Articles tagged with Pain
Dr. Bushnell's laboratory uses human brain imaging techniques to study pain, finding four key brain regions involved in the experience. Activity in these regions is linked to emotional responses to pain, suggesting that psychological state can alter its perception.
A new study reveals that sleep disruption is a primary reason older adults with arthritis seek medical care, outweighing other symptoms like reduced mobility. The research suggests addressing sleep issues can be crucial in managing arthritis, particularly for those who may not connect their pain with sleep disruptions.
Methylnaltrexone reverses opioid-induced constipation in over 90% of patients, providing relief from debilitating symptoms. The drug is designed to block morphine's effects on gut motility without interfering with pain relief.
A recent study by Johns Hopkins Medicine found that thinking of a favorite sexual fantasy can decrease pain perception. The study suggests that counterbalancing pain with a strong positive emotional response, such as those experienced during sexual fantasies, may be a simple and cost-free way to lessen pain in various situations.
A study found that pacifiers have a better analgesic effect than sweet solutions, but combining sucrose solution with pacifier sucking provides the best pain relief. The researchers suggest sensory dominance and enhanced coping mechanisms may be involved in pacifier-induced pain relief.
A study of over 5,000 individuals found that anxiety and depression may cause up to one-quarter of all chest pain cases in young adults. The research suggests that individuals with psychiatric disorders or significant symptoms are more likely to experience chest pain.
Early findings from a national study suggest that many women with chest pain are being misdiagnosed due to minor coronary artery blockages. Researchers found that nearly one-fourth of women with 'normal' coronary arteries had detectable disease, increasing their risk of hospitalization and poor outcomes.
A new household activities scale appears to be a better measure of quality of life scores for older women with heart disease. The scale assesses daily tasks such as housekeeping, cooking, and laundry that are relevant to their lives.
A new household activities scale appears to be a better measure of quality of life scores for older women with heart disease. The scale assesses daily tasks such as cooking, laundry, and grocery shopping, providing a more accurate reflection of physical activity limitations.
Research suggests that decreased perception of pain, or hypoalgesia, may precede the onset of hypertension in individuals at high risk. The study found that men and women with hypertension are more likely to suffer an unrecognized myocardial infarction due to suppressed chest pain during episodes of myocardial ischemia.
Researchers found that transmyocardial laser revascularization (TMR) improves angina by at least 2 classes in 72% of patients, while also increasing myocardial perfusion by 20%. TMR safely and effectively improved heart function over a 12-month period, driving its use with difficult bypass and angioplasty procedures.
Researchers at UCSF have identified a protein enzyme that plays a key role in pain signaling, suggesting a possible target for broad-based pain therapy. The finding applies to inflammatory pain syndromes, such as arthritis and colitis, and has potential implications for post-operative pain relief.
A study by Mayo Clinic pediatrician Philip R. Fischer found that pseudoephedrine hydrochloride was not effective in decreasing ear pain in children during air travel. Offering food or drink can help relieve pressure and clear earache, with swallowing sometimes helping to open eustachian tubes.
Researchers at UC San Francisco found that activated pain nerve fibers dampen the inflammatory response's first line of attack, preventing chronic diseases. The study suggests that pain acts as a negative feedback control of inflammation, which can help prevent chronic inflammatory diseases.
UCSF researchers discovered that pain elicits analgesia via the brain's reward pathway, releasing opioids and dopamine. This finding provides a new understanding of pain relief and its connection to addiction.
Newborn infants who experience painful and stressful treatments exhibit long-term effects on their pain perception and stress response. These effects can be permanent, altering the infant's physiological and behavioral reactions to pain.
A study by Daniel I. Sessler and colleagues found that surgical pain increases the risk of infection by reducing tissue oxygenation, which is crucial for fighting infection. The study showed that patients with minimal pain had higher tissue oxygenation concentrations and a lower risk of infection.
Scientists identify a key gene responsible for pain sensitivity, revealing potential for tailored pain medications and predicting addiction risk. The study's findings suggest that individual genetic variations in the mu opiate receptor gene can affect pain perception and response to morphine.
Researchers found that premature infants respond to pain and can differentiate between more and less painful procedures. They recommend universal pain management in newborns to mitigate the effects of early procedural pain. Premature babies, even those born very prematurely, become more responsive to pain with age.
A Mayo Clinic study reveals that many heart patients continue to take chest pain medications after undergoing angioplasty, suggesting a need for alternative treatment options. The gamma knife procedure is shown to be effective in treating various brain disorders, offering an alternative to surgery.
A new study found that enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) significantly reduces angina pain in patients. The treatment, which involves inflating cuffs on the legs during heartbeats, improves cardiac blood flow and pumping efficiency.
A study found that breast cancer patients' top concerns after surgery are mortality, pain, and financial burdens, not previously thought to be the primary worries. The survey involved 223 women from diverse ethnic backgrounds and highlighted the importance of addressing these issues in counseling.
A Mayo Clinic study published in Annals of Emergency Medicine found that electron-beam computed tomography (EBCT) is an efficient and cost-effective screening tool for patients with chest pain. The test can detect coronary artery calcification, allowing doctors to safely send patients home without further observation.
Researchers at UNC Chapel Hill discovered molecular changes in nerve cells that may play a role in causalgia, a painful medical syndrome. The study found that nerve fibers affected by injury become supersensitive to norepinephrine, leading to persistent burning pain.
