Prednisolone Disturbs Carbohydrate Metabolism
Patients with inflammatory diseases should consider other anti-inflammatory agents
Friday, May 17, 2013

Little Evidence for Prediction Rules for Low Back Pain
Trials are of low quality and provide insufficient support of clinical prediction rules
Friday, May 17, 2013

Meds for Back Pain Tied to Higher Erectile Dysfunction Risk
Dose and duration of opioid use associated with increased odds of erectile dysfunction
Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Ultrasound Findings Can Improve Classification of RA
Ultrasound findings plus 2010 ACR/EULAR criteria can help predict need for methotrexate treatment
Wednesday, May 15, 2013

New FDA Survey to Assess Doc Attitudes on DTC Advertising
New survey will examine attitudes among non-physicians, including nurses, physician assistants
Monday, May 13, 2013

User Satisfaction With Electronic Health Records Down
Twelve percent decrease in user satisfaction since 2010; increase in very dissatisfied users
Friday, May 10, 2013

Poor Service, Bedside Manner Top Patients' Online Complaints
Review of 'rate-your-doctor' websites reveals patients' most common gripes
Friday, May 10, 2013

Smartphones, Smartphone Apps Increasingly Used by Docs
Two reports show use of smartphones and apps for professional purposes is increasing
Thursday, May 09, 2013

HHS Releases Data on Inpatient Charges for Hospital Services
HHS is also providing funding to data centers to collate, analyze, publish data to assist consumers
Thursday, May 09, 2013

Application for Health Coverage Has Been Simplified, Shortened
First-time consumers will be able to complete one three-page application, see all available options
Wednesday, May 08, 2013

Patients Most Annoyed by Long Waits, Unclear Test Results
Survey regarding doctor's office grievances identifies patients' top pet peeves
Friday, May 03, 2013

Health Industry Payment Details to Be Publicly Available
New CMS website will detail financial ties between drug, device manufacturers and docs, hospitals
Thursday, May 02, 2013

SAMHSA: Sharp Rise in ER Visits Due to Zolpidem
Emergency department visits up over 200 percent from 2005 to 2010
Wednesday, May 01, 2013

Renewed Efforts From AAFP to Repeal OTC Provision in ACA
Provision will increase costs to health care system; add to burden on physician offices
Tuesday, April 30, 2013

FDA Announces New Network to Focus Exclusively on Patients
Interactive tool designed to educate patients and advocates about processes of drug development
Monday, April 29, 2013

FDA: Purveyors of Phony Botox Targeting U.S. Practices
Products advertised through fax; not FDA approved
Monday, April 29, 2013

Medical Interns Spending Less Time With Patients
More time being spent at a computer since work hours were limited in 2011
Friday, April 26, 2013

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Improves PTSD
Results based on an eight-week pilot program involving veterans seeking outpatient treatment
Friday, April 26, 2013

Saturday Marks Sixth Annual Rx Drug Take-Back Day
Collection sites will be available around the country
Friday, April 26, 2013

Review: All Approved Drugs Similarly Prevent Migraines
Off-label angiotensin-inhibiting drugs and beta-blockers have favorable benefit-to-harm ratios
Thursday, April 25, 2013

Physicians Less Empathetic in Talking to Heavy Patients
Patient weight plays no role in quantity of physicians' biomedical communications
Thursday, April 25, 2013

Analgesics in Endurance Events Can Have Serious Adverse Effects
GI, kidney, and cardiovascular adverse events may increase with analgesic dose
Thursday, April 25, 2013

Diagnostic Errors Are the Leading Type of Malpractice Claim
Diagnosis-related payments from 1986 to 2010 totaled $38.8 billion
Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Severe Cutaneous Adverse Rxns Up in Allopurinol Initiators
SCARs are rare; usually occur within first 180 days of initiating treatment
Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Parental Permissiveness Linked to Rx Drug Abuse, Misuse
About one-quarter of teens report abuse, misuse of prescription meds; about half use pot, alcohol
Tuesday, April 23, 2013

TEDMED: Get the Joy Back Into Health and Wellness
Surgeon General talks about importance of bringing joy back into movement and medicine
Monday, April 22, 2013

Pot Smoking Linked to Some Metabolic Changes
Increase in visceral adiposity and adipose tissue insulin resistance
Friday, April 19, 2013

Patient-Centered Decision Making Ups Health Outcomes
Health care outcomes improved for 71 percent of contextual factors that were addressed by PCDM
Friday, April 19, 2013

FDA Approves Updated Label for Reformulated OxyContin
Reformulated OxyContin has physical, chemical properties that should cut potential for abuse
Friday, April 19, 2013

Family-Centered Teaching Rounds Good for Patients, Students
Higher patient satisfaction with exam room presentations; many residents have concerns
Thursday, April 18, 2013

Relative Proportion of MRSA Increasing in S. aureus Isolates
Methicillin-sensitive S. aureus becoming more resistant to antibiotics
Thursday, April 18, 2013

Community Benefit Spending Varies for Tax-Exempt Hospitals
Most spent on charity care, patient services; less spent on community health improvement
Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Surgeons Support Nonphysician Screens for Low Back Pain
Canadian survey finds most support clinicians' standards in assessing discomfort
Friday, April 12, 2013

Speech Details Practices to Improve U.S. Health Systems
Mayo Clinic CEO outlines key steps to create high-quality, low-cost care in America
Thursday, April 11, 2013

Readmission Rates ID'd After Spine Stenosis Decompression
Surgery with fusion is seen at 9.7 percent after one year; 7.2 percent for decompression alone
Thursday, April 11, 2013

Fusion Doesn't Up Reoperation Risk With Spinal Stenosis
Duration of pretreatment symptoms is only factor predictive of re-op after spinal stenosis surgery
Thursday, April 11, 2013

Functional MRI Can Be Used to Assess Physical Pain
Findings identify neurologic signature, which is sensitive and specific for painful heat
Wednesday, April 10, 2013

NYC Health Department, ER Docs Clash Over Opioid Guidelines
Some believe the recommendations unfairly target N.Y.C. emergency physicians
Tuesday, April 09, 2013

Spinal Adjustment Relieves Symptoms Better Than NSAIDs
Study finds therapy significantly superior to anti-inflammatory drugs
Monday, April 08, 2013

Majority of Americans Now Favor Legalizing Marijuana
Support for legalization increases across all ages, including younger and older adults
Monday, April 08, 2013

Acupuncture Reduces Pain of Chronic Low Back Discomfort
It's better than sham therapy with no significant effect on disability, depression, or general health
Monday, April 08, 2013

Chronic Pain Syndromes Are Common After Ischemic Stroke
These events are associated with functional dependence and cognitive decline, study finds
Friday, April 05, 2013

Glucocorticoids Are Tied to Increased Risk of Clots
Higher rates of venous thromboembolism seen in both present and recent medication users
Thursday, April 04, 2013

Belgium Study Tracks Trends in End-of-Life Decision Making
Researchers find euthanasia legalization led to fewer life-ending acts without patient's request
Wednesday, April 03, 2013

