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A new study conducted by researchers from the University at Buffalo School of Nursing is one of the first to focus specifically on the risk factors for opioid misuse in older adults. This population is particularly sensitive to adverse effects from opioids, according to the researchers. Study author...
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Although one of the goals of clinical guideline development is to aid the provider with information to help make important treatment decisions, what’s not completely divulged is that clinical treatment guidelines can’t make a good treatment decision per se for an individual patient. Guidelines that...
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Findings from new research conducted at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center conclude that long-term opioid therapy is associated with an increased risk of complications following spinal surgery. Lead author Safdar Kahn, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon at Wexner Medical Center’s...
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The efficacy of amitriptyline (Elavil® and others) has been established for a variety of pain conditions, but has been understudied for the management of chronic neck pain (CNP), the optimal treatment approach for which has remained controversial. A new study supported by the Council of Research of...
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Erythromelagia is a rare and potentially devastating syndrome associated with severe heat and burning pain, and redness involving the skin of the hands or feet or both. The study of this disorder has led to the discovery of new insights into pain pathophysiology as well as new treatments. This...
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In a step to address the dearth of clinical research on opioid therapy for chronic pain, a new long-term study finds no advantages to opioid medications over nonopioids for the management of pain from hip or knee osteoarthritis or chronic back pain. Lead author Erin Krebs, MD, MPH, with the...
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Spinal pain is very difficult to diagnose, the more so as patients get older. They present with different things on their MRI, different findings on exam, and they’ve had chronic pain for many years. Unfortunately, a lot of the physical exam and history findings are very generalizable, so it’s hard...
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Cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) have been proven to be effective alternate treatment modalities for patients with chronic pain, but shortcomings in existing programs may be limiting their efficacy in the patient populations most in need. In an address last week to the American Pain Society...
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Per the department of Health and Human Services, opioid related overdose deaths have increased almost 400% over the last 18 years. This shift has yielded heightened scrutiny of prescribing practices, and opioids have subsequently fallen out of favor as a first-line treatment for chronic pain. In...
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Differences in the experience of pain for men and women have been explored for many years at PAINWeek®, and findings from a new study conducted by the Pain Neurobiology Group at the University of Texas at Dallas provide further insight. Working with mouse models, researchers found that a targeted...