Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Pain Management for June 2012. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Supreme Court Upholds Health Care Reform Law
THURSDAY, June 28 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Supreme Court voted June 28 to uphold the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which has been the subject of debate and multiple lawsuits since its 2010 inception.
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Prolonged Disability Predictors Identified for Low Back Pain
THURSDAY, June 28 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain (LBP), impaired fasting glucose tolerance, greater pain-related disability, higher body mass index, and lower quality of life (QoL) at baseline are all associated with an increased pain-related disability at one year, according to a study published online June 20 in Spine.
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Hospice Visit Number Affects Ability to Die at Home
WEDNESDAY, June 27 (HealthDay News) -- Hospice patients with cancer are more likely to be able to die in the setting of their choice if they receive at least one hospice visit per day during the first four days of hospice care, according to research published online June 25 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Duplicate Payments by Federal Government Increasing
WEDNESDAY, June 27 (HealthDay News) -- The federal government spends a substantial and increasing amount on individuals who are dually enrolled in separate managed care programs (the Veterans Affairs health care system [VA] and Medicare Advantage plan [MA]), according to a study published online June 26 in the Journal of the American Medical Association to coincide with presentation at the Annual Research Meeting of AcademyHealth, held from June 24 to 26 in Orlando, Fla.
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Use of Electronic Records Tied to Fewer Malpractice Claims
TUESDAY, June 26 (HealthDay News) -- Use of electronic health records (EHRs) is associated with fewer medical malpractice claims among physicians from multiple surgical and medical specialties, according to a research letter published online June 25 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Many Female Sexual Assault Survivors Have Severe Pain
FRIDAY, June 22 (HealthDay News) -- More than 50 percent of women who survive sexual assault experience severe pain, although few receive medication, according to a study published online June 15 in The Journal of Pain.
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Cannabis Use for Fibromyalgia Linked to Poor Mental Health
FRIDAY, June 22 (HealthDay News) -- More than 10 percent of patients with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia report using marijuana to relieve pain, and those who do so are more likely to be in poorer mental health, seek drugs, and be unemployed, according to a study published online June 21 in Arthritis Care & Research.
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Cold-Air Anesthesia Reduces Pain of Laser Treatment
FRIDAY, June 22 (HealthDay News) -- In ablative fractionated carbon-dioxide (CO2) laser treatment for photoaging, cold-air anesthesia used in conjunction with topical anesthesia reduces pain significantly more than topical anesthesia alone, according to research published online June 13 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
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Half of Residents Report Working While Sick
THURSDAY, June 21 (HealthDay News) -- About half of residents have worked while sick, with many reporting feeling obligated to colleagues and patients, according to a research letter published online June 18 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Genetic Contribution Detected in Responses to Opioids
THURSDAY, June 21 (HealthDay News) -- The responses to opioid drugs, such as nausea, respiratory depression, and drug liking or disliking, have a significant inherited component, according to a study published in the July issue of Anesthesiology.
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Research Suggests Flavocoxid Causes Acute Liver Injury
TUESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- Flavocoxid, a proprietary prescription medical food used to treat osteoarthritis, appears to cause acute liver injury within months of initiating use, according to research published in the June 19 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Patient-Rated Elbow Evaluation Most Responsive Instrument
MONDAY, June 18 (HealthDay News) -- The Patient-Rated Elbow Evaluation form (PREE) is the most responsive instrument to identify and quantify elbow joint-specific changes before and after total elbow arthroplasty, according to a study published online June 5 in Arthritis Care & Research.
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Coexistent Lumbar Disorders Complicate Hip Arthroplasty
MONDAY, June 18 (HealthDay News) -- Patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) who have coexistent lumbar spine disorders (LSDs) do not report as much improvement in pain and function after arthroplasty compared with patients without lumbar disorders, according to a study published in the May issue of The Spine Journal.
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Factors ID'd in Healing Failure of Diabetic Foot Ulcers
FRIDAY, June 15 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with diabetes whose foot ulcers fail to heal have increased inflammation and aberrant growth factor levels, according to a study published online June 11 in Diabetes.
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Pre-Op Breast Pain in ~28 Percent of Breast Cancer Patients
THURSDAY, June 14 (HealthDay News) -- More than a quarter of women about to undergo breast cancer surgery experience breast pain, with genetic polymorphisms in inflammatory cytokines correlating with pain, according to a study published in the May issue of The Journal of Pain.
