August 2011
5 posts
9 Things You Can Do to Avoid #Fibromyalgia Pain... →
From Web MD
9 #Pain Pill Mistakes →
It’s been a hard day, and Joe’s back is killing him.
His wife has some Percocet left over from a trip to the dentist, and there’s that big bottle of Tylenol under the sink, so Joe grabs a couple of each and washes them down with a slug of beer.
Luckily for Joe, he’s a fictional character invented for this article. But there are a lot of real-life Joes out there making...
New Therapy May Help People With Unexplained... →
A new type of therapy may help people with symptoms such as pain, weakness, or dizziness that can’t be explained by an underlying disease, according to a study published in the July 27, 2011, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. These symptoms, which can also include fatigue, tingling and numbness, are also known as functional or...
Behavioral Treatment For #Migraines A... →
Treating chronic migraines with behavioral approaches - such as relaxation training, hypnosis and biofeedback - can make financial sense compared to prescription-drug treatment, especially after a year or more, a new study found.
Read more
Tylenol Maximum Daily Dosage To Drop To 3,000mg... →
Tylenol, whose active ingredient is acetaminophen, will now have a lower recommended daily dose, which is aimed at reducing the risk of accidental overdose, McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a Johnson & Johnson company announced today. The recommended daily maximum for Extra Strength Tylenol 500mg tablets will go down from 8 per day to 6 per day, i.e. from 4,000mg per day to 3,000mg per day. ...
July 2011
14 posts
Yoga can reduce #ChronicPain, study finds →
A small Canadian study announced July 27 found that practicing yoga twice weekly for eight weeks reduced the symptoms of chronic pain and mental stress in women with fibromyalgia.
The study is the first to look at the effects of yoga on levels of the hormone cortisol in women suffering with fibromyalgia. The condition, which predominantly affects women, is associated with chronic pain and ...
Study Shows Unique Characteristics of Acute vs.... →
By some estimates, up to 85 percent of Americans have experienced low back pain and research reported in The Journal of Pain showed that pain intensity ratings, pain location and sensory and affective variables differ among individuals with acute and chronic low back pain. In some cases, these factors might be predictive of which acute pain patients may develop chronic pain.
Researchers...
Meditation Is A Powerful #Painkiller →
Pain is a huge medical problem. According to a new report from the Institute of Medicine, chronic pain costs the U.S. more than $600 billion every year in medical bills and lost productivity. Back pain alone consumes nearly $90 billion in health-care expenses, roughly equivalent to what’s spent on cancer.
Despite the increasing prevalence of chronic pain—nearly one in three Americans suffers...
Giving #ChronicPain a Medical Platform of Its Own →
Most doctors view pain as a symptom of an underlying problem — treat the disease or the injury, and the pain goes away.
But for large numbers of patients, the pain never goes away. In a sweeping review issued last month, the Institute of Medicine — the medical branch of the National Academy of Sciences — estimated that chronic pain afflicts 116 million Americans, far more than previously...
#ChronicPain Study: Guess Which Alternative... →
Chronic pain affects 116 million Americans and, unfortunately, finding the remedy to this pain is not always simple. Just ask any of the millions who take the traditional pain medications and still can’t shake their aches. For that reason, many people turn to alternative medicine, although these helpful methods are not accessible to everyone.
In a recent study, researchers looked at nearly...
When #Pain Turns Chronic; What to Do →
For people with severe chronic pain like Kelly Young and Teresa Shaffer—both of whom have become patient advocates —coping with agony is a fact of life. Young suffers from rheumatoid arthritis while Shaffer’s pain is linked primarily to another degenerative bone disease.
Chronic pain is one of the most difficult—and common—medical conditions. Estimated to affect 76 million Americans—more...
