Pain Medicine
Improving quality of life in patients with advanced cancer: Targeting metastatic bone pain
1 Aug, 2017 | 17:09h | UTCReview: Improving quality of life in patients with advanced cancer: Targeting metastatic bone pain – European Journal of Cancer (free)
Treatment Outcomes for Patients with Failed Back Surgery
1 Aug, 2017 | 17:09h | UTCSystematic Review: Treatment Outcomes for Patients with Failed Back Surgery – Pain Physician (free PDF)
Effectiveness of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of pain in knee and hip osteoarthritis
28 Jul, 2017 | 17:24h | UTCEffectiveness of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of pain in knee and hip osteoarthritis: a network meta-analysis – The Lancet (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Diclofenac 150 mg/day is the most effective NSAID available at present (are the cardiac and renal risks worth it?) and Paracetamol does not seem to work for this condition.
Recent advances in understanding and managing cancer pain
28 Jul, 2017 | 15:34h | UTCReview: Recent advances in understanding and managing cancer pain – F1000 Research (free)
One year in review 2017: fibromyalgia
27 Jul, 2017 | 16:49h | UTCOne year in review 2017: fibromyalgia – Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology (free PDF)
Guidelines for the understanding and management of pain in chronic pancreatitis
27 Jul, 2017 | 16:06h | UTCGuidelines for the understanding and management of pain in chronic pancreatitis – Pancreatology (free)
Is cyclobenzaprine useful for pain?
25 Jul, 2017 | 00:24h | UTCIs cyclobenzaprine useful for pain? – Therapeutics Initiative (free)
“…cyclobenzaprine is a long-acting sedative, not a muscle relaxant, and questioning whether any potential benefits are worth the side effects”. (from TI Newsletter). “If prescribed, a dose of 5 mg at bedtime should be tried first. Evidence suggests titration based on response and tolerability to a maximum dose of 15 mg/day, for no longer than one week”.
Effectiveness of Lateral Decubitus Position for Preventing Post-Dural Puncture Headache
23 Jul, 2017 | 23:17h | UTCSource: Hospital Medicine Virtual Journal Club (free resource to find articles of interest)
Evidence suggests lateral decubitus position is associated with reduced incidence of post-dural puncture headache.
Report: Pain Management and the Opioid Epidemic: Balancing Societal and Individual Benefits and Risks of Prescription Opioid Use
23 Jul, 2017 | 16:32h | UTCNews Release: National Strategy to Reduce Opioid Epidemic, an Urgent Public Health Priority, Presented in New Report (free)
Commentary: National Academies Recommend Steps to Address Opioid Crisis – Physician’s First Watch (free)
Effect of Electroacupuncture on Urinary Leakage Among Women With Stress Urinary Incontinence
22 Jul, 2017 | 14:24h | UTCEffect of Electroacupuncture on Urinary Leakage Among Women With Stress Urinary Incontinence: A Randomized Clinical Trial – JAMA (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Electroacupuncture linked to improvements for stress urinary incontinence – 2 Minute Medicine (free) AND Electroacupuncture May Decrease Stress Urinary Incontinence – Medscape (free registration required) AND Mixed Results on Effectiveness of Acupuncture to Treat Stress Urinary Incontinence, Infertility – The JAMA Network (free)
Patient Outcomes in Dose Reduction or Discontinuation of Long-Term Opioid Therapy
20 Jul, 2017 | 00:04h | UTCPatient Outcomes in Dose Reduction or Discontinuation of Long-Term Opioid Therapy: A Systematic Review – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Tapering long-term opioid therapy may improve outcomes in chronic pain, review finds – ACP Internist (free) AND Opioid Reduction Therapy Offers Some Benefits to Patients with Chronic Pain – Physician’s First Watch (free) AND How tapering off opioids can help people with chronic pain – CNN (free)
“Opioid tapering:
– less pain: 8 of 8 studies
– Improved function: 5 of 5 studies
– Improved QOL: 3 of 3 studies” (RT @DavidJuurlink see Tweet)
Hypersensitivity to antipyretics: pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management
18 Jul, 2017 | 22:41h | UTCClinical Review: Hypersensitivity to antipyretics: pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management – Hong Kong Medical Journal (free)
Efficacy of Tramadol Extended-Release for Opioid Withdrawal
13 Jul, 2017 | 20:52h | UTCCommentaries: Extended-Release Tramadol May Ease Opioid Withdrawal Symptoms – Physician’s First Watch (free)
The weird power of the placebo effect, explained
9 Jul, 2017 | 00:47h | UTCThe weird power of the placebo effect, explained – VOX (free)
Related: Placebos can work even when patients know what they are – World Economic Forum (free)
Gabapentin for chronic neuropathic pain in adults
9 Jul, 2017 | 00:26h | UTCCochrane Review: Gabapentin for chronic neuropathic pain in adults – Cochrane Library (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Analgesic Effects of Gabapentin Assessed in Chronic Neuropathic Pain – MPR (free)
“Gabapentin at doses of 1800 mg to 3600 mg daily (1200 mg to 3600 mg gabapentin encarbil) can provide good levels of pain relief to some people with postherpetic neuralgia and peripheral diabetic neuropathy”.
