Copyright 2009 Medical News Today Latest Pain / Anesthetics News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/pain/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171780.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171780.php Cartilage structures and functions can relatively easily be harmed, often resulting in damage. Cartilage is a tough, flexible connective tissue that is found in many areas of the body. This fine, rubbery tissue mainly functions as a cushion for bones at joints. The English word "cartilage" comes from the Latin word cartilage, which means "cartilage" or "gristle". Bones / Orthopaedics Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171541.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171541.php St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ) announced that a 62-year-old man from Shenzhen, Guangdong province has become the first patient in China to be implanted with the Eon™ neurostimulator, a rechargeable device used to help manage chronic pain. Despite prior back surgeries, the patient suffered from chronic back pain for more than a decade. Pain / Anesthetics Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171531.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171531.php Over 300 million patients use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the world to treat pain, arthritis, fever and other diseases. Nearly 30% of the users suffer from gastric lesions and bleeding. To mitigate NSAIDs' adverse effects on the stomach, misoprostol, a non-selective prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) analogue, has been prescribed as the first choice for prevention of NSAID-induced injuries, but often induces severe adverse effects. GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171456.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171456.php CNSBio Inc. will present recent Phase IIa proof-of-concept clinical trial data for CNSB015, an orally administered potassium channel modulator used in combination with opioids for the treatment of neuropathic pain, at the 12th International Conference on the Mechanisms and Treatment of Neuropathic Pain on November 20-21, 2009 in San Francisco, CA. Dr. Pain / Anesthetics Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171439.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171439.php Although morphine has been the gold-standard treatment for postoperative and chronic cancer pain for two centuries, a growing body of evidence is showing that opiate-based painkillers can stimulate the growth and spread of cancer cells. Two new studies advance that argument and demonstrate how shielding lung cancer cells from opiates reduces cell proliferation, invasion and migration in both cell-culture and mouse models. Cancer / Oncology Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171399.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171399.php The largest national stem cell study for heart disease showed the first evidence that transplanting a potent form of adult stem cells into the heart muscle of subjects with severe angina results in less pain and an improved ability to walk. The transplant subjects also experienced fewer deaths than those who didn't receive stem cells. Heart Disease Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171357.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171357.php At the moment a newborn switches from amniotic fluid to breathing air, another profound shift occurs: nerve cells in the brain convert from hyperexcitability to a calm frame against which outside signals can be detected. "Fetal neurons need hyperexcitability for proper development, because they are moving to the right places (in the brain) and forming the right connections," said Wolfgang Liedtke, M.D., Ph.D. Epilepsy Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171332.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171332.php The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the approval of Qutenza (capsaicin) 8% patch, a medicated skin patch that relieves the pain of post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), a serious complication that can occur after a bout with shingles. Shingles is an outbreak of rash or blisters on the skin that is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox - the varicella-zoster virus. Pain / Anesthetics Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171351.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171351.php A well-known Eastern medicine supplement may help avoid the most common cause of liver transplantation, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The finding came as a surprise to the scientists, who used a number of advanced genetic and genomic techniques in mice to identify a molecular pathway that counters acetaminophen toxicity, which leads to liver failure. Liver Disease / Hepatitis Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171291.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171291.php NeurogesX, Inc. (Nasdaq: NGSX) announces that it will hold a conference call at 8:30a.m. ET (5:30a.m. PT) to discuss the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Qutenza(TM) (capsaicin) 8% patch, the first and only product containing prescription strength capsaicin, for the management of neuropathic pain due to postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), the nerve pain which can follow shingles. Pain / Anesthetics Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171295.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171295.php Be prepared, that old Boy Scout motto, is being applied with great success to operating room patients whose anatomy may make it difficult for physicians to help them breathe during surgery, Johns Hopkins researchers report in a new study. When patients undergo general anesthesia, they stop breathing on their own and anesthesiologists must quickly insert a tube into the airway as a first step in machine-assisted breathing. Pain / Anesthetics Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171308.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171308.php Strength training exercises using dumbbells can reduce pain and improve function in the trapezius muscle, the large muscle which extends from the back of the head, down the neck and into the upper back. The exercises also improve the muscle's ability to respond quickly and forcefully among women suffering trapezius myalgia, a tenderness and tightness in the upper trapezius muscle. Pain / Anesthetics Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171354.