Allodynia: Root of Chronic Pain Identified

Okazaki, Japan - When we are in pain, we reach for painkillers as we try to "turn off" the pain. Unfortunately, this does not always work, and this problem has prompted researchers around the world to seek the "main switch" that can promptly and effectively conduct this switching off. Pain comes in many forms; one is allodynia, which is pain that is greatly amplified by even the slightest sensations, such as light, touch, or warmth. Current treatments to alleviate allodynia are limited. The spinal cord and glial cells, which provide support and insulation between neurons and are the most abundant…
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Phantom Limb Pain: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Phantom limb pain (PLP) is described as mild to extreme pain in an amputated limb. It was previously thought as a psychological response of patients who underwent amputation, but recent studies reveal scientific evidence of pain sensation that originates from the brain and spinal cord. Although phantom limb pain is often seen in patients with amputated limbs, other individuals who underwent surgical removal of other body parts, such as eye, penis, and breast also complain of the pain sensation. What Are The Causes Phantom Limb Pain? Even if the limb is no longer present, the nerve endings found at the…
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Inherited Neuropathy: New Cause Identified

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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Acupuncture Provides True Pain Relief

A new study of acupuncture, the most rigorous and detailed analysis of the treatment to date, found that it can ease migraines and arthritis and other forms of chronic pain. The findings provide strong scientific support for an age-old therapy used by an estimated three million Americans each year. Though acupuncture has been studied for decades, the body of medical research on it has been mixed and mired to some extent by small and poor-quality studies. Financed by the National Institutes of Health and carried out over about half a decade, the new research was a detailed analysis of earlier…
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Nutrition and It’s Importance in Pain Management

Nutrition is a critical, yet often overlooked, component of chronic pain management. Food choices—how you nourish your body—and the amount of food consumed can determine how you feel and how your body reacts. Many painful conditions (carpal tunnel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, lower back pain, fibromyalgia, gout, migraines, headaches and more) can be improved by choosing anti-inflammatory foods and spices. Chronic pain can make life seem out of one’s control; the ability to control pain through nutrition can be a powerful, useful tool. It’s important to note that individuals who are overweight typically suffer from increased pain levels and don’t…
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Intramuscular Injection of Vitamin D may Relieve DPN

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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Manipulation Under Anesthesia for Chronic Pain

Manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) is a noninvasive stretching and manipulative technique. MUA may be performed to offer relief from chronic and recurrent back pain and other types of pain that have not responded to long-term conservative (ie, nonsurgical) care. MUA breaks up adhesions (internal scar tissue that can result from injury or surgery) and may help restore more normal range of motion and reduce pain. It is used to treat back, neck and joint pain, as well as muscle spasms and long-lasting pain syndromes. Adhesions can grow around spinal joints and nerve roots, and inside surrounding muscles, resulting in restricted…
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Headache Relief Fast Tracked

A migraine headache, tension headaches, sinus headaches, cervicogenic headaches, and ice cream headaches all have three things in common. Headaches never seem to end. Just as we wrap up one year the next years' nagging issues come back roaring headaches being one of them. Regardless of which type of headaches you get they are miserable. Some feel tension headaches are worse than migraines, while some commiserate that sinus headaches are the worst.The safest thing to understand is all headaches hurt. Alas help is on the horizon. A new headache treatment procedure that combines two particularly effective methods is showing promise.…
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Nervous System Triggers Pain Sensation

Pain is a sensation that is triggered in the nervous system. It can be sharp or dull and last for short or long periods. Pain may be localized to a specific area of the body such as the abdomen, chest or back or it can be felt all over the body, such as when a person experiences all over muscle ache as a result of flu. Pain serves as a warning that something is wrong and can help in diagnosing a problem. Without pain, a person would be unaware that they had hurt themselves or that they have a medical…
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Easing Pain: complementary therapies

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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