International team aims to make musculoskeletal health a global priority

An international research team has found that despite being the world’s leading cause of pain, disability and healthcare expenditure, the prevention and management of musculoskeletal health, including conditions such as low back pain, fractures, arthritis and osteoporosis, is globally under-prioritised…

Study is first to show that air pollutants increase risk of painful periods for women

Dysmenorrhea, that is, frequent severe and painful cramps during menstruation from abnormal contractions of the uterus, is the most common of all gynecological disorders. It affects between 16-91% of girls and women of reproductive age, of whom 2%-29% have symptoms…

Seeking a treatment for IBS pain in tarantula venom

For patients who have inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS), the condition is literally a pain in the gut. Chronic — or long-term — abdominal pain is common, and there are currently no effective treatment options for this debilitating symptom. In a…

Ibuprofen and other NSAIDs superior to codeine for managing outpatient postoperative pain

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen provide better pain control and have fewer adverse effects than codeine, a commonly prescribed opioid, when prescribed after outpatient surgery, according to new research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https:/ /…

Study examines care received by patients with knee osteoarthritis

New research reveals that only a minority of U.S. Medicare beneficiaries with knee osteoarthritis in 2005-2010 used non-surgical care such as physical therapy and knee injections, and few were treated by rheumatologists, physiatrists, or pain specialists. The study, which is…

Researchers discover potential new approach to treating psoriatic joint inflammation

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) – An international team of researchers, led by UC Davis Health , has developed a new therapeutic approach to treating psoriatic arthritis , a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the joints. Using a novel chemical blocker targeting chemokine proteins,…

Pain monitoring helps assess the effectiveness of opioid-sparing approaches during surgery

A new study has shown that effective opioid-sparing anaesthesia with dexmedetomidine can be guided with NOL pain monitoring technology (Medasense, Israel). The study showed that the NOL monitor is able to detect the effect of dexmedetomidine on the patient’s pain…

A peptide that allows cannabis-derived drugs to relieve pain without side effects

Scientists from the Proteomics and Protein Chemistry Research Group and the Neuropharmacology-Neurophar Laboratory have developed a peptide which is an ideal candidate for reducing the cognitive side effects of pain treatment with cannabis derivatives.

Controlling Cholesterol in Microglia Alleviates Chronic Pain, Opioid-Free

Chemotherapy can induce a painful peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), a chronic condition and common adverse effect for cancer patients undergoing treatment. Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues elsewhere, have used a mouse model to demonstrate the pivotal role of cholesterol in CIPN, and proposed a novel therapeutic approach to reverse it.

Erythropoietin treatments may increase hip fracture risk in patients with kidney failure

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a medication used to stimulate the production of new red blood cells, which is impaired in individuals with kidney failure. Unfortunately, however, the treatment may increase the risk of hip fractures. In an analysis published in the…