#101: Reign Over Pain, Installment #7 [29:46m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (376)

Commanding news you can use to benefit your hurting patients - Part 1 of a 2-part mini series.

Hear these reports:

• Migraine patients are at high risk for Serotonin Syndrome: consider the syndrome in any migraine patient with flu-like signs and symptoms, who is also taking combination of triptan plus an SSRI (or plus another serotonin agonist drug). Also: Seratonin Syndrome, and Libby Zion are what let to the changes in US residency training (from the Libby Law).

• One-third of migraineurs can expect complete pain relief. This is promising news. Also in this study, over a12-year follow-up period only 1.6% of migraineurs developed chronic migraines.

• Role of the Stem Cell Factor (SCF) gene (for the factor and it’s receptor) in our sensitivity to pain: the discovery may lead to new approaches for treating pain, the drug Gleevac for example, which blocks the SCF receptor.

• Evidence is lacking that shoe insoles prevent general back pain: better methodologies and studies needed to study whether insoles useful in treating existing backpain or in secondary prevention.

Next week’s show: Our 8th installment of Reign Over Pain - Commanding news you can use to benefit your hurting patients. This will be Part 2 of the 2-part mini series on pain medicine. A few of the news topics we’ll cover: Fibrates and statins appear to cut the risk of neuropathy; fibromyalgia may be caused by a sensory-motor neuron mismatch; insights into the opiod pain control system; morphine as a comfort measure for the dying - or should it be for pain control for the living? And finally, the stepwise approach to managing postpartum headache.