BiotechMashup

Transforaminal injection of steroids was determined to be a viable alternative to surgery for lumbar radicular pain due to disc herniation, a new study shows. 54 percent of patients achieved pain relief after one month of treatment.

(Wiley-Blackwell) A new study found that patients with osteoarthritis of the knee who also have pain in other joints were more likely to experience greater knee pain. Specifically, pain in the lower back as well as foot pain and elbow pain on the same side as the affected knee were associated with more severe knee pain. Full details appear in the December issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology.

(Wiley-Blackwell) Deaths related to prescription opioid therapy are under intense scrutiny, prompting those in pain medicine -- clinicians, patient advocates, and regulators -- to understand the causes behind avoidable mortality in legitimately treated patients. Studies reporting on statistics, causes, and adverse events involving opioid treatment are now available in a special supplement of Pain Medicine, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Academy of Pain Medicine.

(Wiley-Blackwell) A recent study from researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and University of Michigan provides the first direct evidence of linkage between elevated intrinsic (resting-state) brain connectivity and spontaneous pain intensity in patients with fibromyalgia. This research shows an interaction of multiple brain networks, offering greater understanding of how pain arises. Details of the study appear online and in the August issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology.

(Wiley-Blackwell) A recently published study determined that women who make poor shoe choices early in life suffer with foot pain in later years. Research shows that men do not experience the same foot pain as women, due to type of shoes they wear. Details of this study appear in the October issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology.

(Wiley-Blackwell) One of the largest studies to investigate lumbar spine disc degeneration found that adults who are overweight or obese were significantly more likely to have disc degeneration than those with a normal body mass index. Details of this study now appear in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology.

(Wiley-Blackwell) New research shows 63 percent of women age 50 and older reported persistent, incident, or intermittent knee pain during a 12-year study period. Predictors for persistent pain included higher body mass index, previous knee injury, and radiographic osteoarthritis. Details of this longitudinal study are available in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology.

(Wiley-Blackwell) Researchers from the American Headache Society's Women's Issues Section Research Consortium found that incidence of childhood maltreatment, especially emotional abuse and neglect, are prevalent in migraine patients. Full findings of the study appear in the January issue of Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, published on behalf of the American Headache Society by Wiley-Blackwell.

(Wiley-Blackwell) In the first study to look at sex-specific pain prevalence in Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans, researchers from the VA Connecticut Healthcare System and the Yale University School of Medicine found women veterans had a lower prevalence of pain than male counterparts returning from the conflicts. Full details of the study appear in the October issue of Pain Medicine.