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171354.php Dystonia is a general term which describes involuntary movements and extended muscle contractions - a range of movement disorders. The patient has twisting body movements, tremor and unusual or awkward postures. For some patients the whole body may be involved in the movements, while for others only certain parts of the body are affected. Dystonia symptoms may be linked to specific tasks, such as writing, as in writer's cramp. Neurology / Neuroscience Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171271.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171271.php Adults who use pet therapy while recovering from total joint-replacement surgery require 50 percent less pain medication than those who do not. These findings were presented at the 18th Annual Conference of the International Society of Anthrozoology and the First Human Animal Interaction Conference (HAI) in Kansas City, Mo. Pain / Anesthetics Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171235.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171235.php Winston Laboratories, Inc. ("Winston Labs"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Winston Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTC BB: WPHM) today announced positive top-line results from Study WL1001-04-03, a Phase II clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of the company's patch formulation of Civamide, a novel TRPV-1 receptor modulator in the treatment of post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). The study successfully demonstrated the efficacy of Civamide Patch 0. Pain / Anesthetics Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171239.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171239.php Covidien (NYSE: COV) announced that on November 13, 2009, representatives of Neuromed discussed the pending New Drug Application (NDA) for the product candidate ExalgoTM (hydromorphone HCl extended release) tablets with staff from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Mallinckrodt Inc., a Covidien company, obtained the commercial rights to Exalgo in the United States from Neuromed Development Inc., a subsidiary of Neuromed Pharmaceuticals Ltd., in June 2009. Pain / Anesthetics Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171208.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171208.php When modern medicine finds a way to treat a medical condition, people often think that the problem is solved. But we also have to find ways to get that treatment into the hands of those who need it. For example, new research from North Carolina State University shows that much more needs to be done to help get existing treatment to hemophilia patients in the developing world, and that the current lack of treatment there is costing lives. Blood / Hematology Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171169.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171169.php BioElectronics Corp. (PINKSHEETS: BIEL) announced that its disposable drug-free anti-inflammatory devices proved to be significantly more effective than acetaminophen in a clinical study of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). The study tested the effectiveness of ActiPatch® Therapy versus acetaminophen in reducing the pain of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, a condition associated with increased physical exertion. Pain / Anesthetics Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171091.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171091.php Adults who use pet therapy while recovering from total joint-replacement surgery require 50 percent less pain medication than those who do not. These findings were presented at the 18th Annual Conference of the International Society of Anthrozoology and the First Human Animal Interaction Conference (HAI) in Kansas City, Mo. Veterinary Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171033.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171033.php Chronic pain patients with a history of depression are three times more likely to receive long-term prescriptions for opioid medications like Vicodin compared to pain patients who do not suffer from depression, according to new research. The study, published in the November-December issue of the journal General Hospital Psychiatry, analyzed the medical records of tens of thousands of patients enrolled in the Kaiser Permanente and Group Health plans between 1997 and 2005. Depression Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171022.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171022.php "The very thought of you … the mere idea of you" - from the song "The Very Thought of You" by Ray Noble Can the mere thought of your loved one reduce your pain? Yes, according to a new study by UCLA psychologists that underscores the importance of social relationships and staying socially connected. Pain / Anesthetics Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170907.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170907.php Abbott announced today a definitive agreement to acquire the global rights to PanGenetics BV's PG110 fully humanized antibody to Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), expanding the company's pain care portfolio and leveraging its expertise in biologics. PG110 is a novel biologic in Phase I clinical trial development that targets NGF for the treatment of chronic pain. Pain / Anesthetics Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170963.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170963.php Cadence Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: CADX) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date for its Priority Review of the New Drug Application (NDA) for intravenous (IV) acetaminophen by three months. The extended PDUFA goal date is February 12, 2010. Pain / Anesthetics Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170974.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170974.php Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore and Washington DC (November 12, 2009) The saying "more pain, more gain" may be true for those already in terrible pain due to a chronic and debilitating condition, contrary to received wisdom. For those with Type I Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), working through the pain of an aggressive physiotherapy program often leads to far better results than a more cautious pain-free approach. Pain / Anesthetics Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170953.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170953.php Preliminary research on college students in the US suggests that too much texting can lead to neck and shoulder pain, similar to that found in older adults who develop injuries from prolonged and repeated use of computers. Judith Gold, an ergonomics researcher at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, presented the preliminary findings of her study at this year's annual meeting of the American Public Health Association, that took place this week in Philadelphia. Rehabilitation / Physical Therapy