Study Assesses Work Force Burden of Ulcerative Colitis
Patients with ulcerative colitis have more sick days; colectomy does not fully restore work ability
Monday, April 01, 2013

Many Uninsured Vets Will Be Eligible for Medicaid Under ACA
But most of uninsured will have new coverage options only if their state expands Medicaid
Friday, March 29, 2013

Using Internet Search Logs Can Help Identify Drug Interactions
Tool may alert authorities to potential problems and aid in surveillance of adverse events
Thursday, March 28, 2013

Study: Primary Care Extension Program Should Be Funded
Authors say PCEP important to improving public health, translating research into practice
Thursday, March 28, 2013

Regional Variation Noted in Prevalence of Delayed Care
Populations in counties with high prevalence likely to be Hispanic, have low income, chronic disease
Thursday, March 28, 2013

AHA: Active Docs More Likely to Advise Patients to Be Active
Review sees link between health care providers' physical activity level, counseling offered
Friday, March 22, 2013

Mobility Impaired May Have Difficulty Accessing Docs
Inability to transfer patient from wheelchair to examination bed most commonly reported issue
Friday, March 22, 2013

Impact of Budget Sequestration on Health Care Discussed
Cuts will not be equal: Medicaid protected; 2 percent cut for Medicare; 8.2 percent cut for NIH
Thursday, March 21, 2013

Effect of Immigration Status on Medicaid Eligibility Discussed
Seventeen percent of low-income, uninsured nonelderly are unauthorized or recently legal
Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Manual Osteopathic Treatment Improves Chronic Back Pain
Patients report pain relief, but not improvements in back functioning or work disability
Wednesday, March 20, 2013

ER Discharge Dx/Disposition Discordant With Chief Complaint
Presenting complaints don't differ amongst patients needing primary care, urgent care, hospital admission
Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Conflict-of-Interest Disclosures Common at 2011 AAOS Meeting
All featured symposia at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons disclosed conflicts
Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Final Rule in Notice of Benefit, Payment Parameters Issued
Rule expands on existing standards for risk adjustment, reinsurance, risk corridors
Friday, March 15, 2013

Exercise, Counseling Cut Days Off From Back Pain in Recruits
Used in addition to standard training, practices reduce clinic visits, time away from duties
Friday, March 15, 2013

Pharmaceutical Companies Are Reducing Promotional Spending
Much less spent to promote biologics compared with small molecule drugs, study finds
Friday, March 15, 2013

Health Insurance Exchanges Will Mainly Be Run by Feds
Federal government will establish exchanges for 26 states; state-run exchanges for 17 states, D.C.
Friday, March 15, 2013

Medicare Patients Enrolled in Hospice Receive Better Care
Greater savings to government also seen for those entering 15 to 30 days before death
Thursday, March 14, 2013

$120 Million to Be Sequestered From Health Centers in 2013
Losses likely to be more severe for health centers that are especially grant dependent
Tuesday, March 12, 2013

FDA Encourages Opioid Prescribers to Pursue Training
Continuing medical education provided by opioid manufacturers set to combat misuse and abuse
Monday, March 11, 2013

Little Evidence Red Flags Are Useful in Detecting Spinal Woes
In patients with lower back pain, a single indicator may or may not predict malignancy
Friday, March 08, 2013

Opioid Guidelines for ER Docs Help, But More Study Needed
Efforts called important first steps toward addressing public health problem of abuse
Friday, March 08, 2013

Double-Jointed Adolescents Risk Musculoskeletal Pain
Hypermobility likely to affect shoulder, knee, ankle/foot, particularly among the obese
Thursday, March 07, 2013

Coordinated Care Model Suggested for Palliative Care
Model distinguishes primary palliative care from specialty palliative care
Thursday, March 07, 2013

Two Drug Classes Found Effective for Restless Legs Syndrome
Dopamine agonists, calcium channel alpha-2-delta ligands reduce symptoms
Wednesday, March 06, 2013

Clinical Trials Published Almost Two Years After Completion
Funding source, number of participants, and journal impact factor all affect time to publication
Wednesday, March 06, 2013

Most Docs Report Information Overload in EHR-Setting
Docs who report information overload more likely to have missed results leading to delayed care
Wednesday, March 06, 2013

U.K. Health Performance Worse Than Comparable Countries
Tobacco, high blood pressure, high BMI leading risk factors for disability-adjusted life-years
Tuesday, March 05, 2013

Panel Recommends 10 Patient Safety Strategies
Ten strategies strongly encouraged for adoption; a further 12 strategies encouraged
Monday, March 04, 2013

CMS Reports on Progress Toward Improved Health Care
Progress includes slowing of growth in health care spending, decrease in readmissions
Monday, March 04, 2013

Computerized Provider Order Entry System Cuts Rx Errors
Given effect size, CPOE use, estimated reduction of 12.5 percent in medication errors each year
Monday, March 04, 2013

Sequestration to Impact Health Care-Related Programs
Medicare providers and medical researchers brace for cuts from fiscal impasse
Friday, March 01, 2013

FDA Approves Osphena for Dyspareunia Post-Menopause
Once-daily pill carries boxed warning regarding risk of unusual endometrial bleeding, stroke, DVT
Wednesday, February 27, 2013

ACR Releases Five 'Don'ts' for Rheumatologists
Top five list includes diagnostic tests, treatments that might be commonly misordered
Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Preparation Underway for Implementation of ACA in 2014
Medicaid and CHIP are still main source of insurance coverage for children, pregnant women
Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Benefits Expanded
New rule from HHS outlines standards for essential health benefits
Friday, February 22, 2013

CMS Proposes Payment and Policy Updates for 2014
Suggested changes will increase value and protection for beneficiaries
Thursday, February 21, 2013

FDA: Codeine After Surgery Puts Children At Risk
Food and Drug Administration urging use of alternative pain reliever
Thursday, February 21, 2013

Pros, Cons of Medical Marijuana for Metastatic Cancer Explored
Case vignette highlights issues relating to smoking marijuana when conventional treatment has failed
Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Faster Adoption of Electronic Health Records Needed
Penalties under 2009 law start in 2015
Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Opioids Involved in Most Medical Overdose Deaths
Frequently involve drugs prescribed for mental health conditions
Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Multimodality Approach Needed to Reengineer Health Care
Rethinking, redesign, and application of necessary tools suggested for health care value reform
Tuesday, February 19, 2013

CMS: Unnecessary Medicare Regulations to Be Reformed
Proposed rule aims to increase ability of health care professionals to improve patient care
Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Artificial Intelligence Can Improve Patient Care
Modeling shows that computers can improve medical decisions and outcomes at lower costs
Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Racial Disparities Observed in Opioid Monitoring
Black patients more often receive urine drug tests, less likely to receive pain specialist referral
Monday, February 18, 2013

Two-Step Irradiance OK for Superficial Skin Cancer Lesions
Protocol minimizes pain while maintaining positive clinical outcomes
Monday, February 18, 2013

Self-Rated Health Measure Can Predict Outcomes in Knee OA
Single-item measure of self-rated health also mediates changes in social and mental health
Friday, February 15, 2013

