Pain

Analysis of data from a previous study indicates that opioid use may increase the risk of heart attack by triggering atrial fibrillation.

University of Toronto researchers have found a novel role for a cell membrane-anchored mediator in cancer pain. They suggest that the serine protease TMPRSS2-a gene previously shown to play a key role in some of the most aggressive forms of androgen-fuelled cancers-appears to be the trigger behind the most severe forms of cancer pain.

People with a rare inherited condition known as "congenial insensitivity to pain" (CIP), which makes it impossible for them to feel pain, may hold the answer to providing pain relief for patients suffering with chronic pain.

Early diagnosis and treatment is the key to preventing long-term joint damage in patients with psoriatic arthritis.

Patients with a range of pain conditions may face amplified discomfort based how on how they perceive their symptoms. The findings were presented at the 34th Annual American Pain Society Scientific Meeting in Palm Springs, CA.

Stiff and swollen joints may land some relief due to a newly discovered anti-inflammatory chemical compound.

While there have been some concerns raised about computer assisted propofol sedation studies have shown it to be a safe and effective method when conducted by properly trained healthcare professionals. Work is also being done to ensure better results in the future.

According to research done on computer assisted propofol sedation patients see a faster recovery time by approximately 6 minutes on average. This can help not only the patients to leave the recovery area faster, but can also put less of a burden on the staff and location of their endoscopic procedure.

When undergoing endoscopic procedures it is important that patients receive the proper pain medication. A recent study looked at whether a computer can assist in the process to keep the patients comfortable allow them to continue on their day after the procedure.

If previous research has shown a correlation between chronic pain and depression, it's only natural that the same can be said about chronic pain and happiness – right? A new study shows that's not the case.

Opioid addiction is a serious problem that a subset of patients prescribed opioids for pain could face; however, the issue presents an even more slippery slope for those with chronic pain due to the long-term need for the drugs.

Antony Loebel, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. provided invaluable insight on the first placebo-controlled trial for patients with Major Depressive Disorder with mixed features.

Patients' levels of anxiety and defensiveness are associated with how they view their chronic back pain, a new study showed.

With a new study showing that 4 out of 10 US adults know someone who has battled prescription painkiller abuse during the last 5 years, concerns about the rising epidemic are more prominent than ever.

Some intestinal bacteria cause more pain than others in patients with irritable bowel syndrome, according to study results reported by a team of researchers from North Carolina.

Researchers from the University of British Columbia since 1995 have been assessing opioid-dependent patients with pain who are on methadone maintenance treatment.

A collaborative team from the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic recently examined the prevalence of migraines in patients with fibromyalgia. The study, presented at the 34th Annual American Pain Society Scientific Meeting in Palm Springs, CA, used patients from the Mayo Clinic Fibromyalgia Registry database.

The lack of biomarkers for some life-changing conditions makes diagnoses and treatments more challenging. A new study identified possible biological factors for certain painful diseases.

Competing theories have long been put forth to explain more about the cause of chronic pain, but a new study may finally have shed light on the mystery.

While maintaining high levels of physical activity may not appeal to many patients with fibromyalgia (FM), doing so may be the best way to help ease their pain.

Cases of prescription opioid misuse, abuse, and addiction are still on the rise, claiming thousands of lives each year.

Not only does poor sleep result in more pain for fibromyalgia patients, but it is also linked to a lower pain threshold.

Virtual reality experiments determined that the threshold of pain is increased when the participants do not know the degree of rotation is manipulated.

In a continuing effort to curb the spread of hepatitis C among the riskiest populations, government health officials recently held a webinar to discuss links between opioid injection drug use and increased cases of the liver disease.

Allergy sufferers may refrain from voicing sniffle complaints once they hear the benefits associated with the warmer weather.

Research from Harvard Medical School and Boston University School of Medicine indicates that opioid dispensing and prescription opioid overdoses decreased substantially following two major changes in the pharmaceutical market in 2010: the introduction of abuse-deterrent, extended-release oxycodone hydrochloride and withdrawal of propoxyphene.

The most common blood-borne infection is seeing a spike in cases across the US due to injection drug use (IDU).

For more than a decade, it has been an annual ritual to read headlines about a crisis brewing in Congress as it struggled to avert a looming Medicare disaster stemming from the imminent pay cut to Medicare physicians mandated by the "SGR". Like a broken record each time, spurred by warnings of physician groups of the dire consequences the slash in Medicare fees would have on medical practices and Medicare patients, Congress scrambled at the 12th hour to put off the mandated cuts for another year.

In last month's Pain Perspectives, I discussed the importance of assessing patients with chronic pain for depression – as it is extremely prevalent in this population and has been found to interfere with physical treatment. This month, we will begin to look at what the primary care physician can do to ensure that their patients with chronic pain have their depression addressed adequately.

The brain chemical typically associated with emotions and other functions may be to blame for boosting chronic pain.