pain
Men who are depressed before their coronary artery bypass graft surgery are more likely to be re-hospitalized or suffer pain and reduced quality of life six months after their bypass operation, compared with men who are not depressed before the surgery, according to new research. Rates of hospitalization for heart attack or artery disease rose among bypass patients with pre-operative depression, say Matthew M. Burg, Ph.D., of the VA Connecticut Healthcare System and colleagues.
HIV patients who live in pain and use poor coping strategies to handle the stress of their illness also report that they have less energy and more limits on their physical, social and work activities, according to a new study. Patients who use self-distraction techniques or "give up trying to deal with" HIV-related stress feel less energetic, and those who use self-distraction or drugs or alcohol to cope say that their health limits their social activities, according to Mark Vosvick, Ph.D., of the University of North Texas and colleagues.
A persistent, long-lasting headache or an endlessly painful back may indicate something more serious than a bad week at the office. A new study finds that people who have major depression are more than twice as likely to have chronic pain when compared to people who have no symptoms of depression. This study could change how depression is diagnosed and treated, say Stanford School of Medicine researchers.
For centuries, doctors have tried to find effective ways to treat chronic pain, a devastating neurological disorder that affects almost 90 million Americans. A new study shows that two proteins in the brain trigger the neuronal changes that amplify and sustain this type of pain. The finding may lead to new ways of treating chronic pain. "This is the first [chronic pain] study to show clear molecular targets in the brain," says Min Zhuo, Ph.D., of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, senior author of the report. "Drugs that inhibit these two proteins may help to reduce chronic pain."
Man-made chemicals that are distant relatives of marijuana may eventually become new drugs to combat anxiety and depression, according to a California study. The study is the first to show how anxiety is controlled by the body's anandamide system, a network of natural compounds known for their roles in governing pain, mood and other psychological functions.
An anticonvulsant drug typically used to control seizures and neuropathic pain may reduce symptoms among those who suffer from restless legs syndrome (RLS), a movement disorder that affects up to 10 percent of the population. RLS is characterized by an urge to move the legs, generally accompanied by unpleasant sensations; an increase of symptoms during rest and a partial, temporary relief of symptoms through activity; and worsening of symptoms in the evening or at night.
The phrase "no pain, no gain," used by coaches to prod school-age athletes, may have more meaning than they ever imagined, two studies have found. The studies appear in the October issues of Pediatrics and Pediatric Research and suggest new ways to mark the boundary between healthy and unhealthy exercise. The research also may help physicians and others develop optimal levels of exercise that may help stave off the current epidemic of obesity in adults and children.
Cannabis-based drugs could be prescribed in the United Kingdom as early as 2003 following word from a British pharmaceutical company that four Phase III clinical trials showed the drugs successfully treated symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis and neuropathic pain. In the trials, the pot-based medicine achieved statistically significant reductions in neuropathic (nerve-damage) pain, as well as statistically significant improvements in other symptoms of MS, most notably spasticity and sleep disturbance.
Researchers have discovered that an important cellular "off-switch" that desensitizes receptors on the cell surface also regulates a second deactivation mechanism that had not been suspected before. Their finding that the off-switch, known as beta-arrestin, operates in two distinct ways may hint at a broader set of regulatory roles for the molecule.
A drug called pregabalin has been shown to be an effective and safe treatment for pain in patients with fibromyalgia, according to study data being presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology. The drug, Pregabalin, also was shown to improve sleep and fatigue levels, the data demonstrate. Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain that is frequently associated with fatigue and sleep disturbances. It is estimated to affect two percent of the population, or 5.6 million Americans, and occurs most frequently in women.
Regular exercise and a form of group talk therapy can alleviate some symptoms commonly associated with Gulf War veterans' illnesses, according to newly released results of a study involving veterans who report such symptoms. Fatigue, distress, mental health, and mental ability all improved after three months of low-impact exercise, weekly group sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), or both together. The gains were significantly greater than those made by veterans who were given usual care. Physical function improved more in those who had CBT than in those who didn't.
Patients with lower back pain that can't be traced to a specific physical cause may have abnormal pain-processing pathways in their brains, according to a new study led by Michigan researchers. The effect, which as yet has no explanation, is similar to an altered pain perception effect in fibromyalgia patients recently reported by the same research team.
A disorder in which the body fails to make a particular enzyme --- leading to severe pain in the hands and feet, and eventual damage to internal organs --- has been successfully treated for the first time in Los Angeles.
MiniMed has made its fortune with an insulin pump that diabetics wear around their waist and that automatically delivers controlled doses of the sugar-regulating substance to the wearer's bloodstream. It's a terrific product because it eliminates the need for regular syringe-based injections (though a catheter remains stuck in the patient's belly all day long.) Combined with the company's glucose monitor, the product works like a sort of artificial pancreas. As cool as the system is, it still involves a needle breaking skin, which can on occasion lead to infections, not to mention being a real pain. Engineers at Penn State say they're on the road to a needle-free insulin delivery method that uses a small, ultrasonic patch to get the drug into the wearer's blood.
It's one of those stories that simultaneously gives great hope but also a little dread. Researchers in Pennsylvania say they've successfully stimulated the production of a pain-blocking protein in mice by using a modified herpes virus to attach the appropriate genes onto the animals' DNA. That's potentially terrific news. If the same technique held true in humans, it could offer a new way to treat the devastating pain associated with some forms of cancer, such as bone cancer. Of course, a hell of a lot of mice were bred specifically develop the extremely painful bone tumors, just so the technique could be tested. It's no doubt a necessary sacrifice, but one that shouldn't be overlooked entirely. You don't have to be a wacko member of PETA to spare a thought for the millions of mice and other lab animals that are sacrificed each year so humans can live healthier lives.