General Anesthesia Ups Knee Replacement Complications
Superficial wound infections, blood transfusions, overall complications down after spinal anesthesia
Friday, February 15, 2013

IOM Urges International Action to Eradicate Fake Drugs
Falsified and substandard meds are ineffective; may trigger resistance and cause illness, death
Thursday, February 14, 2013

Psychological, Sexual Impact of Female Breadwinners Explored
Men who are outearned by their wives more likely to use erectile dysfunction medications
Thursday, February 14, 2013

Oregon Experiment Will Provide Insight Into ACO-Based Reform
Program centered on coordinated care organization highlights challenges of contracting with ACOs
Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Health Insurance Exchanges Are Top Priority on U.S. Agenda
Fifty-five percent view establishment of insurance exchange as top policy priority for their state
Wednesday, February 13, 2013

In Veterans With RA, PTSD Worsens Disease Activity
Worse patient-reported outcomes, higher tender joint counts in rheumatoid arthritis plus PTSD
Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Naltrexone Linked to Reduction in Pain in Fibromyalgia
Low-dose treatment also improves mood and satisfaction with life
Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Obtaining Price Estimate for Hip Arthroplasty Found Difficult
Considerable variation in complete price in both top-ranked and non-top-ranked U.S. hospitals
Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Brain Activity Linked to TNF Inhibitor Response in RA
Response to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors associated with activity in pain-related brain areas
Monday, February 11, 2013

Increasing Patient Activation Tied to Lower Health Care Costs
Having a higher score on the Patient Activation Measure linked to improved outcomes, lower costs
Monday, February 11, 2013

Long-Acting Daily Opioids Increase Risk of Hypogonadism
In men taking daily opioids, duration of action, but not dose, affects risk of hypogonadism
Friday, February 08, 2013

Supraorbital Transcutaneous Stimulator Prevents Migraines
Significant decreases seen in monthly attacks, headache days, and anti-migraine drug intake
Thursday, February 07, 2013

ASA: Pot Use May Be Linked to Increased Stroke Risk
Patients with ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack more likely to have recently used cannabis
Wednesday, February 06, 2013

Review Finds Limited Value for Spinal Manipulation in Acute LBP
SMT found no more effective than inert interventions, sham SMT, as adjunct therapy in acute low back pain
Wednesday, February 06, 2013

Ramipril Improves Walking in Peripheral Artery Disease
Duration of pain-free and maximum walking increased; linked to improved physical function
Wednesday, February 06, 2013

Corticosteroids Worsen Long-Term Epicondylalgia Outcomes
Physical therapy has no significant impact on long-term outcome
Tuesday, February 05, 2013

Pre-Op Physiatry Consultation Reduces Spinal Surgery Rates
Mandatory consultation before surgical consultation reduces spinal surgeries, cuts costs
Tuesday, February 05, 2013

Single-Question Low Back Pain Severity Assessment Accurate
Findings correlate with other instruments measuring low back pain and function
Monday, February 04, 2013

Self-Rated Low Physical Capacity Tied to Low Back Pain
Odds of non-chronic, persistent LBP up for female health care workers with low physical capacity
Monday, February 04, 2013

More Complications for Inpatient Lumbar Discectomy
Thirty-day post-op complications significantly lower in outpatient surgeries
Monday, February 04, 2013

Knowing Cost of Imaging Tests Doesn't Cut Utilization
Provider cost transparency alone does not significantly impact use of inpatient imaging
Friday, February 01, 2013

Bystander Rescue Training Cuts Opioid Overdose Deaths
Overdose education, nasal naloxone distribution program reduces deaths in Massachusetts
Friday, February 01, 2013

Parents Not Too Concerned About Child Abuse of Pain Meds
New poll shows that parents have lukewarm support for most policies to discourage misuse
Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Early Palliative Care in Lung CA Focuses on Coping, Symptoms
During critical time points or progression, palliative care emphasizes psychosocial aspects
Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Back Pain Researchers Identify Current Priorities
Patient subgroup analysis and translation into clinical practice ranked as most important
Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Physicians Commonly Report Unsafe Hospital Workloads
Findings from an online survey of hospitalists show excess workload affects patient outcome
Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Brain Scans Show Doctors Empathize With Patients
Regions associated with pain relief and reward activated
Tuesday, January 29, 2013

FDA Panel Votes for Tougher Restrictions on Hydrocodone
Panel votes in favor of moving hydrocodone combo products into Schedule II category
Friday, January 25, 2013

Back Pain Intensity Most Influential in Fusion Decision
After adjustment, acceptance also linked to a history of spinal injections and being white
Thursday, January 24, 2013

Exposure to Triggers Causes Migraine With Aura in Only a Few
Only small subgroup of patients report migraine with aura when provoked with natural triggers
Thursday, January 24, 2013

Physician Education Ups Communication for New Meds
Patients rate the new medication information transfer higher for docs in intervention group
Thursday, January 24, 2013

Large Teaching Hospitals Face More Readmission Penalties
After adjustment, likelihood of being penalized highest for safety-net hospitals
Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Care Transition Initiative Decreases Rehospitalizations
However, no significant reduction in 30-day rehospitalization as percent of hospital discharges
Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Poor Arthritis Outcome Risk Up in Overweight Black Women
May be due to factors including comorbidity, depressive symptoms, and knee pain
Wednesday, January 23, 2013

High BMI Increases Risk of Chronic Low Back Pain Later
Findings in a large population cohort, including those free of pain at baseline, followed for 11 years
Wednesday, January 23, 2013

FDA: First Skin Patch Approved to Treat Migraines
Battery-powered transdermal system delivers sumatriptan; provides headache, nausea relief
Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Early Predictors of Occupational Back Reinjury Identified
Reinjury in 25.8 percent of those who return to work, especially if male, prior similar injury
Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Efforts Failed to Up Primary Care, Rural Resident Training
Net growth in primary care training, but outpaced by growth in non-primary care training
Friday, January 18, 2013

Even Brief Interruptions Dramatically Increase Errors
Error rate doubled or tripled in response to brief interruptions of only 2.8 to 4.4 seconds
Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Family Docs Are Early Adopters of Electronic Health Records
Sixty-eight percent currently use EHR systems; likely to surpass 80 percent by 2013
Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Certain Online Behaviors of Docs Warrant Investigation
Consensus in seven of ten vignettes; outcome less clear for other doc online behavior scenarios
Monday, January 14, 2013

Top Five Issues for Docs and Patients Identified for 2013
Issues include access to care, physician shortages, preparation for 30 million new patients
Monday, January 14, 2013

Radiation Therapy Use Low in End-Stage Cancer
But those receiving radiation during final month often receive treatment for more than 10 days
Friday, January 11, 2013

National U.S. Health Care Spending Relatively Stable
But during 2011, personal health care spending growth accelerated
Friday, January 11, 2013

CDC: Rare Blood Disorder Found in Intravenous Drug Users
Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura seen in patients who dissolve and inject oral pain medication
Thursday, January 10, 2013

