4 Signs Your Period Pain Isn’t Normal
Kinga Krzeminska via Getty Images Period-related pain is inevitable, but there are cases when it isn’t normal. For people who get periods, a bit of menstrual pain is, unfortunately, a normal part of life. Every month, the body releases an influx of hormones known as prostaglandins, which cause the uterus to squeeze and contract to […]
Another Study Backs Treatment for Preclinical Rheumatoid Arthritis
Inflammatory markers were reduced in patients with persistent joint pain and other markers for incipient rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as was progression to formal RA diagnosis, after a 6-month course of abatacept (Orencia) in a placebo-controlled trial. While 35% of controls were diagnosed with RA while on treatment in the trial, called ARIAA, only 8% of […]
Fat cells help repair damaged nerves
Damage to the body’s peripheral nerves can cause pain and movement disorders. Researchers at the Leipzig University have recently investigated how damaged nerves can regenerate better. They found that fat tissue strongly supports the Schwann cells needed for repair during the healing process. The results were published in the journal Cell Metabolism. Our bodies are […]
Patients With Narcolepsy Face Mood and Pain Disorders
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — People with narcolepsy frequently had mood and pain comorbidities that complicated diagnosis and treatment plans, observational data showed. In a propensity-matched cohort analysis of more than 4,000 individuals, people with narcolepsy were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.86-2.40, P<0.001) or chronic pain syndrome […]
Can Aromatherapy Relax Post-Op Patients?
Open heart surgery patients reported better sleep and less severe pain after their operation when they inhaled peppermint essence, a small clinical trial suggested. Among 64 patients who underwent cardiac surgery, mean self-reported sleep quality scores on the first day after surgery were 20.10 in the group receiving peppermint aromatherapy and 25.76 in the placebo […]
Chronic Pain Detected in the Brain for the First Time
Chronic pain was detected in the human brain for the first time, researchers reported. Data were collected over months from four participants with refractory neuropathic pain who had intracranial electrodes implanted, according to Prasad Shirvalkar, MD, PhD, of the University of California San Francisco, and co-authors. Over 3 to 6 months, participants reported their pain […]
5 Exercises You Should Never Do If You Have Knee Issues
piranka via Getty Images Certain exercises can make your knee pain worse and even cause further damage, experts say. Knee injuries, knee pain and general wear and tear on the joints are common occurrences for many people ― and they should be considered when picking your workouts. There are many kinds of common knee injuries, […]
All Opioid Pain Meds to Get New Safety Warnings, FDA Says
The FDA is making several updates to prescribing information for opioid pain medications to provide guidance on safe use, according to a Drug Safety Communication, including a new warning that they can increase sensitivity to pain. Changes to the prescribing information and labeling for immediate-release (IR) and extended-release or long-acting (EX/LA) opioids will be made […]
No-Opioid Strategy Sharply Reduced Prescribing After Urologic Cancer Surgery
A protocol focusing on non-opioid pain control measures, as well as patient education, helped eliminate the need for post-discharge opioid prescriptions after major urologic cancer surgery, according to a cohort study. Among nearly 650 opioid-naive patients, the rate of opioid prescriptions at discharge was 57.9% for those who received an instruction sheet that explained the […]
Is Pain Treated Effectively With Antidepressants?
While some antidepressant drugs were effective for certain pain conditions, most were either ineffective or evidence was inconclusive, a review found. Evidence of efficacy of antidepressants for pain emerged in 11 of 42 comparisons included in an overview of systematic reviews, reported Giovanni Ferreira, PhD, of the University of Sydney, and colleagues. In four of […]