12 Dec 2016
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Advancing Pain Management Medicine: Human Studies

Chronic Pain News, Nerve Pain, Peripheral Neuropathy,
Nearly every advance in modern medicine, from diagnosis to treatment, has benefited from animal studies. Basic research has made vital contributions to all aspects of medical care, including our understanding of pain pathophysiology. However, the applicability of these findings to humans remains limited. “Translation from animal to human is hindered by many obstacles, in particular with the subject of pain, where the human organism and mind interact in quite a unique way,” Claudia Sommer, MD, a professor of neurology at the University of Würzburg in Germany, told Clinical Pain Advisor. Even so, valuable insights have been gained by the direct…
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05 Dec 2016
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Management

Peripheral Neuropathy, , , ,
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy affects approximately 60-70% of diabetic patients and a total of 347 million people worldwide.1 This complication is not only associated with painful symptoms, but can also lead to significant consequences such as paresthesia, loss of sensation, ulcers, osteomyelitis, gangrene, foot deformities, and amputation. Common symptoms of diabetic peripheral neuropathy are listed in Table 1. Because the symptoms and complications of diabetic peripheral neuropathy can lead to a significant decrease in a patient's quality of life, it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of the various treatment options available in the management of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Unfortunately, treating…
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25 Jul 2016
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Peripheral Nerve Stimulation

Chronic Pain News, Peripheral Neuropathy, ,
Dr. Brian M. Ilfeld, MD, MS, feels this strongly about the potential for ultrasound-guided percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation. It's a technology that he says has the potential to forever change the way anesthesiologists treat acute postoperative pain. He discussed the results of a prospective feasibility study. As well as the potential for the technology’s future—at the 2016 annual Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine meeting (abstract A1265). Gradually, a Technique Emerges “There were very early reports of using electricity applied cutaneously to provide analgesia following surgical procedures,” said Dr. Ilfeld. He is a professor of anesthesiology in residence at the…
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30 May 2016
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Blocking Intracellular Glutamate May Halt Neuropathic Pain

Chronic Pain News, Peripheral Neuropathy, Therapies & Treatments, , , ,
Experiments to block receptors deep within spinal neurons, metabotropic glutamate 5 receptors (mGluR5), may open the door to more effective treatments for neuropathic pain. Understanding how the body processes pain is essential to understanding how to better treat it. Aiding in that understanding has been intense research on one of the key players that transmit nociceptive information through the body. G-protein-couple receptors (GPCRs) play a critical role in various bodily functions, including as a mediator of neuroplasticity underlying chronic pain.  One specific receptor, metabotropic glutamate 5 receptor (mGluR5), is heavily abundant in the dorsal horn (DH),1,2 prime real estate for…
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11 Apr 2016
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Inherited Neuropathy: New Cause Identified

Chronic Pain Conditions, Chronic Pain News, Peripheral Neuropathy, , , , ,
Neurology researchers link mutations in myelin protein to Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease, an inherited neuropathy. PHILADELPHIA - Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT) is in the family of inherited neuropathy, of the peripheral nervous system, affecting approximately one in 2,500 Americans. Its most common iteration, CMT1, comes in many forms, most of which have to date been linked to a small set of causative genes. New research from the department of Neurology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia recently spanned the globe to uncover a new genetic cause of CMT1. Their findings are published online…
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14 Mar 2016
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Intramuscular Injection of Vitamin D may Relieve DPN

Peripheral Neuropathy, Therapies & Treatments, , , , ,
In patients with painful diabetic neuropathy, a single high-dose intramuscular injection of vitamin D appears to confer a significant reduction in symptoms, according to study data. Rayaz A. Malik, MBChB, PhD, professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar, and colleagues evaluated 143 adults (mean age, 52 years) with type 1 or type 2 diabetes to determine the effect of a high-dose intramuscular injection of vitamin D (600,000 IU) on painful diabetic neuropathy. Participants were evaluated at baseline and on four subsequent visits every 5 weeks, with follow-up visits taking place at 4 to 6 weeks (visit 2), 8…
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08 Feb 2016
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Central Nervous System May Contribute to DPN

Chronic Pain News, Peripheral Neuropathy, , ,
One of the key contributors to peripheral nerve disease in patients with diabetes is the central nervous system (CNS), a new report suggests. Published in the journal Pain, the study, conducted by Dr Solomon Tesfaye of Sheffield (UK) Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and colleagues found changes within the central nervous system (CNS) were associated with the development of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), according to a press release. According to the release, about 25% of people with diabetes have symptoms of DPN, including progressive and severe pain and insensitivity to trauma, leading to an increased risk of foot ulcers, infections and…
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21 Dec 2015
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Using Reflexology to Treat Pain

Chronic Pain Conditions, Nerve Pain, Peripheral Neuropathy, Therapies & Treatments, ,
If you're looking for an alternative to pain medication, reflexology may be an option. Find out if you could benefit from this form of massage. Sometimes pain therapy can be downright relaxing. Although getting a massage may conjure up the image of a spa rather than a medical office, reflexology, which involves the placement of the practitioner’s hands on your feet, is an approach that may ease stress and bring you pain relief at the same time. In a reflexology session, a practitioner will apply pressure using the fingers and thumbs. Some may use a specially designed tool to apply…
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14 Dec 2015
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Easing Pain: complementary therapies

Chronic Pain Conditions, Nerve Pain, Peripheral Neuropathy, Therapies & Treatments, , ,
Psychologists are exploring complementary therapies and integrated approaches to better treat the complex problem of chronic pain. If cancer is "the emperor of all maladies," as physician and author Siddhartha Mukherjee wrote, chronic pain may be the empress, affecting 100 million people in the United States and costing up to $630 billion each year in treatments and lost productivity, according to a 2011 report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM). For many, pain digs in and cuts deep. A 2012 survey funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) found that some 25.3 million U.S. adults —…
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30 Nov 2015
By webadmin@macmdaz.com

Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Reduces Chronic Headaches

Peripheral Neuropathy, Spinal Cord Stimulation, Therapies & Treatments, , ,
Peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) is an effective long-term treatment for managing chronic intractable headaches, suggests research published in Pain Physician. In this retrospective study, peripheral nerve stimulation reduced mean headache severity on the 11-point Numeric Rating Schedule (NRS) by nearly 50% within one-month post implantation. After 12 months, headache severity scores decreased by at least 50% in 87% (40 of 46) of the patients, with pain decreasing even more substantially the longer the device was in place. Pain intensity scores on the NRS had decreased by 68% as many as 98 months post-implantation. These findings were consistent with previous studies; however,…
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