Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

IBM helps chronic foot pain sufferers

HEEL that PAIN is a joint venture between GID Development Corp. and Dr. Art Smuckler, a certified podiatrist. After developing a few customized foot-pads for patients complaining of persistent heel pain, Smuckler wanted to share the benefits of these foot pads with the mass market.

10 May 2004

Low back pain - does it need costly scan?

A major study has been conducted to evaluate the role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computed Tomography (CT) scans in the treatment of low back pain (LBP).

10 May 2004

New studies on the diagnosis of interstitial cystitis and the treatment of prostatitis

Antimicrobials Ineffective in Treating Chronic Prostatitis / Pelvic Pain Syndrome (CP/PPS): Though the traditional means of treating men with CP/PPS, use of antibiotics and alpha-adrenergic receptor blockers (tamsulosin and ciprofloxacin) did not lead to significant change after six and 12 weeks of treatment.

10 May 2004

More UK health professionals will be able to prescribe medicines

The proposals recommend that physiotherapists, radiographers, chiropodists and optometrists should be able to prescribe medicines, in partnership with a doctor, to help treat and manage conditions such as glaucoma, chronic back pain and the effects of multiple sclerosis, as well as providing pain relief for patients attending radiography sessions.

10 May 2004

Fresh cherries may help people who suffer from the pain of gout or other forms of arthritic inflammation

Fresh cherries may help people who suffer from the pain of gout or other forms of arthritic inflammation. That's according to preliminary results from research at the Agricultural Research Service's Western Human Nutrition Research Center in Davis, Calif.

10 May 2004

All Black urges allergy sufferers to play it safe

All Black Kees Meeuws is fronting an Allergy New Zealand poster campaign urging allergy sufferers to play it safe and protect a life as part of Allergy Awareness Week, which kicks off May 10, 2004. The poster sports a bare-chested and tattooed Kees with his six-week-old daughter, Inéz (who is now three months old).

10 May 2004

New devices will help thousands of stroke victims recover mobility

Researchers from The University of Bath and the Chippenham Stroke Unit are playing a major role in a three-year programme to develop a special device which can be fitted inside caps or gloves.

6 May 2004

Experimental sleep drug eszopiclone helps elderly to sleep better

Older people with insomnia slept better and longer after taking an experimental sleep medication, according to research at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

6 May 2004

Weight loss and exercise regime helps osteoarthritis

A combination of moderate weight loss and exercise is an effective treatment for overweight adults with osteoarthritis of the knee, according to new research from Wake Forest University published in the May issue of the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism.

6 May 2004

African American and Asian American patients are less likely than whites to turn to a medical specialist

African American and Asian American patients are less likely than whites to turn to a medical specialist for their initial care, suggesting a possible explanation for why racial differences in health care exist, according to a new UCLA study.

4 May 2004

New figures suggest Scotland is in the middle of a mumps epidemic

New figures raise public fears of a mumps epidemic by showing there were 370 confirmed cases of mumps in the first four months of 2001. This figure is almost an 800% increase on the total of recorded mumps cases for the whole of 2003.

3 May 2004

Survey reveals surprising attitudes about joint replacement

DePuy, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company, today released the results of a Harris Interactive® survey showing that, when asked about joint replacement, nearly half of surgery candidates said they were holding off on surgery because they were waiting for more advanced surgical techniques.

3 May 2004

Versatile spinal procedure may offer less muscle damage and quicker recovery times

Medtronic, Inc. has introduced at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) meeting in Orlando the latest advancement in the company’s line of Minimal Access Spinal Technologies (MASTSM), which offer surgeons the ability to treat conditions of the lumbar spine using less-invasive techniques.

3 May 2004

Cymbalta helped patients with depression feel better

Patients treated successfully with 60 mg per day of the investigational antidepressant Cymbalta® (duloxetine hydrochloride), were less likely to have their emotional and physical symptoms of depression return than those who stopped taking medication after beginning to feel better

3 May 2004

New radiology camera delivers sophisticated technology to Cambridge Medical Center patients

When most of us think of new cameras, we think about those little digital pocket-sized ones that easily fit into the palm of our hand. It’s amazing how much technology is contained in something so small.

3 May 2004

Morphine does not alleviate acute pain in preterm neonates

Preterm neonates undergo many painful procedures as part of their standard care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Preterm babies are able to experience pain and indeed are highly sensitive to it.

2 May 2004

Botox helps children with cerebral palsy

Botox, or botulinum toxin, offers a new, non-surgical option for improving the upper extremity function of children with cerebral palsy (CP), report researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. L. Andrew Koman, M.D., orthopedic surgeon at Brenner Children’s Hospital, and his team recently completed a study using Botox to treat muscle spasticity of the arm and hand in children with CP.

1 May 2004

Researchers to improve the quality of life for stroke survivors

Researchers at the University of Birmingham are investigating how to improve the quality of life for stroke survivors in nursing and residential homes, by helping them to become more active.

30 Apr 2004

FDA updates Zelnorm labeling a treatment of women with irritable bowel syndrome

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced the addition of new risk information to the health professional labeling for Zelnorm (tegaserod maleate). Zelnorm is a prescription medication for the short-term treatment of women with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) whose primary bowel symptom is constipation.

30 Apr 2004

Funding for new biomaterials for spinal disc repair and regeneration

Orthonics, Inc., an Atlanta start-up company developing new biomaterials for spinal disc repair and regeneration, has received initial funding from Viscogliosi Brothers, LLC, a New York-based closely held venture capital/private equity and merchant banking firm focused on the musculoskeletal/orthopedics industry. Terms of the funding were not disclosed.

30 Apr 2004