Rate of Non-Medical Use of Rx Pain Meds 4.6 Percent
Considerable variation seen between states, from 3.6 percent in Iowa to 6.4 percent in Oregon
Thursday, January 10, 2013

Lumbar Extensor Training Improves Chronic Back Pain
No muscular morphology changes seen despite clinically relevant functional improvement
Thursday, January 10, 2013

High Unawareness of Distal Sensorimotor Polyneuropathy
Most older adults with prediabetes or diabetes who have DSPN are unaware of their condition
Thursday, January 10, 2013

SPIRIT 2013 Clinical Trial Protocol Guidelines Issued
Thirty-three-item SPIRIT checklist will serve as guideline for the minimum content of clinical trial
Thursday, January 10, 2013

FDA: Draft Guidance Issued on Abuse-Deterrent Opioids
To assist industry in developing new formulations of opioid drugs with abuse-deterrent properties
Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Pain Starting at Delivery Is Rare Six, 12 Months Later
And, in rats, hypersensitivity to mid-pregnancy peripheral nerve injury resolves soon after birth
Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Acetaminophen Cuts Post-Op Morphine Use in Infants
Significant reduction in morphine requirements over 48 hours after major surgery
Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Vitamin D Does Not Improve Knee OA Progression, Symptoms
Supplementation to raise levels above 36 ng/mL has no impact on knee pain, cartilage volume loss
Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Health Care Use Dropped Among All During Recession
Little evidence of racial or ethnic disparities, except for fewer physician visits for Hispanics
Tuesday, January 08, 2013

Web-Based QoL Tool Beneficial in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Patients have more discussions with their doctor; doctors more satisfied with care
Monday, January 07, 2013

Shared Savings May Promote Care Coordination Entity Use
Sharing savings with dually eligible patients may foster enrollment in coordinated care entities
Monday, January 07, 2013

Nurse-Led Monitoring Improves Cancer-Related Fatigue
Protocolized patient-tailored treatment of physical symptoms improves fatigue in advanced cancer
Friday, January 04, 2013

Association Between Health Care Cost, Quality Inconsistent
Review of 61 studies shows inconsistent evidence for the direction of the association
Thursday, January 03, 2013

Direct Costs for Low Back Pain Care in U.K. Are Substantial
Primary care consultations account for the majority of care costs
Thursday, January 03, 2013

House Joins Senate to Avert Medicare Cuts
U.S. health care could be significantly affected by failure to reach 'fiscal cliff' agreement
Wednesday, January 02, 2013

Surgery Consultation Common After MRI of the Spine
Patients in primary setting are often referred for consultations but rarely undergo surgery
Wednesday, January 02, 2013

Fibromyalgia May Be Underdiagnosed, More So in Men
Patients meeting fibromyalgia research survey criteria found unlikely to receive diagnosis of fibromyalgia
Wednesday, January 02, 2013

Data Suggest Smoking Doesn't Impact RA Treatment Response
No differences in mean disease activity score in 28 joints based on smoking status
Thursday, December 20, 2012

Spanish Registry IDs Predictors of Low Back Pain Improvement
Predictors identified for low back pain, pain down the leg, disability improvement at three months
Thursday, December 20, 2012

Substantial Morbidity, Mortality From Fungus-Tainted Steroid
In 19 states, 590 cases of infection, 37 deaths tied to three lots of contaminated glucocorticoid
Wednesday, December 19, 2012

For Whiplash, Usual Care, Single PT Session Found Adequate
No added benefit of active management in ER; PT package more costly, modest early benefit
Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Health Care Satisfaction Rated As High by Unacculturated Hispanics
Unacculturated or biculturated Hispanics give higher ratings for health care experiences
Monday, December 17, 2012

Risk Factors ID'd for Revision of Total Hip Replacement
Younger, taller, heavier patients at greater risk of revision of primary total hip replacement
Monday, December 17, 2012

Surgery, Exercise Long-Term Outcomes Equal for Back Pain
More operated patients use pain meds, are out of work versus cognitive intervention plus exercise
Monday, December 17, 2012

Trunk Exercise Reduces Pain, Disability in Low Back Pain
Significantly reduces disability and pain but no difference in anticipatory postural adjustment
Friday, December 14, 2012

~40 Percent of Cancer Patients Receive Opioids at End of Life
In the U.K., patients older than 60 less likely to receive prescription versus those younger than 50
Thursday, December 13, 2012

NSAIDs Exacerbate Exercise-Induced Small Intestinal Injury
NSAIDs induce gut barrier dysfunction in healthy athletes; extent of injury tied to barrier dysfunction
Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Degeneration Similar With, Without Disc Prosthesis Surgery
No difference in development of adjacent level degeneration; facet arthropathy up post-surgery
Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Smoking Cessation Cuts Pain in Patients With Spine Disorders
Patients who quit during course of care have significantly greater improvements in pain ratings
Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Readmission Seen in ~7 Percent of Elective Spine Surgeries
Significant predictors include older age, greater comorbidity, larger number of fused levels
Monday, December 10, 2012

Spinal Fusion Surgery Not Associated With Stroke
Study examines risk up to three years after posterior lumbar spinal fusion surgery
Monday, December 10, 2012

Spine Education Seems Ineffective in Pain Prevention
Quality of reviewed articles low; only one large study with acceptable methodological quality
Friday, December 07, 2012

Health Care Law Boosts Savings on Meds for Medicare Recipients
Savings on prescription drugs has reached $5.1 billion; for more than 5.8 million beneficiaries
Friday, December 07, 2012

FDA: Public-Private Venture Set to Improve Regulatory Science
Medical Device Innovation Consortium will collaborate with FDA to better evaluate new devices
Thursday, December 06, 2012

FDA: Zofran 32-mg Dose Pulled From Market
The anti-nausea drug may cause serious heart problems at that dosage
Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Extended Sleep Time Linked to Reduced Pain Sensitivity
Increase in sleep time linked to improved daily sleep latency, tied to reduced pain sensitivity
Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Epidural Steroid Shot Has Adverse Effect on Bone Density
Findings seen in postmenopausal women being treated for pain associated with radiculopathy
Monday, December 03, 2012

Increasing Number of Workers in Self-Insured Health Plans
In 2011, 58.5 percent with health coverage self-insured; increase driven by large employers
Monday, December 03, 2012

Worse Outcomes for Total Joint Arthroplasty in RA Versus OA
Patients with rheumatoid arthritis have increased risk of dislocation after THA, infection after TKA
Friday, November 30, 2012

Political Leaders Face Voter Opposition to Medicare Cuts
Voter poll analysis portends conflict in ACA implementation
Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Doc Earnings Growth Lags Behind Other Health Professionals
Adjusted physician earnings dropped by 1.6 percent from 1996-2000 to 2006-2010
Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Parental Chronic Pain Impacts Pain in Teens, Young Adults
Adolescents with parents with chronic nonspecific pain more likely to experience chronic pain
Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Growing Number of Drugs Possibly Inhibited by Grapefruit
All drugs orally administered; have low-to-intermediate bioavailability; metabolized by CYP3A4
Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Obama Administration Moving Forward With Health Care Law
From 2014, insurance companies prohibited from discrimination based on pre-existing conditions
Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Personality Traits Explain Some of Placebo Analgesic Effect
Resilient people have activation of endogenous painkillers in response to placebo after pain
Monday, November 19, 2012