12 Steps to Include in Your Battle w #Chronic Pain
The first book I ever read on pain was “Mastering Pain” by Dr. Richard Sternbach. Here are 12 steps to follow:
1. Accept the fact of having chronic pain.
2. Set specific goals for work, hobbies and social activities toward which you will work.
3. Let yourself get angry at your pain if it seems to be getting the best of you.
4. Take your analgesics on a strict time schedule, and...
#Painkillers May Raise Risk of Dangerous Heart... →
A new study finds that painkillers widely used to treat inflammation are associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm disorder connected with a raised risk of stroke, heart failure and death.
Previous research has linked non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and newer anti-inflammatory medications known as cox-2 inhibitors to an increased risk for heart...
Important tips to manage your #ChronicPain →
Chronic pain can be debilitating, all-consuming and even frustrating — especially when you’ve taken every test and tried every medication and you still hurt. You start to think maybe it’s all in your head (it’s not) and there’s nothing else you can do (not true). Research shows the best way to control chronic pain is to tackle it from all fronts; in fact, a published review found that...
#ChronicPain Costs $635 Billion A Year →
Hard-to-treat chronic pain, a condition that inflicts at least 116 million adult Americans a year, can cost the nation anywhere between $560 billion to $635 billion each year, according to a report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM).
Addressing the highly common condition that is preventable and could be better managed requires a comprehensive strategy encompassing lost productivity and...
#Pain Reliever Safety: Some Red Flags →
Pain relievers are helpful tools but know the risks.
Surgery for #TrigeminalNeuralgia →
I had this surgery in 2003. It saved my life and was a part of me becoming pain free. Surgery is permanent, so always consider it as a last option.
An Integrated approach to #BACK PAIN →
Most low back pain tends to get better on its own within 4 to 6 weeks, regardless of how it’s treated. But if it doesn’t, it’s time to seek more specialized care.
Decades ago, most people who sought treatment for low back pain went to their primary care provider for medication and an X-ray. If their pain became intolerable, perhaps they ultimately saw an orthopedist for back surgery. But...
Potential #PAIN Breakthrough via Sodium Channel →
Scientists at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle have determined the atomic architecture of a sodium channel. The achievement opens new possibilities for molecular medicine researchers around the world in designing better drugs for pain, epilepsy, and heart rhythm disturbances. Sodium channels are pores in the membranes of excitable cells - such as brain nerve cells or beating...
June 2011
6 posts
#Meditation 'cuts risk of heart attack by half' →
Meditation can be a key element in reducing your pain as well. It’s a great tool that we already have on board. Learn it and practice it and your life will be enhanced!
Mutations Of A Single Gene Cause Mystery Pain... →
An estimated 20 million people in the United States suffer from peripheral neuropathy, marked by the degeneration of nerves and in some cases severe pain. There is no good treatment for the disorder and doctors can find no apparent cause in one of every three cases. An international team of scientists headed by researchers from Yale University, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in West...
New Oral #RheumatoidArthritis Drug Works in... →
An experimental drug called tofacitinib may help treat rheumatoid arthritis — and it’s taken as a pill, rather than as an injection or infusion.
In London, researchers reported results from a study in which rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients took tofacitnib or a placebo. Tofacitinib improved symptoms better than the placebo and worked quickly in patients who had not responded to...
Can a doctor EVER understand what your #pain feels... →
A couple of years ago, I was walking across a ploughed field when I was struck by such a searing pain in my left foot that I fell to the ground, moaning in harmony with the rooks above me.
After half an hour of massaging my toes, I was able to hobble the half-mile home.
As this seemed to be no ordinary pain, I went to the doctor, who referred me to the hospital. ‘A damaged nerve,’ they...
Indiana University Neuroscientists Map A New... →
Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine have discovered a peptide that short circuits a pathway for chronic pain. Unlike current treatments this peptide does not exhibit deleterious side effects such as reduced motor coordination, memory loss or depression, according to an article in Nature Medicine posted online June 5, 2011. The peptide, CBD3, has been shown in mice to...
Chronic Pain Makes Brain Thinner, Effects... →
A new strange, but true, study study suggest that people who suffer from chronic low-back pain have thinner and fewer brain cells than those who do not.
The good new is, says study researchers, some of this damage can be reversed.
