02 Oct 2017
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Neuroscientists Focus on Cell Mechanism That Promotes Chronic Pain

Chronic Pain Conditions, Chronic Pain News, Nerve Pain, Therapies & Treatments, ,
Researchers have discovered a new pain-signaling pathway in nerve cells that eventually could make a good target for new drugs to fight chronic pain. The findings, published in the journal PLoS Biology by a UT Dallas neuroscientist and his colleagues, suggest that inhibiting a process called phosphorylation occurring outside of nerve cells might disrupt pain signals, and provide an alternative to opioid drugs for alleviating chronic pain. Dr. Ted Price, the study’s co-author and associate professor of neuroscience in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at UT Dallas, said the finding is significant. “We found a key new signaling pathway that can be managed,” Price…
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04 Sep 2017
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Pain Points

Chronic Pain Conditions, Nerve Pain, , ,
Neurobiologist Clifford Woolf discusses the importance of pain points and the surprising twists of his latest research Pain—feared, misunderstood and even poeticized in works of art and literature—has long captivated the scientific imagination of Clifford Woolf since his days as a medical student in South Africa. Woolf, a Harvard Medical School professor of neurobiology and neurology at Boston Children’s Hospital, has been on a quest to understand the basic mechanisms of pain and to help spark the development of more effective therapies to alleviate pain points, especially ones that don’t have the abuse potential of opioids. Woolf is the senior author of…
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31 Jul 2017
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Pain Receptors Migrating may cause Chronic Pain

Chronic Pain Conditions, Chronic Pain News, Nerve Pain, , ,
A study led by Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) has shown that chronic pain may occur when pain receptors migrate from the nerve cell's surface to the cell's inner chambers, out of the reach of current pain medications. The discovery, in rodents, may lead to the development of a new class of medications for chronic pain that is more potent and less prone to side effects than currently available pain treatments. The study was published online today in the journal Science Translational Medicine. An estimated 20 percent of people have chronic pain at some point. Currently available therapies for chronic…
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17 Jul 2017
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Nerve Decompression Potentially Beneficial in Diabetic Neuropathy

Chronic Pain Conditions, Peripheral Neuropathy, Therapies & Treatments, , ,
This article is part of Endocrinology Advisor's coverage of the American Diabetes Association's 77th Scientific Sessions (ADA 2017), taking place in San Diego, CA. Our staff will report on medical research and technological advances in diabetes and diabetes education, conducted by experts in the field. Check back regularly for more news from ADA 2017. Results of research presented at the 77th American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions demonstrated that patients with painful diabetic neuropathy who underwent nerve decompression or sham surgery had greater reductions in pain when compared with patients who did not receive surgery. The researchers conducted a randomized, controlled,…
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30 Jan 2017
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Microvascular Complications of Diabetes

Chronic Pain Conditions, Peripheral Neuropathy
Abstract and Introduction Abstract Microvascular complications of diabetes include eye disease, kidney disease, and peripheral and/or autonomic neuropathy. This study illustrates the importance of early screening and detection of microvascular complications, while also focusing on treatment guidelines and indications for specialist referral. Introduction Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease that is classified, based on etiology, into 4 main groups: type 1 (T1DM); type 2 (T2DM); gestational; and "other."[1] As a brief review, T1DM, most commonly an autoimmune process, is due to pancreatic islet β-cell destruction, resulting in absolute or near-total insulin deficiency.[1,2] The worldwide incidence of T1DM varies; the…
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23 Jan 2017
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Functional Abdominal Pain Syndrome

Chronic Pain Conditions, ,
Functional abdominal pain syndrome (FAPS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder, which involves chronic or frequent pain that does not result from a specific, identifiable cause. Symptoms The primary symptom of FAPS is abdominal pain. The pain can often be very severe and impact the quality of life of patients significantly. This can even disrupt their normal daily routine due to inability to take part in certain activities. It can also have a financial impact on their wellbeing and may increase levels of stress. The condition is not usually associated with gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea or constipation, and the findings…
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19 Dec 2016
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Migraines More Than Just A ‘Headache’

Chronic Pain Conditions, ,
The distinction between a headache and a migraine can be hard to define. For those who have never been affected, the distinction between a headache and  migraines can be hard to define. Headaches affect the head, are caused by stress, exhaustion, et cetera, and are painful [1]. Migraines are a type of headache that display all the same factors but on a greater scale. For individuals who suffer from migraines, the difference in severity is very real. Migraines are painful headaches that typically center on one side of the head and are often accompanied by nausea and blurred vision [1].…
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17 Oct 2016
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Merkel Cells in the Fingertips

Chronic Pain Conditions, Chronic Pain News, Nerve Pain,
That a finger can distinguish the texture of satin from suede is an exquisite sensory discrimination. Largely relying on small sensory organs in the fingertips called Merkel discs containing Merkel Cells. Jianguo Gu, Ph.D., of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has now unraveled how the sensory information is processed in the Merkel discs. As well as further conveyed to the ending of a sensory nerve, the start of its journey to the brain. Such molecular understanding about the sensory information transmission between Merkel cells and nerve endings could be radical. And may lay the foundation to treat patients' intense…
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03 Oct 2016
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Regenerative Biology: A New Molecule Regenerates Bone Tissue

Chronic Pain Conditions, Chronic Pain News, , ,
Researchers from California discover the key to simplifying the creation of engineered bones: adenosine. This naturally occurring molecule can be injected into bone tissue to coax human pluripotent stem cells to regenerate. REGENERATING BONE TISSUE The incidence of bone disorders, particularly in populations where aging is tied to rising obesity rates and poor physical activity. Bone disorders have been increasing steadily— so much so that it is expected to double in the coming years. To date, bone grafts have been the only solution to this problem. But researchers from the University of California in San Diego have now found a…
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22 Aug 2016
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Treating Visceral Pain

Chronic Pain Conditions, Nerve Pain, , ,
Visceral pain relates to pain in the organs of the body. So it could be the chest, or more likely, the abdomen or the pelvis. It is somewhat unlike other pain syndromes. In a sense that visceral pain activates the autonomic nervous system, specifically the parasympathetic nervous system, the sympathetic nervous system, or both. Which is why a lot of patients who have visceral pain also have associated nausea, vomiting and sweating.  More women than men suffer from visceral pain. More specifically from chronic pelvic pain; pain that can come from the bladder, the uterus, the fallopian tubes, the ovaries.…
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