Pulmonary Complications Often Fatal in Systemic JIA
Pulmonary diseases may result from systemic disease or from medication exposure
Monday, November 19, 2012

Mental Illness, Job Stress Both Factors in Physician Suicides
Docs more likely to have antipsychotics, barbiturates, not antidepressants on toxicology testing
Friday, November 16, 2012

Diltiazem Relieves Capecitabine-Induced Chest Pain
Prophylaxis with diltiazem prevents chest pain, allowing patients to tolerate capecitabine
Friday, November 16, 2012

Efficacy of Corticosteroid Injection for Sciatica Reviewed
Meta-analysis shows small short-term relief for leg pain, disability; however, little long-term benefit
Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Impaired Central Pain Mechanism for Patients With RA
Sleep disturbance may mediate association between RA and impaired pain modulation
Friday, November 09, 2012

Disc Disease Severity Doesn't Predict Surgical Outcomes
Measures of disc degeneration not linked to patient's outcome after total disc replacement
Thursday, November 08, 2012

Racial Variation in Pain in Knee OA Linked to Vitamin D Levels
Experimental pain sensitivity, not self-reported clinical pain, up with low levels of vitamin D
Thursday, November 08, 2012

Pain Management Varies Among Palliative Care Centers
Variations in outcomes for terminal cancer patients affected by organizational factors
Monday, November 05, 2012

Factors Impacting Benefit of Exercise in Knee OA Identified
Self-reported knee instability, fear of exercise linked to response to therapeutic exercise
Friday, November 02, 2012

Sedentary Behavior Worsens Decline in Cerebral Palsy
Physical activity may improve muscle function and reduce chronic disease
Friday, November 02, 2012

Playing Videos Reduces Anxiety Before Pediatric Surgery
Video reduces anxiety during induction of inhaled anesthesia before ambulatory surgery
Friday, November 02, 2012

NSAIDS Don't Affect C-Reactive Protein Levels in RA Patients
Stratified analysis of specific NSAIDs show significant effect; naproxen tied to decrease in CRP
Thursday, November 01, 2012

Neuraxial Anesthesia Beneficial for Bilateral Knee Arthroplasty
Lower rate of blood transfusions compared with general anesthesia
Thursday, November 01, 2012

Self-Management of Low Back Pain Has Small Effects
Meta-analysis of moderate-quality evidence shows small effects on pain, disability
Thursday, November 01, 2012

FDA: Ameridose Issues Voluntary Recall of All Products
All unexpired products should be returned to manufacturer
Wednesday, October 31, 2012

U.S. Medicare Spending on Elderly Has Outpaced Canada's
Growth three times faster in the U.S., while Canada offers more comprehensive benefits
Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Acupuncture Reduces Breast Cancer-Related Fatigue
Improvements also seen in quality of life after six weeks of treatment
Monday, October 29, 2012

Systematic Pain Management Needed for Children in ER
Staff education, incorporation of child life specialists, family presence recommended
Monday, October 29, 2012

High Costs for Early Retirement Due to Spinal Disorders
Early retirement affects individual earnings, welfare payments, and government revenue
Friday, October 26, 2012

Surgery Center Influences Outcomes in Spinal Surgery
Outcomes vary by center choice for lumbar stenosis, degenerative spondylolisthesis surgery
Thursday, October 25, 2012

Genuine Very Large Effects in Trials Rare in Medicine
Very large effects typically seen in small trials and diminish subsequently; seldom address mortality
Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Lower Extremity Pain Negatively Impacts Obese Children
Reduced physical function and psychosocial health for obese children with lower extremity pain
Monday, October 22, 2012

ASA: Illicit Drug Abuse Down, Prescription Drug Abuse Up
Emergency room data from 2007 to 2009 shows decreases larger in magnitude than increases
Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Patellofemoral Disease Features Analyzed in Osteoarthritis
Severe coexisting disease linked to distinct features from tibiofemoral OA alone/with mild PF disease
Monday, October 15, 2012

Methotrexate Use Linked to Reduced Mortality in RA
Findings for methotrexate use of more than one year in cohort of patients followed for 25 years
Friday, October 12, 2012

Study Confirms Link Between Analgesic Use, Ovarian Cancer
Case-control study shows any analgesic, aspirin use may reduce risk of ovarian cancer
Thursday, October 11, 2012

Cannabis Relieves Muscle Stiffness in Multiple Sclerosis
Oral cannabis extract provides nearly twice the rate of relief of placebo; also beneficial for pain
Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Prompt Kyphoplasty Not Crucial for Osteoporotic Vertebral Fx
Three-week trial of conservative treatment beneficial; treatment outcomes similar at one year
Monday, October 08, 2012

Increased Weight Cuts Death Risk in Rheumatoid Arthritis
But overweight, obese tied to increased risks of comorbidity, reduced quality of life
Thursday, October 04, 2012

Limiting the Problem of Missing Data Urged for Clinical Trials
Special report: analysis methods can not compensate for missing data, simple fixes ruled out
Wednesday, October 03, 2012

Cherry Intake Linked to Lower Risk of Recurrent Gout Attacks
Cherries or cherry extract linked to lower risk; additive effect when combined with allopurinol
Wednesday, October 03, 2012

New Guidelines Issued for Management of Gout
Two-part guidelines include approaches to hyperuricemia; therapy, prophylaxis for acute gout
Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Hip Resurfacing Shows Higher Failure Rate Than Replacement
Use of smaller head sizes linked to higher failure rates in both men and women
Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Patients Benefit From Access to Physician Notes
Patients frequently access visit notes; almost all patients want open note policy to continue
Monday, October 01, 2012

Pain Intensity in Juvenile Arthritis Varies Widely
Pain intensity varies widely within days for youth with JIA, significantly impacting quality of life
Friday, September 28, 2012

Benzodiazepine Use Linked to Increased Risk of Dementia
Link robust after adjustment, across pooled studies over time, in nested case-control study
Friday, September 28, 2012

Topical NSAIDs Effective for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain
Equivalent to oral NSAIDs in efficacy but with fewer adverse gastrointestinal effects
Thursday, September 27, 2012

Drugs Similar in Efficacy for Neuropathic Pain in Diabetes
Amitriptyline, duloxetine, and pregabalin reduce pain; differ in sleep quality, adverse effects
Wednesday, September 26, 2012

IV Acetaminophen Eases Post-Spinal Op Pain for Children
Improves analgesia versus placebo but does not cut oxycodone consumption in children, teens
Friday, September 21, 2012

Nearly Half of European Mortality Due to Cancer, Chronic Disease
Inverse link seen for country-specific crude death rate for cancer/chronic disease versus other causes
Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Gout Is Primary Indication in About 0.2 Percent of ER Visits
Increased propensity for emergency department use linked to age, gender, household income
Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Review: Inhaled Analgesia Provides Pain Relief in Labor
Nitrous oxide has more negative side effects than flurane derivatives, placebo, or no treatment
Monday, September 17, 2012

