Chronic Pain

While opioids represent an important tool in treating pain, it would be foolish to not acknowledge that opioids and opioid prescribing are fraught with potential hazards. However, through the development of a strong risk mitigation platform, primary care physicians can minimize the risks to their patients, as well as to their own practices.

This is a 60-year-old male with a 30-year history of bone pain. He had bilateral hip replacements 2 and 3 years earlier with no complications, but he has continued to have severe back pain.

The risks of marijuana are greatest for teen users, according to an analysis of current data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse published June 5, 2014 in The New England Journal of Medicine.

As the practice of telecare continues to gain momentum, a group of researchers conducted a study to test how effective that course of treatment is in patients with chronic illnesses.

When a patient arrives at a hospital or other urgent care center, there are seemingly endless tests that can be undertaken to appropriately diagnose the patient. A recent study reviewed the necessity of some tests, particularly in regard to acute, nonspecific lower back pain.

Looking back over a 30-year career in pain medicine, the author laments the shift from comprehensive, multidisciplinary pain care to a model that focuses on pills and procedures to treat chronic pain.

Clinicians who treat patients suffering with osteoarthritis pain have a new low-dose nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) option at their disposal. Zorvolex (diclofenac) was developed to meet prevailing FDA recommendations regarding NSAID dosing and treatment duration.

The guidelines were developed as part of a multi-part plan to curb misuse, abuse, and diversion of opioid medication by preventing opioid medications from being inappropriately prescribed in the emergency department, and by reducing the overuse of emergency departments for pain relief.

Diabetic neuropathic pain can be controlled with a low-fat vegan diet, according to research presented at the American Association of Diabetic Educators Annual Meeting.

Rescheduling hydrocodone combination products to the more-restrictive schedule II will impact clinicians and patients suffering with chronic pain, but will it have the desired effect on the misuse and abuse of these products?

The cannabis-based multiple sclerosis drug Sativex has been recommended for use in Wales, making it the first in the United Kingdom to do so. The drug awaits final approval from the government.

Although many fibromyalgia patients complain of chronic pain throughout their bodies, treatment has been difficult. However, in a new study, lidocaine injected into peripheral tissues reduced pain sensitivity.

An Australian team of researchers injected 10 female neuropathic pain patients with stem cells, which were overall, well-tolerated, according to research published in the Journal of Pain Research.

Abuse-deterrent properties, identical efficacy for pain relief, reversal of opioid-induced constipation, and theoretical tolerance mitigation may give Targiniq ER an interesting advantage over other oral opioids.

The frequency of migraine headaches is greater among perimenopausal and early menopausal women than their premenopausal counterparts.

Whether taken regularly or as needed, acetaminophen for acute low-back pain was no more effective than placebo in a large randomized trial.

One of the most common treatment courses for chronic pain is comprised of prescription opioid medications. However, concerns about drug addiction and abuse oftentimes outweigh the drugs' pain-relieving benefits.

Many patients with multiple sclerosis have numerous comorbid chronic conditions that worsen mental health and increase mortality.

Despite the negative publicity surrounding opioid analgesics in the management of chronic pain, the medications should not be omitted from any respectable pain physician's armamentarium.

As patients age, their ability to adjust to physical changes in their bodies can directly effect how they perceive their lives progressing.

Molecular changes seen in animal models of radiculopathy may help explain the transition from acute inflammatory pain to chronic neuropathic pain.

When the breasts are disproportionate to the rest of a woman's body, physical and psychological side effects can become very real issues.

For patients enduring constant pain in their ankles caused by arthritis, there could be relief on the horizon as medical science works to develop better ankle replacement procedures.

Although many primary care physicians remain uncertain of how to best help patients in pain manage their opioid prescriptions, new research shows a standardized protocol based on electronic medical records can get patients the assistance they need while providing peace of mind to prescribers.

Although many migraine sufferers can abort their headaches with over-the-counter remedies, a significant percentage of patients require prescription medication for relief.

A recent review found that tonabersat, a novel benzoylamino benzopyran compound, is well-tolerated, but no better than placebo for migraine prophylaxis.

Since the risk of herpes zoster rises sharply after age 50, the significant global health burden of shingles pain is expected to increase as the population ages.

Although clinicians are increasingly forced to face the 3-headed monster of comorbid diabetes, sleep disturbance, and pain, the healthcare community is only beginning to understand how the conditions overlap.

The expanded use of biofeedback can provide multiple benefits for patients who report issues ranging from headaches to neck pain and muscle tension.

Researchers have identified a compound that reduces the levels of a key enzyme that regulates activity in pain receptors, pointing the way to new therapies for treating some forms of back pain, shingles, and other types of chronic neuropathic pain.