Chronic Pain
Latest news and information on chronic pain
Some Painkillers Increase Heart Attack Risk: Study
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Advil and Celebrex can raise users’ risk of having a heart attack, a new study has found. This finding came after scientists looked at the results 31 trials involving the drugs. Researchers say their study’s results suggest that a patient’s cardiovascular risk needs to be considered before doctors prescribe the painkillers.
Source: http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/news-564705-98.html
FDA Limits Acetaminophen in Prescription Pain Meds
Officials with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have announced that they will lower the maximum amount of acetaminophen permitted in narcotic painkillers such as Percocet and Vicodin. The FDA made this move because of reports of severe liver damage linked to acetaminophen in these combination drugs. Currently, combination opioid/acetaminophen painkillers can contain as much as 750 mg of acetaminophen, but over the next three years, the More >
Painkillers Darvon and Darvocet Pulled from Market
Drugmaker Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals has voluntarily pulled the opioid-based painkillers Darvon and Darvocet from the U.S. market after the drugs were linked to potentially deadly heart rhythms. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also asked makers of generic versions of the drug–called propoxyphene–to stop selling the medication. FDA officials say recent clinical trial evidence has led them to conclude that the benefits of the meds no More >
Zen Meditation May Help Pain Control
Researchers have found that people who practice Zen meditation continue to feel pain, but they do not think about it as much as people who don’t engage in the activity. Using MRI scans, the scientists found that though meditators were aware of pain, the sensation wasn’t processed in the parts of their brain responsible for reasoning, appraisal, or memory formation. The researchers believe this means that meditation cuts the process of pain sensation More >
12 Health and Safety Tips for the Holiday Season
Experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are urging Americans to pay special attention to their health and to be safe this holiday season. That’s why they’ve come up with this list of 12 health and safety tips for the holiday season. The list is available as a downloadable holiday song, as a podcast, and as an easy-to-use holiday e-card.
Source: http://www.healthcentral.com/cold-flu/news-543300-98.html
Opioid Pain Meds Linked to Increased Health Risks
Results from two new studies suggest that Medicare patients who take narcotic painkillers such as Vicodin, Oxycontin, or codeine have increased health risks, including heart problems, fractures, and death compared to people who take other kinds of painkillers. But one pain expert says this finding does not reflect the experiences of doctors who prescribe the meds, and researchers admit they are uncertain if the opioid pain meds are directly responsible More >
Children’s Motrin, Benadryl and Rolaids Softchews Recalled
Johnson & Johnson has issued a recall of 4 million Children’s Benadryl Allergy Fastmelt Tablets, 800,000 Junior Strength Motrin Caplets, and 71,000 Extra Strength Rolaids softchews. Company officials say this latest recall is at the wholesale and retail levels, but that consumers can still use the medications and they are still effective. The company said it found “unspecified problems” with the Motrin and Benadryl products, while the Rolaids were More >
Nearly Half of Elderly Report Pain in Final Months
A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine has found that pain is a common symptom during many elderly people’s last years of life, and reports of pain increase during the final few months. In their study, investigators discovered that a little over 25 percent of people reported being “troubled” by moderate to severe pain in the two years before their death. But this rate jumped to nearly 50 percent in the four months before death. The scientists More >
Gout Cases on the Rise in United States: Study
According to a new study, more and more Americans are being diagnosed with the painful and sometimes disabling arthritic condition known as gout. Researchers presenting evidence at the American College of Rheumatology’s annual meeting found that 3.9 percent of U.S. population experienced gout attacks in 2008, compared to only 2.7 percent of Americans in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Scientists say the increased consumption of coffee and sweetened More >
FDA Approves Cymbalta for Chronic Joint, Muscle Pain
The antidepressant Cymbalta (duloxetine hydrochloride) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain from such conditions as osteoarthritis and lower back pain. Cymbalta has previously been approved to treat generalized Anxiety disorder, fibromyalgia, and diabetic pain.
Source: http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/news-540531-98.html
Ofirmev Approved to Treat Fever, Pain
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a medication called Ofirmev for the treatment of fever and mild-to-moderate pain. Ofirmev is the first FDA-approved injectable form of the pain med acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol.
Source: http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/news-540530-98.html
Many Surgery Patients Feel ‘On Their Own’
Today, more than 65 percent of surgeries don’t require an overnight hospital stay, and even surgeries that once required weeks in the hospital now only require a few days. But experts say the body still requires the same amount of time to heal, and the trend toward short hospital stays is making patients responsible for more and more of their own recovery. In this article, a health reporter talks to these experts about how making patients who’ve undergone More >
Nearly 1 Million Fentanyl Pain Patches Recalled
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and drugmaker Actavis Inc. have announced that about one million Fentanyl patches used to treat such Chronic Pain conditions as arthritis and Cancer are being recalled from store and pharmacy shelves. Actavis voluntarily issued the recall after laboratory tests showed that the active ingredient in one batch of the patches was releasing medication into the bloodstream too quickly. This issue could cause a More >
Implanted Drug May Ease Opioid Addiction
According to a new study, implanting the addiction drug buprenorphine in people who are addicted to narcotic painkillers or heroin appears to reduce their cravings, at least for a short time. Researchers say that delivering a low, continuous dose of the drug may help reduce the risk that patients who are addicted to these drugs will relapse after missing doses of or stopping the addiction-treatment med.