Study Looks at Pain Processing Abnormalities in Knee OA
Central sensitization may explain cases of knee OA with high clinical pain, low-grade disease
Monday, September 17, 2012

Radiography Unnecessary After Spinal Fusion Surgery
Radiographs do not provide additional clinical information and are not cost effective
Friday, September 14, 2012

Risk of Car Accidents Up With Antidepressant Use
Benzodiazepines and Z-drug use also increases odds of car accidents, but not antipsychotic use
Friday, September 14, 2012

Meta-Analysis: Acupuncture Reasonable Chronic Pain Option
Effective relief for back and neck pain, osteoarthritis, and chronic headache
Thursday, September 13, 2012

For Obese, Body Habitus, Not BMI Impacts Op Site Infection
Thickness of subcutaneous fat, skin to lamina distance impact SSI risk post-lumbar spine fusion
Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Costs of Neck and Back Conditions Increasing in U.S.
Costs up 95 percent from 1999 to 2008; mainly due to increased costs for medical specialists
Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Not All Docs/Nurses Want to Be Asked About Hand Hygiene
Few were asked in the past month; more than a quarter do not want patients to remind them
Friday, September 07, 2012

Bolus Epidural Fentanyl Cuts Post-Spinal Decompression Pain
Intraoperative bolus epidural fentanyl improves early pain without significant side effects
Thursday, September 06, 2012

No Increased Risk of Cancer With Biologics in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Use of biologic response modifiers for at least 24 weeks doesn't up overall, specific malignancy risk
Tuesday, September 04, 2012

Advanced-Stage Cancer Patients Often Reluctant to Exercise
Reasons include therapy-related symptoms; no recognition of effect on symptoms; lack of advice
Friday, August 31, 2012

Prior Substance Abuse Linked to Opioid Abuse in Young Men
In young women, only prior marijuana use is associated with prescription opioid abuse
Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Catastrophizing Doesn't Predict Low Back Pain Evolution
In routine practice, assessing baseline catastrophizing score not helpful
Thursday, August 16, 2012

FDA: Codeine May Be Fatal in Subset of Children
Some children genetically predisposed to convert codeine to dangerous levels of morphine
Wednesday, August 15, 2012

No Increased Risk of Stroke After Spinal Fusion Surgery
Incidence of any, hemorrhagic, ischemic stroke down, but difference not statistically significant
Thursday, August 09, 2012

Infection Risk Up for Seniors With Rheumatoid Arthritis
Comorbidity, rural residence, disease severity, prior infection, DMARDs linked to infection
Tuesday, August 07, 2012

Vulvodynia Linked to Other Chronic Pain Conditions
Women with vulvodynia significantly more likely to have fibromyalgia, interstitial cystitis, or IBS
Monday, August 06, 2012

Clinicians Can Unintentionally Prompt Nocebo Effect
Negative expectations, being informed about complications up likelihood of adverse effects
Thursday, August 02, 2012

Anesthesia Regimen Linked to Post-Orthognathic Op Pain
More pain in first four hours after surgery for patients receiving propofol and remifentanil
Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Self-Efficacy Predicts Fibromyalgia Symptomatology
And, physical function at six months predicts self-efficacy at one year
Monday, July 30, 2012

Better Analgesia From Pelvic Plexus Block in Prostate Biopsy
Compared with periprostatic nerve block during transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsy
Thursday, July 26, 2012

Forefoot Joints Don't Improve 28-Joint Count Measurement
In early RA, inclusion of forefoot joint doesn't improve measurement range, precision
Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Poorer Patient Experience at Safety-Net Hospitals
Worse performance on nearly every measure of patient experience; discrepancy persisted over time
Thursday, July 19, 2012

Discrepancy in Perception of RA Disease Activity Elucidated
RA patients see pain, doctors see joint swelling as the primary determinant of disease activity
Thursday, July 19, 2012

Social Network Analysis IDs Informal Physician Networks
Geographic variation in network characteristics; similar physician, patient features within networks
Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Pain, Disability Don't Predict Function in Spinal Stenosis
Subjective measures of pain, disability have limited predictive ability in lumbar spinal stenosis
Monday, July 16, 2012

Abuse-Deterrent OxyContin Produces Unexpected Outcome
OxyContin abuse down, but increase noted in use of alternative opioid medications and heroin
Thursday, July 12, 2012

Tests ID'd for Use in Outcome Assessment of Spinal Stenosis
Excellent test-retest reliability for Oswestry Disability Index; variable levels of responsiveness
Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Anxiety, Depression Common in Adults With Arthritis
Anxiety found more often than depression; one-third of patients have one of the two conditions
Monday, July 09, 2012

Obesity Is a Risk Factor for Poor Remission Rates in RA
Study looks at patients with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis treated with TNFα therapies
Friday, July 06, 2012

Sadness Increases Subjective Experience of Pain
Larger desynchronization of lower beta bands post-pain stimuli in sad emotional context
Friday, July 06, 2012

High-Dose Vitamin D 'Somewhat Favorable' in Fracture Prevention
Benefits for elderly women consistent regardless of baseline levels, age, calcium intake
Thursday, July 05, 2012

Rheumatoid Arthritis Drug Not Linked to Specific Birth Defects
But authors advise use of contraception and avoidance of pregnancy while taking leflunomide
Tuesday, July 03, 2012

Brain Connectivity Predicts Transition to Chronic Pain
More connectivity between nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex seen in chronic back pain
Tuesday, July 03, 2012

Supreme Court Upholds Health Care Reform Law
'Individual-mandate' insurance requirement deemed constitutional
Thursday, June 28, 2012

Prolonged Disability Predictors Identified for Low Back Pain
Pain-related disability at one year tied to impaired fasting glucose tolerance, BMI, QoL, baseline pain
Thursday, June 28, 2012

Hospice Visit Number Affects Ability to Die at Home
Factors identified that affect hospice cancer patient ability to die in setting of choice
Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Duplicate Payments by Federal Government Increasing
Dually enrolled patients in the VA and Medicare account for substantial, duplicate costs
Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Cannabis Use for Fibromyalgia Linked to Poor Mental Health
Mental illness, opioid drug-seeking behavior, male gender linked to herbal cannabinoid use
Friday, June 22, 2012

Cold-Air Anesthesia Reduces Pain of Laser Treatment
Less pain when used with topical anesthesia during fractionated carbon-dioxide laser treatment
Friday, June 22, 2012

Half of Residents Report Working While Sick
Most frequent reasons for presenteeism include feeling obligation to colleagues and to patient care
Thursday, June 21, 2012

Genetic Contribution Detected in Responses to Opioids
Twin study shows significant inherited component for nausea, depressed breathing, drug liking
Thursday, June 21, 2012

Research Suggests Flavocoxid Causes Acute Liver Injury
Injury seen as mixed hepatocellular-cholestatic hepatitis beginning within one to three months of use
Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Patient-Rated Elbow Evaluation Most Responsive Instrument
Comparison of five assessment tools shows PREE best identifies changes pre-, post-arthroplasty
Monday, June 18, 2012

