Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

Researchers combine old bones and new technology to treat chronic back pain

The bones of people who died up to a hundred years ago are being used in the development of new treatments for chronic back pain. It is the first time old bones have been used in this way.

1 Mar 2011

Research uncovers new details about protein interactions in retina

Science fiction novelist and scholar Issac Asimov once said, "The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny.' " This recently rang true for an international team of researchers when they observed something they did not expect.

1 Mar 2011

Mindray Medical enters agreement to acquire controlling stake of Shenke

Mindray Medical International Limited, a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices worldwide, announced today an agreement to acquire a controlling stake of Shenzhen Shenke Medical Instrument Technical Development Co. Ltd. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed as the transaction is non-material to Mindray's financial statements.

From Mindray 28 Feb 2011

Treat discomfort not fever say the new pediatric guidelines

According to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), fevers alone are not a cause for intervention in children. Dr. Janice Sullivan, the lead author of the report says, “The focus should be on comfort and not on absolute temperature.” That’s because fever can be help fight illness, by slowing down the reproduction of bacteria and viruses or stimulating the body’s immune response she explains. “That’s a benefit of fever…and may shorten the time that your child remains ill,” she adds.

28 Feb 2011

Health law ups the ante in state-federal Medicaid budget battle

As this health insurance program for low-income people continues to place a huge burden on state budgets, governors are pressing for more flexibility regarding Medicaid's eligibility standards. The health law's expansion of this program — scheduled to take effect in 2014 — adds a sense of imperative to the conversation, as do the spending cuts being considered by Congress.

28 Feb 2011

UCH installs GE's CARESCAPE Monitor B850 to enhance clinical decision making in the NICU

GE Healthcare today announced that the University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) has installed the new CARESCAPE™ Monitor B850, the company's latest advance in bedside patient monitoring, to help enhance clinical decision making in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Deployed in UCH's 50-bed NICU and Neonatal OR, the CARESCAPE Monitor B850 enables access to critical patient information from any bedside monitor anywhere in the unit.

28 Feb 2011

State News: N.Y. Medicaid's compromise; Va. ups health spending; Medi-Cal ruling

One of the most familiar criticisms of the new national health care law is that it doesn't do much to contain costs. ... Cost controls are supposed to come later. "Later" has arrived now for Massachusetts' statewide plan, enacted in 2006 and similar in many ways to the federal one. Some 98 percent of all adults and nearly 100 percent of all children are covered, but costs have spiraled out of control.

28 Feb 2011

Endo fourth quarter total revenues increase 31% to $511 million

Endo Pharmaceuticals today reported financial results for the fourth quarter 2010.

28 Feb 2011

Researchers to examine thrombolysis for treatment of DVT in leg

Blood clots in the leg occur commonly. In one-half of the cases, the blood clot will break loose and travel through the bloodstream to the lungs - which may be life-threatening.

28 Feb 2011

Despite FDA action, Deston still believes Auralgan as a safe and effective drug product

Deston Therapeutics LLC announced today that it is currently exploring its options to respond to a recent seizure of its Auralgan Otic Solution by the Federal Government and that it still believes that Auralgan is a safe and effective drug product.

28 Feb 2011

Survey: 65% of patients in hospitals experience pain prevalence

Nearly two-thirds of the hospital in-patients who took part in a survey had experienced pain in the last 24 hours and 42% of those rated their pain as more than seven out of ten, where ten was the worst pain imaginable, according to the March issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

28 Feb 2011

Final data from 4SC vidofludimus ENTRANCE Phase IIa trial against IBD presented at ECCO IBD Conference

4SC AG, a drug discovery and development company focused on autoimmune and cancer indications, announces the final data from the ENTRANCE Phase IIa trial in inflammatory bowel disease with vidofludimus, an oral inhibitor of interleukin-17 release and DHODH, including the secondary endpoints comprising the analysis of CDAI and CAI disease scores, change of prednisolone intake and threshold doses, safety, pharmacokinetics and biomarkers.

28 Feb 2011

Study: Radio-guided surgery effectively removes nodules in patients with lung cancer

Using tiny spheres of radioactive liquid to guide surgeons as they remove potentially cancerous material in the lungs is safe and more effective than other techniques, Italian researchers report at the European Multidisciplinary Conference in Thoracic Oncology (EMCTO), 24-26 February 2011, Lugano, Switzerland.

28 Feb 2011

Medical malpractice system heading for a change

Medical malpractice laws and the system are perceived to be severely flawed. Many patients with legitimate claims never see a dollar of what they are owed, and many doctors who've done nothing wrong are sometimes found liable for enormous settlements. now efforts are being made to correct the situation both for patients and doctors.

28 Feb 2011

AHRQ: $52.2 billion spent on prescription drugs for treatment of metabolic conditions during 2008

Insurers and consumers spent $52.2 billion on prescription drugs in 2008 for outpatient treatment of metabolic conditions such as diabetes and elevated cholesterol, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

28 Feb 2011

Preclinical data of Zalicus sodium channel compound published in journal PAIN

Zalicus Inc. today announced the publication of preclinical data in the journal PAIN. The paper describes the activity of Z212, a novel proprietary small organic compound that acts to modulate Nav1.7 and Nav1.8 sodium channels and to reduce neuropathic pain by targeting the hyper-excitability associated with chronic pain signaling pathways.

25 Feb 2011

U.S.-Chile collaborate to study new long-acting local anesthetic derived from algae

A U.S.-Chile collaboration is bringing surgical patients closer to having a long-acting local anesthetic. In a randomized, double-blind trial, patients given neosaxitoxin, a new local anesthetic derived from algae, had significantly less postoperative pain and recovered about two days sooner than those given the commonly used local anesthetic bupivacaine.

25 Feb 2011

First Super Glue, then dentist

In preparation for the Chicago Dental Society's 146th annual Midwinter Meeting, which will draw more than 30,000 dental professionals to Chicago this February, society members were asked about current trends, dental care tips and more. More than 300 of the society's member dentists responded to the fall 2010 survey.

25 Feb 2011

Most patients 'want to be listened, informed and considered by family doctor'

A study conducted at the University of Granada reveals that patients have greater expectations of their family doctor listening actively to them, keeping them informed and considering their opinions than in getting involved in decision making. For the purpose of this study, researchers took a sample of 360 patients aged 16-47 years, assisted at the Health Center Gran Capitán in Granada

25 Feb 2011

fMRI reveals complexity of consciousness

Using a sophisticated imaging test to probe for higher-level cognitive functioning in severely brain-injured patients provides a window into consciousness -- but the view it presents is one that is blurred in fascinating ways, say researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in the Feb. 25 online edition of the journal Brain.

25 Feb 2011