Pain

Repeated noninvasive transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) helped treat post-stroke pain, spasticity, and motor symptoms in a small group of stroke patients, according to researchers who presented the findings at the XXI World Congress of Neurology 2013 in Vienna.

Update on treatment planning, risk management, and ongoing monitoring for efficacy, safety, and adherence in patients treated with opioids for chronic, noncancer pain.

A solid history and physical exam, several quick tests to localize pain, and a management plan that incorporates physical therapy can produce good outcomes without resorting to surgery.

Local anesthetic wound infiltration is associated with postoperative pain scores comparable to those obtained through epidural analgesia.

In one study, 49% of participants with diabetes had osteoarthritis compared with 26% of participants without diabetes.

The nutritional supplements glucosamine and chondroitin have demonstrated some potential for reducing pain associated with osteoarthritis.

A meta-analysis provides evidence that hyaluronic acid injections improve pain symptoms and function in patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.

Study shows that somatization and low job security are independently associated with low back pain prevalence.

Review of the literature finds that although zoledronate and alendronate may have some potential for effective pain management in patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis, overall there is limited evidence supporting the use of bisphosphonates to treat OA pain.

Lack of correlation reinforces the need to individualize therapy based on clinical effectiveness for that patient in order to optimize treatment outcomes.

Mary Lynn McPherson, PharmD, BCPS, CPE, FASPE, shows healthcare professionals how to apply an equianalgesic opioid dosing chart to 12 complicated patient cases requiring an opioid switch.

Fifteen posters presented at PAINWeek 2013 demonstrate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of a novel controlled-release combination oxycodone-acetaminophen analgesic in acute pain patients.

Post-hoc analysis of phase III clinical study results finds lubiprostone doesn't interfere with the analgesic effect of opioids in chronic non-cancer pain patients with opioid-induced constipation.

Although clinical psychiatrist Michael E. Schatman, PhD, CPE, formerly "beat the hell out of the opioid industry," he spent an hour on the PAINWeek stage supporting his new belief that "maybe it's time to stop fighting."

Two literature reviews of single-arm open-label (OL), open-label extension (OLE), and epidemiologic studies with a duration of six months or more provide evidence that long-term opioid therapy improves pain scores in chronic non-cancer pain patients.

In a cohort of family medicine physicians, researchers found a strong inverse relationship between confidence and comfort toward opioid prescribing and concern about negative consequences.

As the doctor shopping rate for immediate-release single entity oxycodone increased by 9 percent, reformulated extended-release OxyContin's doctor shopping rate fell by 40 percent.

Lisa M. McElhaney addresses the limited education, awareness, and prevention of bullying within pain management practices.

Commander John J. Burke details how pain management practitioners can adequately protect themselves from prescription drug diverters without hurting their legitimate patients.

Jennifer E. Bolen, JD, says it's the responsibility of physicians - not labs - to ensure drug testing reports comply with federal and state guidelines in the event of an audit.

Michael R. Clark, MD, MPH, MBA, outlines the vulnerabilities that put patients with acute pain at risk of transitioning into new chronic pain.

A panel of three experts from the legal side of pain management said investigations into prescribers after patient deaths resulting from opioid overdose are rare and overblown.

Using nutritional supplement mixtures consisting of arginine, glutamine, and beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) may speed up wound healing in diabetic foot ulcers.

The new Federation of State Medical Boards Model Policy for the Use of Opioid Analgesics in the Treatment of Chronic Pain is designed to help ensure physicians who prescribe or use opioids do so "in full compliance with state and federal regulations, accepted clinical practice, and in a manner that is safe and reduces risk."

Even when it's administered in a low-dose form that resists gastric acid and prevents tablet dissolution in the stomach, aspirin therapy causes peptic ulcer and increases the risk of 30-day mortality resulting from gastrointestinal (GI) disorder progression.

Fibromyalgia patients who don't respond to Lyrica (pregabalin) may see their pain scores significantly improve after adding Savella (milnacipran) to their treatment regimens.

An online commentary published in the May 22/May 29 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association asserts that all hospitals should randomly test physicians for drug and alcohol abuse to increase patient safety.

Results from a 12-week study show patients treated with eluxadoline report decreased abdominal pain and improved bowel movement frequency and urgency.

A pair of researchers based in Texas has gained valuable insight into the correlation between individual cell type in the tissues of gout patients and comorbidity factors of the chronic inflammatory autoimmune disorder.

Though recent reviews were unable to provide evidence of efficacy for several complementary treatments for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a group of researchers decided to clinically evaluate the effectiveness of static electric field therapy by high voltage alternating current (EF-HVAC) in the chronic inflammatory autoimmune disorder.