Coexistent Lumbar Disorders Complicate Hip Arthroplasty
Patients with coexistent disorders have less improvement in function, pain; increased costs
Monday, June 18, 2012

Factors ID'd in Healing Failure of Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Patients have increased inflammation and aberrant growth factor levels
Friday, June 15, 2012

Pre-Op Breast Pain in ~28 Percent of Breast Cancer Patients
Genetic polymorphisms in inflammatory cytokines linked to presurgical breast pain
Thursday, June 14, 2012

Cannabinoid Formulation Benefits Opioid-Refractory Pain
Nabiximols offers pain relief for patients with advanced cancer, especially at low-dose
Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Susceptibility Loci Identified for Migraine Without Aura
Associations seen at unique loci and at two previously reported migraine loci
Monday, June 11, 2012

Higher Risk of VTE in CKD Surgical Patients on Enoxaparin
Compared to desirudin, VTE risk up for enoxaparin-treated CKD stage 3B patients after THR
Friday, June 08, 2012

Three Percent of Hip, Knee Replacements Need Critical Care
Older patients, general anesthesia, post-op complications increase odds of critical care services
Friday, June 08, 2012

Early Physical Therapy Beneficial for Low Back Pain
Significant reductions in health care and costs for patients with newly diagnosed low back pain
Thursday, June 07, 2012

Exercise Reduces Neuropathic Pain After Nerve Injury in Rats
Less neuropathic pain, decrease in cytokine overproduction after progressive exercise training
Wednesday, June 06, 2012

Many Adults May Accidentally Overdose on Acetaminophen
Limited literacy, heavy use of acetaminophen-containing products independently linked to risk
Wednesday, June 06, 2012

Aspirin Ups Risk of Bleeding in All But Diabetes Patients
Patients with diabetes have increased risk of major bleeding, independent of aspirin use
Tuesday, June 05, 2012

Self-Management Has Small Effect on Low Back Pain
Review shows use of self-management techniques has minimal effect on pain and disability
Tuesday, June 05, 2012

Morbid Obesity Ups Complication Rate in Spinal Fusion Surgery
Hospital charges, length of stay, mortality all up in morbidly obese patients undergoing spinal fusion
Monday, June 04, 2012

Spondylolisthesis Linked to Spinous Process Fractures
Post-interspinous process spacer surgery, fracture rate 52 percent for those with spondylolisthesis
Friday, June 01, 2012

Disability in Juvenile Arthritis Affects Adult Employment
Educational attainment impacts employment; influenced by functional disability, not JIA subtype
Friday, June 01, 2012

Rats Regain Ability to Walk After Spinal Cord Injury
Cortex-dependent recovery triggered after electrochemical treatment, encouraging movement
Friday, June 01, 2012

Neck Strength, Cervical Spine Mobility Don't Predict Pain
Isometric neck muscle strength and cervical spine mobility not predictive of future neck pain
Friday, May 25, 2012

Interneuron Transplant Treats Neuropathic Pain in Mice
But transplantation of embryonic GABAergic interneurons ineffective against inflammatory pain
Friday, May 25, 2012

Patients Can Minimize Injection Pain by Looking Away
Less discomfort when information that reduces the expectation of pain is provided
Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Higher Pain Tolerance for Athletes Than Active Controls
Impact of exercise on pain perception suggests potential of physical activity in pain management
Monday, May 21, 2012

Inadequate Pain Meds in ER for Patients With Long-Bone Fx
Many patients get no pain medication; those who receive meds wait an average of nearly two hours
Friday, May 18, 2012

Gender, High DAS28-P Index Predictive of Pain in Early RA
Being female, high proportion of patient-reported components in DAS28 predict less improvement
Friday, May 18, 2012

ASCO: For Chemo's Nausea, Olanzapine Beats Metoclopramide
Patients with breakthrough chemo-induced nausea and vomiting benefit from olanzapine
Thursday, May 17, 2012

Predictors of Length of Hospital Stay After Spine Surgery ID'd
Several factors contribute to increased length of stay for patients undergoing minimally invasive TLIF
Thursday, May 17, 2012

Low Back Pain Improves Soon After Treatment, but Still Lingers
Pain, disability improve early on, but persist for those with acute or persistent low back pain
Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Smoking Cannabis Reduces Spasticity in Multiple Sclerosis
For patients with multiple sclerosis, cannabis also reduces pain, lowers score on cognitive test
Monday, May 14, 2012

Sumatriptan/Naproxen Helpful in Treating Teens' Migraines
Drug well tolerated; no differences found in effectiveness of different dosing protocols
Monday, May 14, 2012

CMS Policy Helping Hospitals to Prevent Targeted Infections
Despite positive impact, less time spent on nontargeted infections, especially in large hospitals
Friday, May 04, 2012

Lower All-Cause, Cardio Mortality in Obese With RA
But substantially increased risks of comorbidities, total joint replacement, and greater pain
Wednesday, May 02, 2012

Methodological Heterogeneity Seen in Clinical Trials
Trials registered with ClinicalTrials.gov from 2007 to 2010 mainly small, single-center
Tuesday, May 01, 2012

A Third of Adults With Arthritis Have Anxiety, Depression
Anxiety more prevalent than depression among U.S. adults with arthritis
Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Obesity, Increased Incidence of Rheumatoid Arthritis Linked
Rise in obesity accounts for more than 50 percent of concurrent increase in RA incidence
Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Indirect Link ID'd Between Pain Catastrophizing, Severity
Pain catastrophizing, especially ruminating, linked to pain severity via sleep disturbance
Tuesday, May 01, 2012

PAS: Maternal Opioid Use, Neonatal Withdrawal Rising
Increase in neonatal abstinence syndrome from 2000 to 2009 accompanied by increase in hospital costs
Monday, April 30, 2012

Sleep Measures Do Not Predict Clinical Pain in Fibromyalgia
Spatial extent of pain, pain aftersensation, negative mood make up about one-third of pain variance
Friday, April 27, 2012

AAN: Migraine Prevalence Up in Celiac Disease, IBD Patients
U.S. study finds self-classified gluten-sensitive individuals have increased odds of migraines
Friday, April 27, 2012

Hyperalgesia Similar With Drug Therapies for Heroin Addiction
Once stabilized in treatment, no difference in pain response for methadone or buprenorphine
Thursday, April 26, 2012

Botox Modestly Improves Chronic Headaches, Migraines
But is not associated with reduction in frequency of episodic migraine or tension-type headaches
Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Patients With Acute Low Back Pain Have Poor Prognosis
Few patients declare sick leave; many experience recurrences, chronic pain after initial episode
Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Oxiplex Improves Outcomes After Lumbar Discectomy
Gel treatment linked to greater reductions in pain, symptoms; satisfaction with surgical procedure
Tuesday, April 24, 2012

AAN: Recommendations for Migraine Prevention Issued
Frequency and severity of migraine attacks can be reduced using seizure drugs and beta-blockers
Monday, April 23, 2012

