University of Bristol and published in the journal Pain, has identified the subtypes of sensory nerve cells that are likely to contribute to long-term nerve pain from partial nerve injury. It is hoped this will aid in development of more effective pain killers.

13 Aug 2012

Positive results from Acorda post-marketing commitment study of dalfampridine-ER for MS

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. today announced top line results from a post-marketing commitment study evaluating a 5mg dose of dalfampridine-ER to improve walking in people with multiple sclerosis. The study failed to confirm efficacy of the 5mg dose.

13 Aug 2012

Combination therapy does not change safety and efficacy relationship of TORISEL for advanced RCC

Pfizer Inc. announced that the Phase 3 INTORACT trial (B1771006), evaluating the combination of bevacizumab plus TORISEL (temsirolimus) compared with bevacizumab plus interferon-alfa-2a (IFN-α-2a) in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) across risk groups, did not meet its primary endpoint of superiority in extending progression free survival (PFS) in the study population.

12 Aug 2012

Heat wave safety tips from Children's Hospital Los Angeles

With July 2012 on record as being one of the hottest months in U.S. history and the August heat showing no let up in many parts of the country, how can parents protect their children's health during a heat wave? "While kids and teens may think of themselves as invincible, they're prone to heat-related illnesses," says Megan Summers, a registered nurse in the Children's Hospital Los Angeles' Rehabilitation Unit.

12 Aug 2012