Chronic Pain

Sometimes symptoms of CIDP can closely resemble those of other conditions. In light of this it is important for doctors to take a closer look to ensure a proper diagnosis is made.

The opioid epidemic began nearly 30 years ago and since that time small steps have been taken to reverse its effects. The question remains whether too much damage has already been done to fix the problems in a timely manner.

For many years the dangers of opioid addiction have been well known. Taking the steps needed to reverse its impact has been slower in taking hold across the country.

With the increasing number of patients turning to epidural steroid injections for pain relief, specialists with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Safe Use Initiative gathered specialists to improve the procedure.

Ibuprofen and acetaminophen are among the well-known ingredients found in pain relievers, but an unusual addition that works just as well as existing medications may be making its way onto store shelves.

Canada- and Switzerland-based researchers discovered that a specific gene, that is typically associated with a rare disease, plays an important role in how pain is processed in the body.

While skin biopsies can give insight to epidermal innervation after a nerve injury, properly identifying pain becomes more challenging in those with neuropathy.

A new study has found evidence that a specific genetic mutation may cause afflicted patients to feel more intense neuropathic pain.

Although 49 states have some sort of drug monitoring program, a recently published study marked the first time that their impact has been measured.

Abdominal complaints are not the result of exocrine pancreatic function in Fabry disease patients, suggests a study by researchers in Slovenia.

When a 29-year-old man began experiencing chronic pain in his left thumb, the reason why proved to be anything but routine.

The combination of nortriptyline and morphine appears to offer superior efficacy in providing relief from chronic neuropathic pain than monotherapy with either agent.

The rates of opioid misuse among US patients with chronic pain appear to average about 25%, according to the results of a recently published systematic review and data synthesis.

Patients are not only confused about opioid use, but they also fear developing an addiction and crave more information from physicians.

Commonly found in pain relievers, acetaminophen gets rid of more than just physical agony – it also diminishes emotions.

Interventional pain management physicians are looking at bringing back an old therapy: destroying pain-causing nerves with cryo-ablation.

Deep brain stimulation stimulating the ventral posterolateral nucleus was effective in reducing neuropathic pain, according to findings from Korean research centers.

While many patients suffering from low back pain (LBP) jump right to opioids or advanced imaging procedures for relief, researchers found that the most beneficial method is also wallet-friendly.

With the US population growing older and heavier, chronic knee pain is becoming common, and total knee replacement surgery is on the rise. Some 40% of women age 60 to 70 and 25% of men that age have such pain, and many turn to total knee replacement surgery. New studies suggest denervation of the nerves responsible for knee pain could be an alternative.

An expert on both flight and medical safety, author John Nance tells physicians the recent crash of a German Wings jet holds lessons for medicine as well as aviation.

Interventional pain management-the field of helping patients with acute or chronic pain without doing major surgery--is a both a growing specialty and one that is under assault. As the annual meeting of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians got underway in Orlando, FL today, group leaders outlined the organization's political agenda.

For some patients the first treatment they receive to help manage their pain is opioid medication. Recent studies have looked at whether staying on these prescriptions for long periods of time can do more harm than good.

While many individuals with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) opt for the high-tech approach of surgery to rid their symptoms, research shows that physical therapy has a similar improved outcome.

Treating drug-resistant trigeminal neuralgia with stereotactic radiosurgery with linear accelerators is effective and safe, based on a literature review published in Pain Physician.

Exercise can reduce depressive symptoms in patients with arthritis and rheumatic diseases, according to a recently published meta-analysis.

A study has demonstrated improvements in patients with rheumatoid arthritis who took part in exercise and/ or nutritional interventions.

A new poll from the National Sleep Foundation reveals that pain joins two related concerns -- stress and poor health -- as key correlates of shorter sleep duration and worse sleep quality.

Although a lot of information about whiplash remains an ongoing investigation, special imaging has given researchers the ability to predict future chronic pain in victims earlier than ever.

A stepped-care intervention studied by researchers from the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis, the Regenstrief Institute and the Indiana University School of Medicine appears to statistically significantly improve pain-related disability among veterans of recent military operations.

Between relieving pain and speeding up recovery time after spinal surgery, a new study found various benefits associated with phone counseling.