Chronic Pain

Lynn Webster, MD, President-elect of the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) talks about the petition submitted to the FDA by Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing (PROP) and the AAPM response; the current dialogue on the risks and benefits of prescription opioids for managing chronic noncancer pain; and the future of pain management.

With most medical schools devoting only a few curriculum hours to pain management training, many physicians begin their medical career underprepared to meet the needs of patients suffering with chronic pain. Here, Barry Cole, MD, identifies several key concepts that would help improve pain care in the US if only more physicians would learn about them sooner.

FDA advisory committee votes against recommending approval for the first single-entity extended-release hydrocodone product.

Recently, a group calling itself Physicians for the Responsible Opioid Prescribing proposed several radical changes to the way we treat patients with chronic noncancer pain, calling for limits on the dose and duration of opioid treatment that would in effect deny these medications to the majority of patients now receiving them for noncancer pain.

Brief summaries of recently launched clinical trials for post-operative pain, low back pain, pelvic pain, migraine, and other forms of chronic pain.

This handy resource from the Pennsylvania Medical Society provides valuable guidance for clinicians and their staff on identifying patients who may abuse, misuse, or divert prescription opioids.

Committee to vote on whether the efficacy, safety, and risk-benefit profile of Zohydro ER supports the approval of the NDA submitted by Zogenix.

News on new therapies for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, prescription drug monitoring programs, post-operative opioid use, the cost of chronic pain, and other developments in the field of pain management.

News on opioid REMS, chronic pain apps, opioid safety in hospitals, and other developments in the field of pain management.

The variety of mechanisms that play a part in pathologic pain perception leads to a great deal of complexity and variation in the clinical presentation and severity of fibromyalgia symptoms, as well as a high degree of variability in patient response to treatment.

Overweight women face a higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis than their normal-weight peers, according to a study presented at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in Washington, DC.

Although many patients suffering with low back pain are initially focused on pain relief, convincing them to shift their focus to prevention and functional improvement can lead to better clinical outcomes and greater patient satisfaction.

Forty percent of patients treated with the uricase drug pegloticase saw complete resolution of one or more gouty tophi within 25 weeks.

Results presented at the American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Professionals 2012 annual meeting show that adalimumab and methotrexate are more effective than DMARDs and prednisone in achieving remission in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis or undifferentiated arthritis patients.

Patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) may be afraid to volunteer information that helps clinicians accurately diagnose them.

The risks are proven. The benefits are questionable. The alternatives are numerous. So is it ever a good idea to prescribe opioids for patients suffering with chronic pain from rheumatoid arthritis?

Lonnie Zeltzer, MD, director of the Pediatric Pain Program at Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA, and Professor of Pediatrics, Anesthesiology, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, discusses barriers to effective pain care in children, explains why primary care physicians and family physicians need additional training in pediatric pain care, and talks about why applying the biopsychosocial model of care equips clinicians to deal with the complexities of pain.

With more patients and practitioners expressing interest in non-Western modes of healing and other complementary and alternative forms of medicine, researchers are studying whether traditional Chinese methods like tai chi are effective in treating arthritis and other painful conditions.

Communication skills, a better understanding of the presentation of chronic pain, and a methodical approach to evaluation and treatment are the keys providing better pain care. Chronic pain is a common clinical presentation, yet many physicians remain apprehensive and feel reluctant about caring for patients with this condition.

The Institute of Medicine's recent report on chronic pain presents data on the toll of severe headaches and migraines-and exactly whom they tend to afflict.

New breakthroughs in our understanding of the physical and biochemical pathways of pain may soon lead to effect disease-modifying drugs.

Survey from National Fibromyalgia Association and American Pain Foundation released on reveals impact of fibromyalgia on patients' quality of life.

Study shows that doctors are not attentive enough to the prescription drug use of their patients, increasing the chances of abuse.

A study confirmed that removal of symptomatic calcium deposits on the rotary cuff is an effective treatment in patients who have chronic shoulder pain

Spinal Manipulation is a relatively safe procedure that is being used to help patients suffering from chronic back pain.

Physiotherapy may be the answer for many who suffer from chronic shoulder pain.

Chronic pain takes a toll on primary care providers as well as their patients.

Using an integrated approach to care for those with chronic low back pain on long term sick leave has substantially lower costs than usual care.

Swedish researchers carried out in-depth interviews with 10 people who had experienced chronic pain for between four and 32 years.

The more joint pains present throughout the body, the more knee pain increases.