Pain Relief

New Treatment Eliminates Heel Pain Caused By Plantar Fasciitis

ruzik_tuzik — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:58:13 -0600

Combining an ultrasound-guided technique with steroid injection is 95 percent effective at relieving the common and painful foot problem called plantar fasciitis, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

"There is no widely accepted therapy or standard of care for patients when first-line treatments fail to relieve the pain of plantar fasciitis," said the study's lead author, Luca M. Sconfienza, M.D., from Italy's University of Genoa. "Our new technique is an effective, one-time outpatient procedure."

Patient Harm Common With Patient-Controlled Pain Medication

ruzik_tuzik — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:28:04 -0600

Intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) allows patients to control their own pain medication, but a new study published in the December 2008 issue of The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety shows that errors related to this practice are four times more likely to result in patient harm than errors that occur with other medications.

FDA Approves New Drug To Alleviate Moderate To Severe Pain

ruzik_tuzik — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:30:29 -0600

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Tapentadol hydrochloride, an immediate-release oral tablet for the relief of moderate to severe acute pain.

Tapentadol is a centrally-acting synthetic analgesic that is available in doses of 50 mg, 75 mg, or 100 mg.

"This approval offers health care professionals an additional choice for treating moderate to severe acute pain," said John Jenkins, M.D., director of the office of new drugs in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

ReBound Brings New Heat Therapy For Pain Treatment

ruzik_tuzik — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 22:40:46 -0600

Game Ready and ReGear Life Sciences announced today the introduction of ReBound, a new and innovative therapeutic warming system designed to treat pain, muscle spasms, and joint contractures using radio frequency (RF) diathermy. Game Ready -- long known for providing state-of-the-art injury treatment systems to the physical therapy and athletic training markets -- will distribute this product developed by ReGear.

Chronic Pain Might Contribute To Suicidal Thoughts

ruzik_tuzik — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 22:16:12 -0600

New research suggests that patients with chronic pain are more prone than others are to consider suicide. The increased risk remained even when study authors took the possible influence of mental illness into account.

"This is further evidence that we need to be aware of the heightened risk for suicide in those with chronic pain," said Mark Ilgen, lead study author. "More work is needed to figure out who's going to be at the greatest risk and how can we intervene and decrease this risk."

Minimally Invasive Technique Relieves Severe Face Pain

ruzik_tuzik — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:50:59 -0600

Jeff Jackson, 49, of Troy, began having face pain about two years ago. At first the pain was annoying, but later it became more frequent and at times intolerable.

"It felt like a red hot ice pick with 220 volts running through it," Jackson explained. "And after the pain went away, I always worried when it might return. It was terrible."

Spinal Cord Stimulation Recommended For Patients With Chronic Neuropathic Pain

ruzik_tuzik — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:10:46 -0500

Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) today welcomed an announcement by the U.K.'s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommending the use of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for patients with chronic neuropathic pain. In its comprehensive final guidance, NICE confirmed that SCS is both safe and clinically effective in these patients. Importantly, NICE also concluded that SCS is cost-effective when used to treat patients with chronic neuropathic pain, despite the use of conservative modeling techniques in the appraisal.

Ten Myths Of Chronic Pain

ruzik_tuzik — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 10:17:34 -0500

Misconceptions about chronic pain can do harm to people with legitimate medical problems. Patients with chronic pain can and should be treated. Dispelling these damaging myths should raise awareness and encourage more people to seek help with a professional trained in treating chronic pain.

Gene Therapy Treats Chronic Pain

ruzik_tuzik — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 07:18:47 -0500

This week, University of Michigan scientists will begin a phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of cancer-related pain, using a novel gene transfer vector injected into the skin to deliver a pain-relieving gene to the nervous system.

A gene transfer vector is an agent used to carry genes into cells. In this groundbreaking clinical trial, the investigators will use a vector created from herpes simplex virus (HSV) – the virus that causes cold sores – to deliver the gene for enkephalin, one of the body’s own natural pain relievers.

Talking To Your Doctor About Chronic Pain

ruzik_tuzik — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 08:47:42 -0500

According to the American Pain Foundation, some 76.2 million people, or 26 percent of the population, suffer from pain that lasts more than 24 hours.

For most people, the pain will eventually subside or even disappear; however, for 42 percent of those with pain, it will last longer than a year. In order to get effective pain treatment, it is important to be able to accurately describe your pain to your physician.