A clinical trial testing tin-117m DTPA, a nuclear medicine compound, may provide non-sedating pain relief and treatment for advanced-stage bone cancer. The therapy has shown promising results in easing pain for over 75% of patients, with relief lasting up to a year.
A study found that pain killers with ketamine and midazolam were safer and less likely to cause breathing issues than fentanyl/midazolam. The regimen prevented patients from remembering painful procedures and reduced parental ratings of pain and anxiety.
Scientists have discovered that laboratory rats fed soy meal develop less pain after nerve injury than those on a soy-free diet. The research suggests that diet could be an important factor in the expression of nerve-injury pain in rats, and may offer possibilities for understanding individual differences in pain perception.
Dr. Craig Stevens, a leading pain researcher, has developed an alternative model using northern grass frogs to investigate the effects of morphine and other opioid drugs on humans. His research shows significant similarities between amphibians and mammals in terms of pain response.
A study at Oregon Health Sciences University found that an unloader brace can relieve pain, improve mobility, and delay or even avoid surgery in patients with unicompartmental osteoarthritis of the knee. The device improved walking times, reduced pain medication use, and increased patient activity levels.
A study found that despite high awareness of chest pain as a heart attack symptom, many people are unaware of other critical symptoms like arm numbness and shortness of breath. The research highlights the need for targeted education about complex heart attack symptoms to reduce delay in seeking medical care.
A recent study by the American Heart Association found that women with heart disease are more likely to experience chest pain during mental stress. The study tested the effects of psychological stress on ischemic heart disease and found that heart rates increased twice as much among participants who reported chest pain.
Researchers found a strong association between leg length discrepancies of two centimeters or more and an increased risk of knee arthritis by up to 70 percent. Simple adjustments, such as special shoes or exercises, could help prevent or slow progression of osteoarthritis in millions of people.
The REACT trial found a median delay of 2.2 hours, far lower than most U.S. studies have found, indicating an improvement in patients seeking care earlier. This decline is attributed to increased awareness and education about heart attack symptoms and the need for rapid action.
A study by Case Western Reserve University professor Miriam Grushka found that low doses of clonazepam can provide significant relief from burning mouth syndrome, a chronic condition affecting 1.3 million adults. The medication may prevent spontaneous firing of the cranial nerve carrying pain sensations to the brain.
A study of 117 women with recurrent breast or gynecological cancer found that social functioning and pain levels correlated. Maintaining physical and social abilities can help reverse the downward spiral of increasing pain, psychological symptoms, and spiritual dimensions.
A study published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry found that aspirin can short-circuit the
A new study found that daily pain among elderly nursing home residents with cancer is widespread and often untreated, especially among older and minority patients. The study highlights inadequate medical treatment and a need for improving pain management in these individuals.
A phase III clinical trial suggests that suramin offers substantial pain reduction and moderate delay in disease progression for patients with advanced prostate cancer. The study involved 458 patients, who experienced significant pain reduction and a longer period of time compared to those receiving only hydrocortisone and a placebo.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that delivering pain medication to patients before surgery reduces post-operative pain long after. The study, which involved 90 men undergoing radical prostatectomies, showed significant pain reduction in patients who received preemptive analgesia.
A new study by Ohio University researchers found that women with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis use various coping mechanisms to deal with pain, including relaxation and emotional support. Women were better at regulating the emotional aspect of pain, while men struggled more with mood changes after high-pain days.
Researchers have made significant progress in understanding the effects of gender, age, hormones, and other factors on heart disease. A promising new diagnostic tool, dobutamine stress echocardiography, is being tested for its accuracy in detecting coronary artery dysfunction in women.
A UCSF research team has made a striking discovery that mild and intense pain are biologically distinct, involving different neurotransmitters. This knowledge could lead to the development of new drugs targeting these molecules to provide effective pain relief with lower morphine doses.
A new clinical approach combining echocardiograms with troponin T levels significantly increases diagnostic accuracy for chest pain, predicting hospital admissions and cardiac events. This method has the potential to reduce unnecessary hospitalizations and improve patient outcomes.
A new laser-based procedure called transmyocardial revascularization (TMR) has been shown to improve symptoms of severe chest pain in patients with heart disease. After three months, 86% of TMR patients experienced improvement, while only 12% of those treated with medication alone saw results.
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University found that adenosine triphosphate (ATP) stimulates pain-sensing nerves by binding to a receptor called P2X3 on nerve cell membranes. This discovery may pave the way for the design of new pain-relieving drugs.
Studies at Yale and the National Cancer Institute have shown capsaicin's pain-relieving effectiveness. Capsaicin stimulates nerve cells to release more Substance P, leading to decreased pain signals and improved mobility.
Researchers found that people at high risk of developing hypertension have a decreased pain sensitivity, which may be due to an overactive brain center. This could lead to the suppression of pain signals and potentially affect blood pressure control.
A study led by Johns Hopkins researchers found that positive messages nearly doubled the pain threshold and tolerance of both groups, while negative messages lowered it. The results suggest that addressing both biological and emotional causes is crucial for pain treatment.
The implant is a button-sized polymer that releases hydromorphone over one to three months, providing steady pain medication. It could be used in developing nations where cancer rates are high but limited treatment options exist, and potentially as an alternative to oral methadone treatment for heroin addicts.