Doctors already know that women are three times more susceptible to migraines than men, and a new study is seeking to shine a light on one particular aspect of women's migraine affinity—increased migraine frequency and pain for women going through menopause. Vincent Martin, MD, who...
Part of well-balanced healthcare is evaluating short-term benefits against long-term potentialities. In the case of opioids, a study by Jeffrey Scherrer, PhD, et al. published in The Annals of Family Medicine shows a relationship between long durations of use and the development of new-onset depression....
Is there a connection between opioid use and low testosterone? It looks that way, according to a study recently published in Pain Medicine. Maria Soledad Cepeda, MD, PhD, et al. compared the testosterone levels of two subject groups—those who had taken prescription opioids in the...
For patients coping with chronic pain, there may be hope for relief in the burgeoning practice of spinal cord stimulation (SCS). Jeff Gudin, MD, et al. outlined the basics of SCS for Pain Medicine News, showing that SCS is a good option for patients who...
For the more than 120 million Americans who suffer from chronic pain, loss of a healthy sex life is an oft experienced but rarely discussed problem. A 2015 survey conducted by SpineUniverse.com found that 72% of back pain sufferers had sex less frequently after the...
Think of a "typical" heroin user. Now think again. According to a recently published study in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, there has been an increase in heroin abuse among whites, women, and people of high socio-economic statuses. It's a far cry from the urban street...
There's another option available for when traditional therapies fail to relieve chronic pelvic pain. Spinal Cord Stimulation––a type of neuromodulation–– is a procedure that involves placing small metal wires near the epidural space, the outermost part of the spinal canal. The wires are connected to a power...
Each day 44 people die from prescription painkiller overdoses, and the federal government is fighting back, says the Chicago Tribune. 56% of people surveyed in a recent national Kaiser Family Foundation poll said they had a personal connection to prescription painkiller abuse, either through their...
With increasing numbers of chronic pain patients experimenting with marijuana to get relief, physicians need to learn more about the plant and its constituents to counsel patients appropriately about its safety and possible analgesic benefits, according to a leading medical marijuana researcher.“Much of what we...
On April 20th, 2015 Actavis announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an expansion for Botox for the treatment of adults with upper limb spasticity. The new additions include two thumb muscles. One is the flexor pollicis longus which is...