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Welcome to Pain-Topics.org...
Helping you to make the most of your time on the Internet. The mission of Pain Treatment Topics is to serve as a noncommercial resource for healthcare professionals & their patients, providing open access to clinical news, information, research, and education for a better understanding of evidence-based pain-management practices. Visit the Site Overview for an explanation of the various tabs and sections.
Adherence to prescribed medication regimens is essential for effectively treating chronic pain conditions. However, a new study reports that therapeutic nonadherence or “medical misuse” of analgesics is common, with underuse more prevalent than overuse or abuse. Learn More>
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy announced that 96% of the 5,200 Internet drug outlets that it evaluates were selling prescription drugs outside of pharmacy laws and practice standards that protect the public health. Pain practitioners need to be aware not only of what medications patients are taking but where those products are purchased. See Details>
According to a comprehensive updated Cochrane review, opioid analgesics effectively relieve chronic noncancer pain in most patients, with only a small (though not zero) risk of developing abuse or addiction. However, it must be appreciated that a portion of patients may have inadequate pain relief or develop intolerable opioid side effects; further research is needed to identify patients who will benefit the most. Read About This>
> Pitfalls of Urine Drug Monitoring in Pain Care > What You Need to Know About Acetaminophen Safety > Surprise: Surgeons Downplay Surgery for Back Pain > Methadone Analgesia Cardiac Concerns Unfounded > Wrist Pain? Maybe Too Much Sex is to Blame. See Table of Contents for ALL Updates> Stay Updated on UPDATES, Register for e-Notifications>
Continuing Education (CME) Courses Posted
From: MedscapeCME Family Medicine, 2010; supported by an educational grant from Purdue Pharma, L.P.
From: MedscapeCME and Nature Reviews Rheumatology, 2010. Responsible Opioid Prescribing: A Physician’s Guide From: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, 2009.
Clinical Concepts: Pain Therapies Update - 2010
This clearly-written document is updated annually to provide current information on pharmacotherapies as well as their potential side effects, and other treatments for pain. Written initially for patients, it is perhaps the most concise and complete document of its kind, which also makes it an excellent reference for all healthcare providers. See Details>
New in Pain Disorders: Back Pain
Non-Opioid Therapies Hypnosis in Disability [Pain] Settings
Recent Pain-Treatment GUIDELINES
Evidence-Based Guidelines for Interventional Techniques in Chronic Spinal Pain From: American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP), 2009.
Opioid Rx & Safety
Patients Who Require Ultra-High Opioid Doses There appears to be a subset of patients with CNCP who require and thrive on ultra-high morphine-equivalent opioid doses exceeding 1,000 mg/day — demonstrating that what some practitioners might consider as being way too much opioid is just the right amount for certain patients. Understanding Opioid Metabolism This excellent review describes the basics of opioid analgesic metabolism and the factors influencing it. Recommendations are provided for addressing metabolic issues that may compromise effective pain management.
Recent Resources for Your Patients How to Safely Buy Medications Online See Details & Access These Sites>
Managing Opioid Emergencies
See Details & Access These Documents>
Fibromyalgia Assessment Tool How to Diagnose FMS Without Counting Tender Points
Other Pain & Disability Assessment Tools to Note
Thank you, for visiting, and we hope to see you here often. Stewart B. Leavitt, MA, PhD, Executive Director |
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This page was last updated 2/6/10 |
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Bogus Drugs & Opioids Touted by Online Pharmacies
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From: American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA), 2010.
By: Bach SM, Holten KB. J Fam Pract. 2009 Dec;58(12):E11.
From:
The Internet can be a hazardous place to buy medicines unless the source is legitimate and follows high standards for product quality and delivery. These resources list safe Internet pharmacy sites and provide other helpful info... 
There have been concerns about overdose fatalities with prescription opioid analgesics. Such emergencies are rarely sudden events; they are usually foretold by signs-symptoms of overmedication, which can be reversed via a relatively inexpensive, safe, and easy-to-administer antidote — naloxone. Along with proper training of patients and their caregivers, naloxone also can be prescribed for home use. Documents in this section address those issues and more…
A new, easy-to-use, Symptom Intensity Scale assesses both regional pain and fatigue, and can be used in daily practice to establish a diagnosis of fibromyalgia syndrome and to measure its severity without the need to count tender points. It also can be used to detect fibromyalgia as a comorbidity in other clinical illnesses This tool is easier to use than traditional ACR criteria, and more fully describes fibromyalgia in which fatigue is usually present and often severe. 
Our listing of Pain & Disability Assessment Tools is one of the most frequently visited features. We continually work to make this the most comprehensive offering available anywhere. 
This edition of our newsletter takes a hard, evidence-based look at treatment guidelines in the pain management field. It addresses a critical question: When strong recommendations are based on weak evidence are the guidelines still valid for everyday clinical practice? Topics include... 
In late January, the American Pain Foundation (APF) released a survey revealing that breakthrough pain is considered by patients as one of the most challenging aspects of having cancer. The survey of nearly 550 American adults with cancer found that such pain negatively impacts quality of life, creates financial burdens, and interferes with patients’ ability to cope with other aspects of cancer therapy. 
Purdue Pharma L.P. and its associated U.S. companies are donating close to $5 million in pharmaceutical products — including Ryzolt® (tramadol extended-release analgesic) — to aid the victims of the earthquake disaster in Haiti. The company is also making a cash donation of $25,000 to AmeriCares and is matching employee cash donations dollar for dollar to AmeriCares and the American Red Cross to further support to those organizations' relief efforts. 
The National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA) has teamed up with the national pain management education program, Partners Against Pain® from Purdue Pharma L.P., and advocate and author Lee Woodruff to create a new “Caregiver Cornerstones” resource. This helps family caregivers meet the unique challenges of caring for loved ones suffering from chronic pain. 
Since 2002, Fibromyalgia AWARE magazine has been the first and only consumer publication dedicated to the fibromyalgia community. The Winter 2010 edition is now available for free viewing online. 
This latest edition (December 2009) of the Europad Journal is devoted to cardiovascular concerns relating to opioid and psychoactive drugs, including helpful discussions for understanding cardiotoxicity and QT-interval alterations.
Pain Treatment Topics provides non-commercial information and education on the causes and effective management of pain. To do this, we rely on support in the form of annual educational grants and, through this, we are able to provide these offerings absolutely free and without restriction to all site visitors. Learn how your organization, large or small, can participate.