According to the study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, just six months after treatment of the chronic pain study participants brains showed fewer signs...
May 2011
6 posts
Investigators Explore New Frontiers In The... →
Prodigious progress has been made in the last decade toward a deeper understanding and improved treatment of chronic pain. Yet, identifying novel mechanisms that underlie this complex array of conditions and developing innovative therapies to tackle them remains challenging. On June 2-3, 2011, leading and emerging investigators studying the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying neuropathic...
Arthritis Pain Relief With the Brain's and Body's... →
An optical illusion that harnesses the power of suggestion might one day deliver drug-free pain relief to arthritis sufferers, British researchers say.
Analgesic and anti-inflammatory pills and physical therapy are among traditional approaches to reducing or eliminating the aches and pains of chronic osteoarthritis, common among men and women older than 50. In recent years, many sufferers...
Scientists Discover How Peppermint Soothes Gastric... →
New research offers insight into how peppermint helps relieve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
Researchers from the University of Adelaide in Australia report that peppermint activates an “anti-pain” channel in the colon. This contributes to relief of pain from inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract.
“Our research shows that peppermint acts through a specific ...
Rising Obesity Rates Add to Arthritis Woes in... →
THURSDAY, April 28 (HealthDay News) — Rising rates of obesity among the 50 million Americans with arthritis are cause for concern because excess weight is associated with increased problems for arthritis patients, a new study says.
In people with arthritis, obesity is associated with disease progression, reduced activity, disability, poorer quality of life, total joint replacement and...
Beating Back Pain →
#backpain
Low back pain is the second most common pain complaint at doctor’s offices. It can make simple movements extremely challenging.
Always on the move, you’d never guess Sandy Hodgson was 65 years old but time has taken its toll on her back with pain that came out of nowhere. Sandy explains that she couldn’t walk and she couldn’t get out of bed, she says that...
What's In OTC Painkillers? Most Americans Don't... →
#Painkillers, #Pain, A surprising small percentage of Americans know what their over-the-counter painkillers contain, researchers from Northwestern University in Chicago revealed in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Most people do not even bother to read the labels, the authors wrote. Lack of awareness and interest in the ingredients of painkillers could be a key reason why...
April 2011
4 posts
Attitude is Everything in a Life of Chronic Pain →
Health Buzz: Meditation Is Effective at Relieving... →
Meditation might beat morphine as a painkiller, new research suggests. In a small study, healthy medical students attended four 20-minute sessions to train them in “mindfulness meditation,” based on techniques such as focusing on breathing and banishing of distracting thoughts. Before and after the training, participants underwent brain scans with a pad heated to a painful 120...
When Pain Interrupts Your Sleep →
Whether it’s from a sore lower back or throbbing tooth, pain is hard enough to deal with in the light of day. But pain at night that robs you of your much-needed sleep can be downright exhausting.
“An individual simply cannot get comfortable to fall asleep due to the discomfort of pain,” says Frank. J. Falco, MD, who specializes in pain management and sleep problems in Newark, Del. Plus, pain...
Tylenol Recall →
The trouble continues for Johnson & Johnson, the maker of Tylenol. Yet another lot of its adult pain relievers have been recalled voluntarily because of complaints about a strange, musty odor.
Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Consumer Health division has now announced it is recalling one lot (roughly 34,000 150-count bottles) of Tylenol 8 Hour Extended Release Caplets.
...
March 2011
7 posts
Pain and heartache are bound together in our... →
Like a jab in the arm with a red-hot poker, social rejection hurts. Literally. A new study finds that our brains make little distinction between the sting of being rebuffed by peers — or by a lover, boss or family member — and the physical pain that arises from disease or injury. The new findings are published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. ...
Health Tip: Walking Helps You Stay Healthier →
It’s somewhat obvious that walking is great for you. This is a gentle reminder.
Myths About Treating Chronic Pain →
When you have chronic pain, it’s hard to sort out the myths from the facts. To feel better, are you supposed to rest in bed or go jogging? Should you talk to your doctor about trying potent opioid painkillers or should you steer clear? Is it worth trying that “miracle cure” that your co-worker absolutely swears cured her sciatica?
