For thousands of years classic Chinese acupuncture treatment has been used to treat pain. Since its development in the 1800s myofascial trigger-point therapy has been used in the western world for pain treatment. A recent May Clinic study surprises practitioners of both systems that they are fundamentally similar despite the differences in approach to treat […] Read more

Strict government oversite of opioid medications force physicians to balance the needs of their patients with demands from the government for better control of opioid medications. Fifty years ago cancer patients were denied opioids for their pain because of possible addiction. Srinivasa Raja, MD, professor of anesthesiology, Johns Hopkins University Medical School, reports that less than […] Read more

Why are more women, than men, diagnosed with chronic pain, chronic fatigue, and fibromyalgia? Approximately, 94% of people with chronic fatigue report muscle pain. Nearly, 75% of people reporting chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain report having fatigue. Women are the majority of patients reporting these symptoms. Katheleen Sluka, PhD, professor Graduate Program in Physical Therapy and […] Read more

Traditional thinking has been that degenerative discs were primarily the result of handling heavy materials, postural loading, and vehicular vibration. There is now evidence that challenges that traditional thinking. Michele Crites-Battié, faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, studied 147 pairs of identical twins, and 153 pairs of fraternal male twins, to determine what role occupational […] Read more

Brain receptors TRPV1 (transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype) have been known to affect sensations of pain and respond not only to heat, but also to capsaicin–the ingredient that gives chili peppers their spicy kick. Until now no one had linked TRPV1 to memory. Julie Kauer, professor of medical science, Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Brown University, and her […] Read more

Fibromyalgia patients frequently find their way to the doctor’s office because of unexplained pain in their neck, shoulder, and/or back. The cause for the chronic pain has baffled the medical profession for decades; often resulting in a diagnosis that the brain in in the patients head. Richard E. Harris, PhD, research assistant professor, Division of […] Read more

The Fentanyl pain patch has been recalled. The patch in question is the 25-microgram-per-hour patch with an expiration dates on or before December 2009. Currently it is a voluntary recall. Fentanyl is powerful narcotic that is opium derived and nearly 100 times stronger than morphine. Of the four main types of fentanyl in use today, […] Read more

For some time pharmaceutical companies have known that the effectiveness for a new medication is greatest in the first year of availability to the public. It has been suggested that the increased effectiveness is the result of a physicians enthusiasm for the new drug. Dan Ariely, behavioral economist, Duke University, and a team of collaborators […] Read more

Neck pain is a serious condition for many people. It can cause headaches, arm and upper back pain, even depression. Dr. Scott Haldeman, clinical professor of neurology, University of California-Irvine, found in his study of neck pain that it is a widespread experience that is a persistent and recurrent condition for the majority of sufferers. […] Read more

The National Center for Health Statistics reports 26% of Americans over the age of 20 have had a problem with pain. According to the Pain Management Research Institute estimate that the treatment for pain cost $1.85 billion per 1 million people. Michael J Counsins AM, MD, DSc, professor and director of the Pain Management Research […] Read more