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Cannabinoid Formulation Benefits Opioid-Refractory Pain
WEDNESDAY, June 13 (HealthDay News) -- A novel cannabinoid formulation, nabiximols, is safe and effective for patients with advanced cancer and opioid-refractory pain, especially at a low-dose, according to a study published in the May issue of The Journal of Pain.
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Gender Gap Exists in Physician Researchers' Salaries
TUESDAY, June 12 (HealthDay News) -- A survey of mid-career academic physician researchers shows that gender differences in salary exist even after adjusting for differences in specialty, institutional characteristics, academic productivity, academic rank, and work hours, according to a study published in the June 13 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Susceptibility Loci Identified for Migraine Without Aura
MONDAY, June 11 (HealthDay News) -- Genome-wide association analysis has identified susceptibility loci for migraine without aura, two of which overlap with previously reported migraine loci, according to a study published online June 10 in Nature Genetics.
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Three Percent of Hip, Knee Replacements Need Critical Care
FRIDAY, June 8 (HealthDay News) -- Three percent of patients who undergo knee and hip replacements require critical care services (CCS), and they are more likely to be older and have more comorbidities than those who do not require CCS, according to a study published online May 24 in Anesthesiology.
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Higher Risk of VTE in CKD Surgical Patients on Enoxaparin
FRIDAY, June 8 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who undergo total hip replacement (THR), the rate of major venous thromboembolism (VTE) is significantly higher in those treated with enoxaparin compared to those treated with desirudin, according to a study published online June 4 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
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Early Physical Therapy Beneficial for Low Back Pain
THURSDAY, June 7 (HealthDay News) -- Early physical therapy, within 14 days of diagnosis, for the treatment of newly diagnosed low back pain is associated with a reduced risk of subsequent health care utilization and associated costs, compared with delayed physical therapy, according to research published online May 18 in Spine.
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Exercise Reduces Neuropathic Pain After Nerve Injury in Rats
WEDNESDAY, June 6 (HealthDay News) -- Rats with nerve injury have less neuropathic pain and cytokine overexpression if they participate in progressive exercise training, according to a study published in the June issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia.
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Many Adults May Accidentally Overdose on Acetaminophen
WEDNESDAY, June 6 (HealthDay News) -- About a quarter of adults may accidentally overdose on over-the-counter (OTC) acetaminophen-containing products, and almost half overdose by "double-dipping" with two acetaminophen-containing products, according to a study published online May 26 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
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Aspirin Ups Risk of Bleeding in All But Diabetes Patients
TUESDAY, June 5 (HealthDay News) -- Aspirin use is associated with an increased risk of major bleeding, while patients with diabetes have a high risk of bleeding, independent of aspirin use, according to a study published in the June 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Self-Management Has Small Effect on Low Back Pain
TUESDAY, June 5 (HealthDay News) -- Compared to minimal interventions, self-management has a small effect on pain and disability in non-specific low back pain (LBP), according to a review published online May 23 in Arthritis Care & Research.
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Morbid Obesity Ups Complication Rate in Spinal Fusion Surgery
MONDAY, June 4 (HealthDay News) -- Morbid obesity increases the risk of multiple complications in spinal fusion surgery, particularly in patients undergoing anterior cervical or posterior lumbar procedures, according to research published in the May 15 issue of Spine.
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Spondylolisthesis Linked to Spinous Process Fractures
FRIDAY, June 1 (HealthDay News) -- There is a strong association between degenerative spondylolisthesis and spinous process fracture in patients undergoing interspinous process spacer (IPS) surgery, according to a study published online May 24 in The Spine Journal.
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Disability in Juvenile Arthritis Affects Adult Employment
FRIDAY, June 1 (HealthDay News) -- Disability resulting from juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) can affect educational attainment and ultimately impact employment in adulthood, according to a study published online May 31 in Arthritis & Rheumatism.
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Rats Regain Ability to Walk After Spinal Cord Injury
FRIDAY, June 1 (HealthDay News) -- Rats with spinal cord injury are able to regain locomotion after electrochemical treatment and encouragement of supraspinally mediated movements, in a cortical-dependent manner, according to a study published in the June 1 issue of Science.
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