Pain

Hospitalizations for poisoning by prescription opioids, sedatives and tranquilizers has increased by 65 percent from 1999 to 2006 in the U.S., according to study results published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Are we prepared to care for people with chronic or complex conditions?

Early this morning, President Obama announced that there is no actual need for healthcare reform, and apologized for "making such a big deal about it before."

Positive results from research on a minimally-invasive surgical product to treat low back pain

Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, Pamela Hartzband, MD, and Jerome Groopman, MD, explore the changes, good and bad, that the Internet has brought to the practice of medicine.

Individuals across the country are either rejoicing, cursing, or anxious over the historic passing of healthcare reform legislation and for physicians and legal experts alike the question remains: What will these changes mean for the practice of medicine and patients' rights?

Study results published in the American Journal of Infection Control found that Twitter is often used to spread misleading or false information about key healthcare topics, with incorrect information from a single tweet able to reach hundreds of thousands of patients.

Hormone replacement in the joint fluid of men and women may help regenerate damaged tissue in patients with late stage human osteoarthritis.

Exercising for 30 minutes throughout the day can help alleviate the symptoms of fibromyalgia according to the results of a study published in the journal of Arthritis Research & Therapy.

Patients with osteoarthritis may experience less knee loading by wearing flip flops and shoes with flexible soles, instead of wearing clogs or stability shoes.

HCPLive interviewed Ron Wince, president and CEO of Guidon Performance Solutions about the healthcare reform bill.

Several provisions from the National Pain Care Policy Act, legislation written to improve pain care in America for the more than 76.5 million Americans affected by pain, are included in the Health Care Reform Bill that recently passed.

A theory on inflammation and pain may lead the way for the creation of new kinds of painkillers, according to research from the University of Leeds.

We met cute. Classic Hollywood. America caught a glimpse of healthcare reform about a year ago--but only in passing, a little flirtatious hair-toss. Couldn't really see anything, veiled and shadowy, but God did she look great.

I have stayed away from saying much about the health care reform debate so far, but based on the healthcare reform plan passed yesterday, I'd have to say, "Gosh, that doesn't look too bad."

Sunday evening, the House of Representatives voted 219 to 212 to approve the Senate version of the health reform bill. Lost in all the hoopla surrounding backroom wheeling and dealing and arcane parliamentary procedures has been the response from the physician community, which has been decidedly mixed.

The healthcare sector will see an increase of 4 million jobs by 2018. Unfortunately, we'll continue to see shortages on the doctor's side, meaning that to take advantage of growth, doctors will need to cultivate a strong supporting cast. Here's how to do it.

A new website provides data on how healthy-or unhealthy-every county is.

An orally active, peripherally-restricted opioid antagonist designed to aid in the treatment of opioid-induced constipation, will be initiated into a multidose phase 1 clinical study by Alkermes, Inc.

An oral, controlled-release formulation of hydrocodone without acetaminophen will be the focus of a pivotal phase three clinical trial initiated by Zogenix, Inc.

Myeloma patients with non-osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (NOVCF) experience a reduction of pain, medication use and disability when treated with vertebroplasty, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Tapentadol, a drug prescribed for pain management, will now be detectable through an oral fluid test developed by Forensic Laboratories.

Over-the-counter medications containing acetaminophen provide adequate relief for postpartum pain, according to a review headed by Dr. Doris Chou, medical officer with the department of reproductive health and research at the World Health Organization.

Patients with advanced knee arthritis tend to experience successful pain relief and improved function with total knee replacement surgery, according to the results of a study presented at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthapaedic Surgeons.

Purchases of cholesterol and diabetes prescription drugs by elderly Medicare beneficiaries reached nearly $19 billion in 2007 – about 1/4 of the approximately $82 billion spent for medications for the elderly.

A treatment for opioid-induced constipation (OIC) will be advanced into late stage clinical development by Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (www.progenics.com)

Mindfulness meditation intervention may be helpful in reducing pain ratings and sensitivity, according to results of a study published in The Journal of Pain (March).

The market for retail health clinics is expected to expand more than 30 percent by 2014, signaling a major opportunity for physicians. Here are three ways in which you can take advantage of this growth trend.

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Chris Jennings discussed the state of health care reform.