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To date, medical marijuana has been legalized in 29 states plus the District of Columbia, with chronic pain and/or HIV/AIDS as qualifying conditions for treatment. But little is known about the impact of medical marijuana on opioid use in patients with chronic pain, including the at-risk for opioid...
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A new study suggests that pharmacological agents currently used for treating cancer and controlling tumor growth could also be effective in the management of chronic pain. The discovery of a new pain processing pathway could enable the development of new nonopioid treatment alternatives, according...
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In a recent press release, the marketing research and strategic planning firm Pain Insights, Inc., announced the publication of a new study of patient views on the use of opioids, nonopioid analgesics, and nonpharmacologic therapies for the management of chronic pain. The study was undertaken to...
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I think the essence of how to move forward in treating these comorbid conditions is to become more specific in how we define depression. It’s a word that is general, has a lot of different meanings, and when you think about it from a clinical perspective, there really are many different types of...
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An international clinical trial published in the Lancet focuses on preserving muscle function in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare but fatal genetic disorder. Caused by an absence of dystrophin, a protein that helps keep muscle cells intact, the disorder is characterized by progressive muscle...
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A new consensus report released last week by a panel of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine urges a broad-based rethinking of our approach to chronic pain management, which would require changes in outlook and behavior from all stakeholders, including clinicians, patients...
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The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) recently released an updated version of its guidelines for prescribers in the use of opioid therapy for chronic pain. The revised document draws on recent advisories from the CDC and the FDA, and is intended to reflect the most current science for...
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Dr. Fillingim discusses the evidence suggesting that changes in structure and function of the brain contribute to the pathophysiology of chronic pain. Drawing on a conceptual model of pain as on a continuum of peripheral and central contributors, the tailoring of brain vs body-focused treatment...
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New research from the University of California, San Francisco appears to link chronic pain in older adults to accelerated cognitive decline and dementia. In the longitudinal population based cohort study, a finding of pain in 2 interviews conducted 2 years apart was associated with a statistically...
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Results of a study published last week in the Journal of Pain Research provided confirming evidence that many providers lack confidence in their capacity to manage patients with chronic pain. Conducted by researchers from the Mayo Clinic, the study surveyed 83 attendees at a Mayo Clinic medical...