Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

UT Southwestern embraces robotic technology to advance future of surgery

Having a surgeon with four arms is one of the advantages of the latest robotic technology now being studied at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

14 Feb 2006

Stem cell injections may help those with severe peripheral artery disease

Indiana University School of Medicine scientists have begun a unique clinical trial using stem cell injections as a treatment that could offer hope to tens of thousands of people who face sores, ulcers and even amputations due to severe peripheral artery disease.

14 Feb 2006

20 percent of people with chronic pain do not seek help

A Rochester-based study has found more than 20 percent of people with chronic pain did not seek physician help for their pain. The study supports the opinion of many physicians that a large segment of patients has an unmet need for pain care.

14 Feb 2006

Almost half of heart attacks are not recognised

According to Dutch researchers almost fifty percent of heart attacks are not recognised as such.

14 Feb 2006

Simple diagnostic imaging procedure changes treatment for lower back pain

A simple diagnostic imaging procedure can help identify patients with lower back pain who would benefit from spinal injections and spare those who would not, according to a study appearing in the February issue of Radiology.

13 Feb 2006

Reduction in small-fiber nerves may underlie complex regional pain syndrome-I

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have found the first evidence of a physical abnormality underlying the chronic pain condition called reflex sympathetic dystrophy or complex regional pain syndrome-I (CRPS-I).

13 Feb 2006

Tetracaine mouthwash helps with pain linked to head and neck cancer

Doctors in Italy are studying whether a new type of mouthwash will help alleviate pain for patients suffering from head and neck cancer who were treated with radiation therapy, according to a study published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology-Biology-Physics

13 Feb 2006

Drugs formerly contraindicated for inflammatory bowel disease prove beneficial for pain relief

According to two studies published in the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, prescription painkillers are effective in easing the pain of patients with dormant inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and are not likely to cause symptom flare-ups in IBD patients in remissions

12 Feb 2006

Heart risk warning wanted on ADHD drugs

A U.S. advisory panel has recommended that drugs used by millions to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), should carry a warning of the risk of heart problems.

12 Feb 2006

Women more sensitive to pain during periods of low estrogen

Now researchers are going one step further by studying whether the difference in pain sensitivity is reflected in brain activity as measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

7 Feb 2006

Minimally invasive lung surgery has low risk with same results as open surgery

In the largest published study of its kind, with 1,100 patient cases reviewed, a minimally invasive surgical procedure for lung cancer has been shown to be as effective as open surgery with a low risk of complications and high survival rates when performed by experienced thoracic surgeons.

7 Feb 2006

Amputation among patients with diabetes mellitus - increased risk of neuropathy and diabetic ulcers in taller patients

Patients with diabetes mellitus are at risk of leg ulcers. These eventually become infected, respond poorly to treatment and often require amputation of the foot or part of the leg.

7 Feb 2006

Eosinophilic esophagitis gene discovery

Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center have discovered the first gene associated with eosinophilic esophagitis, one of a number of eosinophil-related diseases in which the body produces abnormally large amounts of white blood cells that can lead to allergy related illnesses.

7 Feb 2006

Can marriages be saved by treating snoring?

The husband snores. The wife nudges him to flip over. Both wake up feeling grouchy the next morning. It's a common occurrence that may have more of an impact on the marriage than most couples think.

7 Feb 2006

Pain sensitivity is enhanced when people are thirsty

Researchers at Melbourne's Howard Florey Institute have discovered how the brain prioritises pain and thirst in order to survive - a mechanism that helps elite athletes to 'push through the pain barrier'.

7 Feb 2006

First description of female-specific Ischemia Syndrome

Although ischemic heart disease - the reduction of blood flow that can lead to heart attacks - is often considered a "man's disease," it takes the lives of more women than men each year. In fact, in 2000, about 60,000 more women than men died from cardiovascular disease.

5 Feb 2006