Pain and Psychology – A Reciprocal Relationship
7 Jul, 2017 | 13:23h | UTCReview: Pain and Psychology – A Reciprocal Relationship – The Ochsner Journal (free)
Aerobic exercise training for adults with fibromyalgia
3 Jul, 2017 | 17:20h | UTCAerobic exercise training for adults with fibromyalgia – Cochrane Library (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Aerobic exercise probably improves health related quality of life, may slightly decrease pain intensity and may slightly improve physical function.
Acupuncture shown to have benefits for treatment of some chronic pain
27 Jun, 2017 | 19:11h | UTCAcupuncture shown to have benefits for treatment of some chronic pain – NIHR Signal (free)
Original article: Acupuncture for chronic pain and depression in primary care: a programme of research – Programme Grants for Applied Research (free PDF)
Acupuncture for analgesia in the emergency department
21 Jun, 2017 | 19:01h | UTCAcupuncture for analgesia in the emergency department: a multicentre, randomised, equivalence and non-inferiority trial – Medical Journal of Australia (link to abstract – Free PDF here) (RT @theMJA see Tweet)
Positive commentaries: Acupuncture Found to Be an Effective Analgesia Option in ER – PracticeUpdate (free registration required) AND Acupuncture relieves pain in emergency patients: Study – RMIT University, via ScienceDaily (free)
“Not so fast” commentaries: Acupuncture in the ER: No, study did not prove it was ‘safe and effective’ – HealthNewsReview (free)AND A skeptical look at a study of acupuncture delivered in emergency rooms, by James C Coyne (free)
Patients with opioid disorders frequently have other comorbidities
20 Jun, 2017 | 12:30h | UTCTreating patients with opioid disorders is not just about treating addiction. Here’s why – STAT News (free)
Original analysis: What data from 205 million private health insurance claims reveals about America’s opioid crisis – Amino (free)
Guidelines for the Chronic Use of Opioid Analgesics
19 Jun, 2017 | 12:50h | UTCGuidelines for the Chronic Use of Opioid Analgesics – Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) (free PDF)
Commentary: Chronic Pain Opioid Guidelines Updated for State Medical Boards – Medscape (free registration required)
Pain and Opioids in Cancer Care: Benefits, Risks, and Alternatives
16 Jun, 2017 | 01:24h | UTCPain and Opioids in Cancer Care: Benefits, Risks, and Alternatives – 2017 ASCO Educational Book (free)
Association Between Persistent Pain and Memory Decline and Dementia in a Longitudinal Cohort of Elders
14 Jun, 2017 | 00:39h | UTCAssociation Between Persistent Pain and Memory Decline and Dementia in a Longitudinal Cohort of Elders – JAMA Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Persistent Pain May Increase Dementia Risk – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
Cohort of community-dwelling older adults suggests there might be a link.
The opioid crisis changed how doctors think about pain
8 Jun, 2017 | 15:56h | UTCThe opioid crisis changed how doctors think about pain – VOX (free)
“One of the expectations our patients have is that pain can be completely eliminated. We as a medical community are coming to an understanding that this is not realistic.” (RT @KariTikkinen and @voxdotcom and see Tweet)
Reengineering the analgesic ladder for critically ill patients
6 Jun, 2017 | 14:56h | UTCReengineering the analgesic ladder for critically ill patients – PulmCrit (free)