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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.

StarSee the Announcements Box below for special updates and news of importance.

  Pain-Topics Exclusive = Pain-Topics.org exclusive offering.

   New = Newly added during this past week.

 

Newest Additions/Updates

 

Pain-Topics ExclusiveLatest Pain-Topics News/Research UPDATES

Updates Weblog

New Nearly Half of Patients Misuse Their Pain Meds

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>

New Bogus Drugs & Opioids Touted by Online Pharmacies

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>

New Opioids Relieve Pain with Little Addiction Risk

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>

Pain-Topics Exclusive Other Recent Pain-Topics UPDATES of Interest...

> 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>

RSS Feed View & Subscribe to UPDATES RSS Feed>

 

 

Continuing Education (CME) Courses Posted

CME Courses 

New Preventing Abuse in Pain Management: Ensuring Appropriate Opioid Use

From: MedscapeCME Family Medicine, 2010; supported by an educational grant from Purdue Pharma, L.P.
This 2-part educational activity reviews the challenges of patient risk-assessment, plus an individual case study to help enhance the learning opportunity. See Details>

New Update on Gout: New Therapeutic Strategies and Options

From: MedscapeCME and Nature Reviews Rheumatology, 2010.
This program reviews the changing epidemiology and pathophysiology of gout, and characteristics of the new generation of patients with treatment-refractory disease. A 'treat to target' strategy for lowering patient serum urate levels is examined and therapeutic modalities for patients with comorbidities and treatment-refractory gout are discussed. See Details>

Responsible Opioid Prescribing: A Physician’s Guide

From: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, 2009.
This activity offering 7.25 hours of credit is based on the brief and authoritative book on opioid prescribing — Responsible Opioid Prescribing: A Physician’s Guide — written by pain medicine specialist Scott M. Fishman, MD. It contains 7 chapters providing a good review of patient evaluation, treatment plans, patient agreements, monitoring, and referral, as well as compliance with regulatory policies. See Details>

 

 

Clinical Concepts: Pain Therapies Update - 2010

New ACPA Consumer Guide to Pain Medication & Treatment

Clinical ConceptsFrom: American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA), 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

New Update: What’s the Best Approach to Acute Low Back Pain

LBPBy: Bach SM, Holten KB. J Fam Pract. 2009 Dec;58(12):E11.
This brief article for primary care practitioners provides a concise summary of recent guidelines for adult acute low back pain. It reviews graded recommendations for management of the acute phase of low back pain and lists the important "red flag" considerations for more serious conditions. See Details>

 

 

Non-Opioid Therapies

Hypnosis in Disability [Pain] Settings

Nonopioid TherapiesFrom: Ellner M, Aurbach R. IAIABC Journal, 2009.
Hypnosis is an effective intervention for the treatment of injured and ill workers, providing assistance with chronic pain, stress and coping with external stressors, insomnia, depression, and fostering a positive mental attitude. See More>

 

 

Recent Pain-Treatment GUIDELINES

Pain Tx Guidelines

Evidence-Based Guidelines for Interventional Techniques in Chronic Spinal Pain

From: American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP), 2009.
Information is provided on the evaluation of spinal pain, the diagnosis of chronic back pain without disc herniation, the application of therapeutic interventional techniques in managing chronic low back pain, and the diagnosis of chronic neck pain without disc herniation. See Details>

 

 

Opioid Rx & Safety

Opioid Rx 

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.
See Details>

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.
See Details>

 

 

Recent Resources for Your Patients

How to Safely Buy Medications Online

Patient ResourcesThe 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...
<> Buying Medicine & Medicinal Products Over the Internet
<> Online Pharmacies You Can Trust
<> Safely Buying Medicine Online

See Details & Access These Sites>

 

 

Managing Opioid Emergencies

Opioid RisksThere 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…
   <> Managing An Opioid Overdose Crisis
   <> Emergency Opioid Tapering During A Disaster
   <> Naloxone – Drug Information (Labeling Info)
   <> Using Naloxone – Fast Facts (Palliative Care)
   <> Naloxone for the Reversal of Opioid Adverse Effects
   <> Intranasal Naloxone for Acute Opiate Overdose

See Details & Access These Documents>

 

 

Fibromyalgia Assessment Tool

How to Diagnose FMS Without Counting Tender Points

FibromyalgiaA 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. See Details>

 

Other Pain & Disability Assessment Tools to Note

Assessment ToolsOur 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.
A recent posting in this section is…
Tools for Assessing Neuropathic Pain
By: Giorgio Cruccu, Andrea Truini; PLoS Medicine; 2009;6(4).
See Details & Access This Article>

 

 

Pain-Topics ExclusivePain-Topics e-Briefing Newsletter

e-BriefingThis 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...

  • EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK…
    <> Misguided Pain Guidelines? (feature)
         > Opioid Rx Guidelines in Search of Evidence
         > ECG Screening in Methadone Patients Challenged
         > Fibromyalgia Guidelines Inconsistent
  • PAIN INNOVATIONS: EVIDENCE REVIEW...
    <> Opioid Blockers Aid Pain Relief

PDF Download This Newsletter PDF (470 KB, 12 pp)>

See All Newsletter Listings>

 

 

Announcements SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS RedStar

 

New APF Survey Examines Breakthrough Cancer Pain

APFIn 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. See Details in Newsroom>

 

Purdue Pharma Provides Aid to Haiti

Purdue PharmaPurdue 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. Purdue is a Pain Treatment Topics supporter.

 

Family Caregivers Team with Partners Against Pain

Partners Against PainThe 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. See Details in Newsroom>

 

Fibromyalgia AWARE Magazine Now FREE Online!

NFASince 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. See Details in Newsroom>

 

Latest Europad Journal on Addiction Posted

EuropadThis 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.

See Topic Listing & Download Journal>

 

Become a Pain-Topics.org Supporter for 2010

Become a SupporterPain 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.
Go to Info Page>


 

Register for e-NotificationsPlease bookmark this site for ongoing reference. And, as we continually update Pain-Topics.org, let us keep you posted by e-mail of when this site is changed or there is important news to announce — Register for e-Notifications.

 

Thank you, for visiting, and we hope to see you here often.
Stewart B. Leavitt, MA, PhD, Executive Director

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Affiliates

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American Academy of Pain Management
American Academy
of Pain Management


American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence

American Association
for the Treatment of
Opioid Dependence

American Chronic Pain Association
American Chronic Pain
Association


American College of Apothecaries

American College
of Apothecaries

American Pain Foundation
American Pain
Foundation

American Society of Pain Educators
American Society of
Pain Educators


European Opiate Addition Treatment Association

European Opiate
Addiction Treatment
Association


National Fibromyalgia Association

National Fibromyalgia
Association


Trigeminal Neuralgia Association

Trigeminal Neuralgia
Association

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This page was last updated 2/6/10