Feature Channels: Pain

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Using an erector spinae plane block (ESPB) for postoperative analgesia from total shoulder replacement offers advantages over the more commonly used interscalene brachial plexus nerve block, including avoiding phrenic nerve complications and upper-extremity mobility issues, researchers from Stanford University in Stanford, CA, reported in findings from a new study.

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For more information about coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from Johns Hopkins Medicine, visit hopkinsmedicine.org/coronavirus. For information on coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from around the Johns Hopkins enterprise, including from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and The Johns Hopkins University, visit coronavirus.jhu.edu.

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In a paper published on Feb 12 in the journal eLife, Dr. Toshimitsu Kawate, associate professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine and his team reveal the form of pannexin1, a cellular membrane protein present in all vertebrates. With the size, shape and formation of this protein revealed for the first time, scientists can get closer to fine tuning new therapies for a multitude of diseases, including chronic pain, infertility and cancer.

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Many people trying to manage their pain and addiction have lost their support programs due to COVID-19. A Rutgers expert in Emergency Medicine discusses how patients can manage the disease during the coronavirus crisis.

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ASRA award recipients are being recognized for their accomplishments despite the cancellation of the group's annual spring meeting. Included in recipients is the anesthesia pioneer who identified a treatment for local anesthetic systemic toxicity (LAST), a serious potential complication associated with procedures involving local anesthetics.

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Emergency-style palliative care needs to implemented to meet the needs of Covid-19 patients who wouldn't benefit from a ventilator say researchers.

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Research indicates that widespread opioid overprescribing contributed to the opioid epidemic. New research shows that this dangerous trend has apparently been coupled with another: inappropriate use of high-potency opioids.

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According to physiatrist Max Fitzgerald, MD, we should focus on routines that prevent our muscles from getting tight and causing pain. This is increasingly important as we are dealing with both the emotional and physical toll of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Medical marijuana users who say they have high levels of pain are more likely than those with low pain to say they use cannabis three or more times a day, a new study finds.

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New information from NCCN, ASCO, ASH, CDC, FDA, and others seeks to provide clear guidance on how to optimally manage cancer-related pain without exacerbating the ongoing opioid crisis—published jointly in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and JCO Oncology Practice.

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Eight trailblazing women in regional anesthesia and pain medicine are being honored for their achievements and contributions to the field as part of the ASRA Trailblazer Awards. Created to acknowledge potential for bias in the past, the program is part of the “Year of Women in ASRA,” so named by ASRA President Dr. Eugene Viscusi. Other components of the campaign include year-round highlights of prominent women in the field on the ASRA website and social media channels, greater recognition of gender disparities at meetings, improved data collection to continue to assess our progress representing the field, and, most importantly, development of an organizational plan to identify and correct disparities across all minority groups.

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Advances in knee replacement surgery, such as robotic-assisted surgery and improvements in implant design and materials, make it a viable option for younger patients seeking pain relief.

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In an article published March 13, 2020 in the journal Pain, David A. Seminowicz, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Neural and Pain Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, and coauthors show how mindfulness can help in the fight against migraines.

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More than 90% of the legal marijuana products offered in medical dispensaries are much stronger than what clinical studies have shown that doctors recommend for chronic pain relief, according to a study published in the March 26 online edition of the journal PLOS ONE.

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Ziva Cooper, research director of the UCLA Cannabis Research Initiative, has been awarded a $3.9 million grant from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health at the NIH to study whether cannabis chemicals called terpenes can reduce the amount of opioid medication a person needs to reduce pain.

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Almost two-thirds of surgeons reported an increase in neck pain after performing surgery, and one-quarter rated their neck or lower back pain as clinically significant, a new Mayo Clinic study has found. The research was published in the Journal of American College of Surgeons.

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At a presentation at UAB, NIH director Francis Collins outlined the top 10 area of excitement and promise in science.

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Data from the PRECISION Pain Research Registry demonstrated that key outcome measures of chronic low back pain, such as pain intensity, physical function and five quality-of-life measures, remained generally stable regardless of patient characteristics and the treatments they used.

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To help physicians safely and effectively alleviate pain and encourage optimal opioid stewardship in patients following surgery, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) today released the Pain Alleviation Toolkit. The toolkit provides physicians and patients with resources to encourage communication and decision-making to help reduce patients’ postoperative pain as much and as safely as possible.