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Why do some people have COVID but don’t even know it? It’s posited that SARS-CoV-2 infection can block pain. While that’s bad for people with the infection, who may be unaware that they are even sick and potentially spreading the disease, the process may offer “unexpected new possibilities for...
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In a study discussing “the mystery of American pain,” two aspects of pain were examined: level of education and age. The findings are eye-opening. Less educated Americans are reporting higher levels of pain than the elderly, perhaps due to stress from both the economy and work, and limited access to...
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According to an article in JAMA, “…most guidelines focus on escalating care and provide few explicit recommendations to stop or scale back (ie, deintensify) treatment and testing” of medical services for chronic conditions or prevention. The article authors recommend “Stopping these services when...
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A study presented in Journal of Psychopharmacology examined the potential pain management abilities of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). The ergot alkaloid derivative was given to 24 healthy volunteers who then showed significantly higher tolerance to pain during a cold pressor test, with mild side...
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In a guide for team physicians working with young athletes—10 to 18 years old—it is recommended that practitioners look at all factors involved before potentially prescribing opioids to this age group. This Special Communications: Team Physician and Consensus Statement appears in the journal Medicin...
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Yoga is not all about the benefits of stretching. It can also combat the symptoms of atrial fibrillation such as chest pain, palpitations, and shortness of breath. Dr. Naresh Sen of HG SMS Hospital, Jaipur, India, commented, “The symptoms of atrial fibrillation can be distressing. They come and go...
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The FDA approved nonopioid medication called Orphengesic Forte—for relief of the mild to moderate pain of acute musculoskeletal disorders—is now available! Barry Patel, PharmD, and CEO/co-founder of Galt Pharmaceuticals, commented, “This is a big win in the fight against the U.S. opioid epidemic and...
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New guidelines and recommendations from the American College of Physicians and American Academy of Family Physicians are outlined in Annals of Internal Medicine. Specifically, the guidelines examine how best to combat adult acute pain from musculoskeletal injuries via both pharmacologic and...
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There’s a new player in the multimodal, nonpharmacologic, opioid-sparing pain management arena: the antinociceptive effect of green-spectrum light exposure. This potential new tool in the fight against pain works with the knowledge that areas of affect and circadian rhythm are influenced by visually...
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England’s NICE—the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence—is advising that other types of pain management/treatment should be utilized before common pain medications. Nonpharmacologic suggestions include exercise, psychotherapy, acupuncture, and electrical modalities. In its draft...