Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

Hand surgeons warn of gardening dangers

The American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) recommends gardeners take the proper precautions to prevent hand-related injuries before digging or planting in the garden this spring. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), emergency rooms treat more than 400,000 outdoor garden-tool-related accidents each year.

27 Apr 2004

Biological bandages are being successfully used to treat patients with severe burns

Doctors have been impressed with the rapid recovery rates instigated by the ‘tailor-made ’ discs, which have been devised by a research team at the Sheffield company, CellTran, with financial support from the Wellcome Trust biomedical research charity and the White Rose Technology Seedcorn Fund. They will be officially launched at the British Burn Association’s annual meeting in Manchester tomorrow (28th).

27 Apr 2004

Parkinson’s disease drug Pergolide effective in treating restless legs syndrome

Pergolide, a drug commonly used to treat Parkinson’s disease symptoms, has recently been shown to be effective in treating restless legs syndrome. Researchers from seven countries collaborated on the study, published in the April 27 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

26 Apr 2004

A new study is better defining the impact that stress and depression have on women suffering from rheumatoid arthritis

A new study is better defining the impact that stress and depression have on women suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The research, led by a team of ASU psychologists, shows increased pain and inflammation for those dealing with high amounts of stress and depression.

26 Apr 2004

Diets like Atkins could help prevent Alzheimer's, cancer, diabetes and Parkinson's disease

Though diets like Atkins and South Beach are the current rage, an emerging eating philosophy may do more than temporarily take off pounds: It could help treat disease.

26 Apr 2004

A study of nearly 1,700 hernia repair operations found fewer recurrences and complications overall with open surgery than with laparoscopic surgery

A Veterans Affairs study of nearly 1,700 hernia-repair operations found fewer recurrences and complications overall with open surgery than with laparoscopic surgery. The study is being presented April 25 at the spring meeting of the American College of Surgeons in Boston. The findings also appear in the April 29 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

26 Apr 2004

Fewer recurrences and complications overall with open surgery than with laparoscopic surgery

25 Apr 2004

Public Health Advisory for medical professionals with patients on anti-depression medication

On Monday, March 22, 2004 the Food and Drug Administration issued a Public Health Advisory for medical professionals to monitor for signs of suicidal ideation in individuals who have recently started taking anti-depression medication or have had a recent change in dosage, especially for children who are taking these medications. Antidepressant medications involved in this warning include: Prozac (Fluoxetine), Zoloft, Paxil, Luvox, Celexa, Lexapro, Wellbutrin, Effexor,, Serzone, and Remeron.

25 Apr 2004

The April 2004 issue of Otolaryngology focuses on head and neck surgery

The efficacy of a new cancer-fighting virus is tested in the study, “Treatment of Solid Sarcomas in Immunocompetent Mice with Novel Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Viruses.” A team of multi-disciplinary Japanese researchers found that a weakened version of herpes simplex virus (HSV) effectively eradicated neck and flank tumors in mice.

23 Apr 2004

Certain cells from a mother can cause immunity illness in children

Certain cells from a mother persist in their children’s bodies and can provoke an immune response in which the child’s body attacks itself, according to Mayo Clinic research published in the current issue of the Journal of Immunology (http://www.jimmunol.org).

23 Apr 2004

FDA approval for drug to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals has received an approvable letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the use of CONCERTA® (methylphenidate HCl) CII Extended-release Tablets in adolescents with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and to expand labeling to include a 72 mg dosing regimen.

22 Apr 2004

FDA approves new breakthrough Parkinson's drug

FDA has approved Apokyn (apomorphine) as an injectable drug for treating Parkinson's patients during episodes of "hypomobility," so-called "off periods" in which the patient becomes immobile or unable to perform activities of daily living.

21 Apr 2004

One woman’s efforts to eliminate health disparities

In 1970, Mulva Pearson, MD, then 10 years old, left her home country of Jamaica with just the clothes on her back – not even a suitcase. Her destination: the United States, where her mother had been living in search of a better job and better life for her family.

21 Apr 2004

New developments in the treatment of pancreatic cancer

A booster dose of a substance already found in the body appears to be safe and non-toxic for the treatment of pancreatic cancer, and shows signs of arresting pancreatic cancer cell growth in patients, Penn State College of Medicine researchers report.

20 Apr 2004

Researchers helping people to overcome their fears

Researchers from UQ’s Behaviour Research and Therapy Centre are seeking people between the ages of 45 and 75 years to participate in a program designed to help them overcome their phobias.

20 Apr 2004

Microscission blasts drugs through skin

Nightmares of doctors or dentists with oversized hypodermic needles could soon be a thing of the past. A new painless way of delivering drugs through the skin is described in the journal BMC Medicine this week – and needles are not involved.

19 Apr 2004

Brain cells can improve their ability when working together

Team work is just as important in your brain as it is on the playing field: A new study published online on April 19 by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports that groups of brain cells can substantially improve their ability to discriminate between different orientations of simple visual patterns by synchronizing their electrical activity.

19 Apr 2004

Two recent innovations look set to revolutionize biomedical treatment.

The first innovation is probably the world’s first multiple drug-eluting biodegradable stent for use in any part of the body where fluid flow, including blood, is disrupted.

19 Apr 2004

Black women with high blood pressure during pregnancy have higher homocysteine levels

Black women with pregnancy-induced high blood pressure have more homocysteine (an amino acid linked with atherosclerosis) and less folic acid in their blood than white women.

19 Apr 2004

Menthol in topical creams relieves Osteoarthritis pain

A new study extends previous research and examines the effects of a topical cream consisting of cetylated fatty acids, along with the addition of menthol, on pain and functional performance in patients with knee osteoarthritis over the course of one week.

19 Apr 2004