Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

New device could be the solution to menstrual pain

While most women experience minor pain during menstruation, for others, the pain can be severe enough to interfere with everyday activities and require medication. New research to be presented at the 2009 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition will reveal initial findings of safety surrounding a new device that may more effectively treat menstrual pain.

22 Sep 2009

Malpractice reform in spotlight, earns mixed reviews

"Republican lawmakers have long touted federal tort reform as way to bring down health-care costs. Democrats are coming around to the same position in response to what they've heard from constituents. ... President Barack Obama recently raised the issue as an olive branch to Republicans, directing the Department of Health and Human Services to spend $25 million to help states and health-care systems try alternative methods of resolving malpractice allegations."

21 Sep 2009

QualityMetric announces new tool to measure pain accurately

According to the National Centers for Health Statistics, 76.2 million Americans report problems with chronic pain; more than diabetes, heart disease, and cancer combined. The same report notes that the annual cost of chronic pain in the United States, including healthcare expenses, lost income, and productivity, is estimated to be $100 billion.

21 Sep 2009

Recession is contributing to acute physical pain for Americans: Survey

A new survey from the American Pain Foundation says economic pain from the recession is contributing to acute, or short-term, physical pain for Americans. According to the survey, released today during National Pain Awareness Month, 68 percent of people who experienced acute back pain or other minor muscle strains and sprains in the past year said that the recession caused, increased or affected their pain, often because of greater stress and working harder at home and on the job.

21 Sep 2009

King Pharmaceuticals achieves milestone: Announces commercial availability of EMBEDA

King Pharmaceuticals(R), Inc. (NYSE: KG) today announced a true milestone as it marks the first commercial availability for EMBEDA(TM) (morphine sulfate and naltrexone hydrochloride) Extended Release Capsules, a long-acting Schedule II opioid analgesic for the management of moderate to severe pain when a continuous, around-the-clock opioid analgesic is needed for an extended period of time.

21 Sep 2009

AstraZeneca and Nektar Therapeutics enter worldwide license agreement for two drug development programmes

AstraZeneca and Nektar Therapeutics announced today that they have entered into an exclusive worldwide license agreement for two drug development programmes: NKTR-118, a late stage investigational product being evaluated for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation, and the NKTR-119 programme, an early stage programme that is intended to deliver products for the treatment of pain without constipation side effects.

21 Sep 2009

Amgen announces results of Phase 3 trial in the treatment of bone metastases

Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN) today announced detailed results from a Phase 3 trial evaluating denosumab administered subcutaneously versus Zometa(R) (zoledronic acid) administered as an intravenous infusion in the treatment of bone metastases in 1,776 advanced cancer patients with solid tumors (not including breast and prostate cancer) or multiple myeloma. These results were presented today at the 2009 ECCO 15 - ESMO 34 European Multidisciplinary Congress in Berlin, Germany (Abstract Number: 20LBA).

21 Sep 2009

Researchers find new technique for long-term treatment of DVT

Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT) is a serious condition that involves the formation of a blood clot inside of a deep vein usually in the legs. A patient with DVT is typically treated with anticoagulants (blood thinners) however researchers have found that image-guided interventional radiology procedures may play a more central role in the long-term treatment of DVT, according to a study published in the October issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR).

21 Sep 2009

Postmenopausal women benefit as much from exercise as younger women

In two papers based on the experiments and published in recent months, UC Berkeley researchers report that postmenopausal women can achieve the same health benefits from regular, vigorous exercise as younger women do.

21 Sep 2009

Modified catheter to prevent patient injuries

Though rare, IV contrast material administration can sometimes result in patient injury. However researchers have developed a modified catheter that may prevent such events from occurring, according to a study in the October issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR).

21 Sep 2009

Research combining magnetism and nanotechnology

Researchers led by Daniel Kohane, MD, PhD of Children's Hospital Boston, funded by the National Institutes of Health, have devised a solution that combines magnetism with nanotechnology.

21 Sep 2009

Center for Hip Pain and Preservation focuses on improved understanding of hip abnormalities

Recent improved understanding of hip abnormalities, combined with advances in diagnostic imaging techniques and minimally invasive surgical treatments are giving many patients new hope for relieving chronic, misdiagnosed hip pain.

21 Sep 2009

NovoStent completes enrollment for its SAMBA Stent and Delivery System trial

NovoStent Corporation, a privately held medical device company, today announced the completion of enrollment earlier this summer in the company’s European clinical trial evaluating the use of its SAMBATM Stent and Delivery System in the treatment of superficial femoral and popliteal artery disease.

19 Sep 2009

First edition: September 18, 2009

Today's coverage shows that all sides of the health overhaul debate are breaking down the specifics of the Baucus reform bill and developing their strategies and plans for next steps.

18 Sep 2009

Biopharmaceutical company announces initial public offering

Omeros Corporation today announced the launch of its initial public offering of 6.82 million shares of its common stock. Omeros is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing and commercializing products focused on inflammation and disorders of the central nervous system.

18 Sep 2009

Healthcare staff find it hard to diagnose pain levels in nursing home residents accurately, says study

Relatives and healthcare staff find it hard to diagnose pain levels in nursing home residents accurately, especially if they are cognitively impaired with illnesses such as dementia or unable to speak, according to a study in September issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

18 Sep 2009

Heart Institute's first LHIN program in Ontario for emergency heart attacks

Heart attack victims who live outside Ottawa's urban centre now are part of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute's (UOHI) far-reaching emergency life-saving program, ensuring urgent standardized treatment regardless of geography and, for the first time in Ontario, throughout an entire regional health district.

18 Sep 2009

Diabetic nerve pain: Most bothersome complication of diabetes

In a new online survey, eighty-five percent of people who experience diabetic nerve pain said that their pain was one of the top three most bothersome complications of their diabetes. Despite the fact that people with diabetic nerve pain recognize the condition's impact on their lives and eighty-four percent of those surveyed said they have discussed the condition with a healthcare provider, just slightly less than half of respondents (49 percent) were treating their pain.

18 Sep 2009

Mayo Clinic scientists conduct clinical study on functional dyspesia patients

"Nerve cells are found throughout the body, and just as their dysfunction in the brain can cause depression, we suspect overly sensitive nerves in the gut can produce this very uncomfortable indigestion," says Nicholas Talley, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the trial and chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at the Mayo Clinic campus in Florida.

18 Sep 2009

Wound Management Technologies acquires BioPharma

Wound Management Technologies, Inc., (OTC Bulletin Board: WNDM) a rapidly growing provider of specialty medical products, announced today that it has completed the acquisition of BioPharma Management Technologies, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company with a platform of proprietary and patented technologies for topical pain management and resorbable orthoses.

18 Sep 2009