#102: Reign Over Pain, Installment #8 [15:59m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (393)

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

Hear these reports:

• Fibrates and Statins Cut Peripheral Neuropathy Risk: in a subgroup of 530 people, fibrates reduced the risk of neuropathy by essentially 50%, and statins reduced the risk by 35%.
• Monofilaments for Peripheral Neuropathy Testing Often Inaccurate: current monofilaments are rarely accurate – with up to 100% false positives (for some monofilaments). A new, more reliable monofilament device was described and endorsed in the story.
• Fibromyalgia Pain May Be Caused by Neuron Mismatch: unexplained pain experienced by patients with fibromyalgia is the result of a mismatch between sensory and motor systems.
• Opiod System Controls Pain, Reward and Addictive Behaviors: The report supports the idea that any further research on - and development of - morphine-related drugs may necessarily result in more addictive analgesics; also that blocking the mu-receptor may hold promise for the treatment of drug abuse and addiction. Another key point was made regarding the delta opiate receptor: that delta-agonists may be useful to alleviate affective disorders, to improve emotional states.
• Morphine: should it be a comfort measure for the dying or pain control for the living? Between 40-70% of cancer patients may not have sufficient pain control, and misconceptions about morphine may be a contributing factor.
• Postpartum Headache Requires Stepwise Approach: We present the breakdown of the diagnoses in 95 cases of post-partum headaches. The original story provides a detailed algorithm for the workup.

Next week’s show: It will be our 9th installment of Defeating Dementia - Promising news and approaches for progressive brain disorders. During the first of another 2-part mini series we’ll cover important dementia-related news on Alzheimer’s disease markers, genetic discoveries around dementia, how stress may contribute to developing Alzheimer’s and a lot more.

 

 #72: Reign over Pain, Installment #5 [31:53m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (747)

Reign over Pain - Commanding news you can use to benefit your hurting patients. Installment #5

Publication Date: May 25th, 2007.

Jeff Evans - we welcome you as STAT reporter! Jeff is a neuroscientist, and an International Medical News Group Senior writer.

Focus: Opioid analgesia - controversies and potential solutions.

1. Point/Counterpoint - Are opioids an appropriate treatment for chronic nonmalignant pain?
2. Matching Drug to the Pain Can Limit Opioid Abuse
3. NIH Launches Addiction Study - using Suboxone
4. Combination Therapy Relieved Neuropathic Pain in Close to 80%: antidepressant + antiepileptic.
5. Steroid Injections Have Limited Role in Lubosacral Care.

And last but not least: A mysterious golden earring called “Zerosmoke”