Chronic pain is a serious and debilitating...
Top Causes of Chronic Pain →
People with persistent pain often think of themselves as suffering from a specific ailment, whether it’s arthritis, back pain, migraines, or something else. But anyone who has experienced pain for several months or longer also happens to be among the millions of Americans with a condition known as chronic pain.
Chronic pain is a complex condition that affects 42 million-50 million Americans,...
EMBEDA Recall →
12 Ways to Treat Chronic Pain Without Drugs or... →
M.V. Sage reveals her success in dealing with chronic pain.
Putting a face on fibromyalgia →
Profound, chronic, widespread pain. Not something most of us would wish on our worst enemy, yet that is what the average fibromyalgia sufferer has to look forward to long term. Fibromyalgia, a surprisingly common and complex chronic pain disorder, affects an estimated seven to 10 million Americans. It affects women much more than men in an approximate ratio of 20 to one and is seen in all...
February 2011
8 posts
Dr. Oz on Chronic Pain →
My mission is to help people live the longest and happiest lives possible, and that means lives that are pain-free. But Americans don’t do pain well. Historically, if people were not in immediate medical danger, their pain was considered an unfortunate side effect or a collateral consequence of solving a greater problem. I was told my job as a cardiac surgeon was to keep a heart beating...
Look-and-Sound-Alike Names Account for Many... →
Confusion caused by look-alike and sound-alike names contributes to a large number of the painkiller prescription errors that occur in hospitals, U.S. researchers report.
The drug error rate was nearly three per 1,000 prescriptions in hospitals, and error rates were higher when prescribing for children, the study found.
Researchers reviewed 714,290 orders for painkillers in a large database ...
Breathe Away Pain →
Pain is necessary. It alerts us to threats, teaches us to avoid future risks, and makes sure we don’t forget to help ourselves heal. Our bodies have evolved instinctive reactions to pain and injury—accidentally brush your hand against a boiling kettle and your arm will retract reflexively before you even realize why. Our minds, too, respond to pain in a characteristic manner: ever...
The Pleasant Truths About Pain →
In the short term, pain keeps you alive. It’s an essential warning signal, a command that is impossible to ignore. When you yank your finger off a hot stove—or sit down to get the pebble out of a shoe—pain is doing its job.
When the alert system goes awry, chronic pain may set in. It can arise mysteriously, persist for a long time and be very difficult to treat. Sometimes the cause is...
Therapy, Exercise Help Chronic Fatigue Syndrome →
Cognitive behavioral therapy and exercise, in conjunction with medical care, are safe and effective ways to treat some of the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), finds a new study published online in The Lancet.
CFS is characterized by severe, debilitating fatigue, pain, difficulty concentrating, and other symptoms that last for six months or longer. There is little consensus about...
The risks of taking pain medicine →
Nausea, stomach bleeding, heart disease and more: The list of potential dangers from taking over-the-counter pain medications is lengthy. One of the most recent findings, published in January in the journal BMJ, formerly the British Medical Journal, looked at results from 31 trials that included more than 116,000 people. It found that ibuprofen use tripled the risk of stroke, even though...
Look At Your Body To Reduce Pain →
Simply looking at your body reduces pain, according to new research by scientists from UCL (University College London) and the University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy. Published in the journal Psychological Science, the research shows that viewing your hand reduces the pain experienced when a hot object touches the skin. Furthermore, the level of pain depends on how large the hand looked -...
Recall of Drug used for Pain Management →
AUDIENCE: Pharmacy, Patient
ISSUE: An individual bottle of Hydrocodone Bitartrate and Acetaminophen Tablets, USP 10mg / 500mg, NDC 0603-3888-20, 60 count was found incorrectly labeled with a Phenobarbital Tablets, USP 32.4 mg, NDC 0603-5166-32, 1000 count label, printed with Lot Number T150G10B. Both products are manufactured by Qualitest Pharmaceuticals.
As a result of this mix-up,...