Aug 09, 2012

Pain is one of the most common reasons for patients seeking care in EDs, accounting for up to 42% of all emergency room visits. Emergency physicians vary widely in prescribing patterns and often have ...

Jul 05, 2012

Previous research has reported that suicide attempts are higher for migraineurs than those without these headaches. A new national study suggests that pain severity may account for this increased risk...

Jun 26, 2012

Pain has been identified as the most common reason for patients seeking care in emergency rooms. Considering the substantial impact that pain has on patients, ED physicians need to be well versed in i...

Jun 19, 2012

The proportion of patients older than age 65 with cancer who have an opioid prescription appears to be low, according to Canadian investigators. About 33% of elderly patients did not have an opioid pr...

Jun 05, 2012

An investigation of older, opioid-naïve patients who were given an opioid within 1 week of a short-stay surgery has found that this population appears to be frequently prescribed analgesics immediate...

Jun 05, 2012

The FDA has granted 510(k) marketing clearance for a sheathed bipolar sealer (Aquamantys SBS 5.0, Medtronic) for use in spinal surgeries. The device provides hemostatic sealing capabilities for both i...

Jun 05, 2012

A levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system appears to be effective and well accepted by patients in the long-term treatment of those with moderate-to- severe endometriosis-related pain following c...

May 30, 2012

According to published studies, pain is the most common reason for seeking care in the ED, accounting for up to 78% of visits. Underuse of analgesics is common, especially among pediatric patients. Th...

May 15, 2012

There are many different treatment options available to lessen the effects of chronic pain, improve functioning, and enhance quality of life. According to current estimates, more than 116 million Amer...

May 01, 2012

Individuals who are overweight appear to be 20% more likely to report higher rates of pain when compared with people who are low-normal weight, according to a large national survey. When compared with...

Apr 24, 2012

A neurostimulation system (AdaptiveStim with RestoreSensor, Medtronic) has received FDA approval for treating chronic pain. Using motion sensor technology, the system automatically adapts stimulation ...

Apr 03, 2012

The prevalence of neuropathy among those with diabetes has been estimated to be as high as 50%. Painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN), which tends to affect the feet and legs, has been estimated to affect...

Apr 03, 2012

Neuropathic pain in women with bladder pain syndrome (BPS) appears to be significantly associated with the severity of bladder and bowel pain, urinary urgency, and diarrhea, according to a study from ...

Feb 28, 2012

There has been greater recognition over the past several decades of the pervasiveness of poorly assessed, poorly treated chronic pain, culminating recently in an Institute of Medicine report quantifyi...

Jan 31, 2012

Migraine appears to be strongly associated with later development of major depressive episodes (MDEs), according to findings from a Canadian study. Patients with migraine were 60% more likely to devel...

Nov 15, 2011

The American Society of Anesthesiologists' annual meeting, Anesthesiology 2011, held on October 15-19 in Chicago, was a comprehensive education program in anesthesiology, focusing on transforming pati...

Nov 15, 2011

This Physician’s Weekly feature was completed in cooperation with the experts at the American Diabetes Association. Published research suggests that approximately 30% of people older than 65 ha...

Oct 03, 2011

It has been well established that pain is the most commonly reported symptom in primary care and a leading cause of disability. Primary care providers (PCPs) face numerous challenges in caring for pat...

Sep 26, 2011

Neck and low back pain accounts for between $50 billion and $75 billion in direct and indirect costs each year in the United States, and more than 1 million surgeries are performed to address these is...

Sep 12, 2011

Chronic pain is a public health problem of pandemic proportions that affects more than 70 million Americans. It’s among the most common concerns for healthcare professionals, and the annual costs as...