Source: http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/news-540465-98.html
Chronic Pain Affects Almost 70 Percent of Americans: Survey
A new poll from the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) suggests that nearly 70 percent of Americans say they or someone they care for experienced pain in the previous 30 days. The poll also showed that 48 percent of the people who responded do not believe that proper treatment can ease chronic pain, while 41 percent believe pain is simply a part of aging. Researchers also found that 34 percent of respondents believe that the side effects of pain More >
Many Spinal Fractures Go Undiagnosed: Study
According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, about two-thirds of spinal fractures go undiagnosed and untreated. Experts say many of these fractures are misdiagnosed as arthritis or simple back pain, and that properly diagnosing the fractures is important to helping patients avoid complications later in life. Spinal fractures can lead to such problems as stooped back, chronic back pain, immobility, depression, and loss of height.
Source: http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/news-540462-98.html
Two Thirds of Spinal Fractures Misdiagnosed
According to the International Osteoporosis Association, two thirds of spinal fractures go undiagnosed and untreated. Many are misdiagnosed as arthritis or as simple back pain, and many of the patients who are diagnosed with spinal fracture have osteoporosis that is missed by their doctor. Researchers say undiagnosed spinal fractures increase the risk of disability and of future fractures.
Source: http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/news-540092-98.html
Forteo May Help Regrow Jaw Bone
The osteoporosis drug Forteo may help regrow bone that has been damaged by jaw-bone destroying conditions such as osteonecrosis and periodontitis, researchers say. One study found that patients with periodontitis developed 10 times more bone around their teeth when taking Forteo than those who did not take the drug. The other study, which included only one person, found that Forteo helped reverse the jaw bone damage that may have been caused by her More >
Romantic Love Helps Ease Pain: Study
Being “head-over-heels” in love can act as a natural painkiller, a new study has found. Researchers enrolled a group of Stanford University undergraduates for their study and found that being in love activates the same dopamine-oriented brain centers that are affected by illegal drugs such as cocaine. The scientists say these pain-relieving systems are tied to the brain’s reward and craving systems, similar to those involved in addiction. They hope More >
Yoga May Relieve Fibromyalgia Symptoms
A small study has found that yoga that includes meditation and gentle stretching may help alleviate the symptoms of fibromyalgia. In the study, 25 women completed a two-hour yoga class once a week for eight weeks, while 28 women diagnosed with the condition did not participate in the class. At the end of the class, the women who were in the yoga class reported improvements in pain, fatigue, tenderness, anxiety, mood, and sleep compared to those who More >
Fibromyalgia, Restless Legs Linked in New Study
According to a new study, people who have the Chronic Pain condition fibromyalgia are 11 times more likely to have restless legs syndrome (RLS) than people who do not have the condition. The researchers say this may explain why so many people with fibromyalgia have sleep problems, since their finding suggests these sleep problems could be due to RLS. RLS can be treated with such drugs as Mirapex (pramipexole) or Requip (ropinirole).
Source: http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/news-540062-98.html
Some Lots of Tylenol 8-Hour Caplets Recalled
Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson is voluntarily recalling approximately 128,000 lots of Tylenol 8-Hour caplets because of reports of a moldy odor. The company states that the recall is only a precaution, and that the possibility of adverse reactions from taking the over-the-counter painkillers is remote. Johnson & Johnson is currently facing a congressional probe over quality-control lapses that have led to recalls of Tylenol, Motrin, and the Allergy med More >
Yoga May Soothe Fibromyalgia, Arthritis Pain
A two-hour weekly Hatha yoga class that combines poses with meditation and discussion may help people who suffer from fibromyalgia and chronic pain, such as arthritis. A study found that the weekly practice reduce pain, fatigue, and stiffness by 30 percent in half of the women who participated. Researchers say that the results will need to be studied more, since the companionship of the weekly sessions may have spurred a placebo-like effect on some More >
How to Ease Back Pain at Work
Statistics suggest that four in five women who work on a computer daily will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. But experts say there are things people can do to help ease this work-related pain. In this slideshow, experts give 12 simple ways people can help reduce their back pain at work. The list includes such tips as planting the feet while seated, taking breaks, and moving the computer mouse closer to the keyboard and monitor. More >