High BMI Tied to Non-Specific Foot Pain, Plantar Heel Pain
Limited evidence suggesting reduced symptoms after weight-loss surgery; warrants further study
Monday, April 23, 2012

Pain Coping Ability Impacts Lupus Symptomology
Modifiable pain coping strategies impact physical symptoms and psychological distress of SLE
Monday, April 23, 2012

AHA: Depression, Peripheral Artery Disease Linked
Patients with depression significantly more likely to have PAD, PAD-related events
Friday, April 20, 2012

Omega-3 Supplements Don't Benefit Patients With MS
No difference in number of MRI lesions, relapse rate, clinical disease activity with ω-3 supplements
Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Immunization Pain Reduced Using the Five S's Technique
Swaddling, side/stomach position, shushing, swinging, sucking reduce pain and crying time
Monday, April 16, 2012

Alcohol Use With Opioids Common Even Without Abuse Past
Concurrent use of CNS depressants can lead to respiratory depression or sedation
Monday, April 16, 2012

Most Breast Cancer Survivors Experience Lasting Side Effects
Proportion experiencing side effects remains stable from 12 months to six years post-diagnosis
Friday, April 13, 2012

Pain Correlates Most Strongly With Disability in Hispanics With RA
Irreversible articular damage, depression, disease activity, age, pain predict later disability
Friday, April 13, 2012

Pattern of Disc Degeneration Impacts Low Back Pain
Contiguous, multilevel disc degeneration increases likelihood of lower back pain, pain severity
Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Antidepressants Don't Worsen Parkinson's Symptoms
Paroxetine and venlafaxine XR effectively treat depression in Parkinson's patients
Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Report Highlights Child Deaths From Post-Surgery Codeine Use
Genetic variants produce ultra-rapid metabolizer phenotypes tied to respiratory arrest
Monday, April 09, 2012

Targeted Exercise Relieves Sciatica Pain
Symptom-guided therapy relieves back pain and improves outcomes for severe sciatica patients
Monday, April 09, 2012

Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Lowers Health-Related QoL
Effects of lumbar spinal stenosis on health-related quality of life compounded by comorbidities
Friday, April 06, 2012

Physical Activity Predicts Functionality in Older Adults
Those seniors remaining physically active have fewer functional limitations
Friday, April 06, 2012

New Guidelines Issued for Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment
Update of 2008 guidelines addresses screening for TB, immunization, treatment in high-risk patients
Thursday, April 05, 2012

Medical Malpractice Claims Incur Substantial Defense Costs
Costs higher for claims resulting in indemnity payments; significant variation by specialty
Wednesday, April 04, 2012

Alcohol, Drug Use Prevalent Among U.S. Adolescents
Onset of alcohol abuse seen at median age of 14 years; drug abuse onset at 14 or 15 years
Wednesday, April 04, 2012

Study Looks at Effect of Emotions on Pain and Itch Intensity
Negative emotions can lead to higher levels of itch and pain in women
Friday, March 16, 2012

Poorer Health Literacy Linked to Increased Mortality
About one-third of older adults in England have medium or low functional health literacy
Friday, March 16, 2012

Analgesic Use After Surgery Linked to Long-Term Use
Prescription of opioids, NSAIDs within seven days of low-risk surgery increases risk of long-term use
Thursday, March 15, 2012

Higher Spending by Hospitals Improves Outcomes
Lower mortality, readmission for acute patients admitted to hospital in highest tercile of spending
Tuesday, March 13, 2012

U.S. Mortality Rates Dropped 60 Percent From 1935 to 2010
For every year, heart disease, cancer, and stroke are among the five leading causes of death
Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Flu Vaccine Up Among Medical Staff When They Believe It Works
Hospital health care workers more likely to get vaccinated when committed to preventing flu
Friday, March 09, 2012

Race and Socioeconomic Status Linked to Chronic Pain
Black race, lower socioeconomic status independently tied with chronic pain outcomes
Friday, March 09, 2012

Surrogates Tend to Misinterpret Poor Prognosis Information
Statements about low risk of death interpreted accurately; poor prognosis viewed optimistically
Friday, March 09, 2012

Buprenorphine Maintenance Therapy Not Recommended
Abstinence-based therapy recommended instead for opioid-addicted health care professionals
Thursday, March 08, 2012

Financial Burden of Medical Care Affects One in Three
More than one in five poor or near-poor adults younger than 65 have bills they are unable to pay
Wednesday, March 07, 2012

Veterans With Mental Health Issues Receive More Opioids
Risks of opioid use and adverse clinical outcomes especially high in veterans with PTSD
Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Electronic Test Result Access Does Not Reduce Test Ordering
Office-based physician access to computerized images may up image ordering by 40 to 70 percent
Tuesday, March 06, 2012

AHA Supports Shared Decision Making in Heart Failure
Treatment choices should align with values, goals, and preferences of an informed patient
Monday, March 05, 2012

Sleeping Pill Use Linked to Greater Mortality Risk
Greater than three-fold higher risk even for fewer than 18 pills a year
Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Low Back Pain Counseling Strategy Ups Return to Work
Early interventions for Belgian workers with low back pain improve return-to-work rates
Monday, February 27, 2012

Pharmacist-Led Intervention Reduces Medical Errors
Intervention includes feedback, educational outreach, dedicated support and is cost-effective
Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Classification-Based Therapy No Better for Back Pain
No significant difference with Delitto's classification-based or usual physical therapy care
Monday, February 20, 2012

Overdose Prevention Programs Using Opioid Antagonist
Naloxone use, however, not sufficient to address high overdose death rates
Thursday, February 16, 2012

Fibromyalgia Symptoms More Severe in Obese Patients
Poorer quality of life, worse fibromyalgia symptoms seen in severely obese
Tuesday, February 14, 2012

AAOS: Prevalence of U.S. Total Knee Replacements ~5 Percent
More than 4.5 million Americans currently have an intact primary total knee replacement
Friday, February 10, 2012

Intracerebroventricular Opioid Infusion Feasible at Home
Effective for treatment of refractory pain in terminal patients; low incidence of adverse events
Thursday, February 09, 2012

AAOS: Defensive Medicine Prevalent in Orthopedics
National costs estimated at $2 billion annually for orthopedic surgery
Thursday, February 09, 2012

AAOS: Platelet-Rich Plasma Effective for Plantar Fasciitis
Significantly more effective and longer lasting than cortisone injection
Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Polyethylene Glycol Repairs Severed Nerves in Rats
Two studies show PEG-induced sealing of axons after transaction or cut- or crush-severance
Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Subcortical Gray Matter Changes Seen in RA Patients
Subcortical changes and smaller intracranial volumes seen, but no cortical gray matter atrophy
Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Massage Reduces Inflammation Following Hard Exercise
Biopsy shows that massage promotes growth of new mitochondria in muscle cells
Monday, February 06, 2012

Weight Loss Impacts Leg Muscle, Strength in Knee OA
Weight loss linked to loss of leg muscle tissue and strength, improved normalized muscle strength
Monday, February 06, 2012

RA Drug Trial Funding Source Not Linked to Outcome
Positive outcomes are not more likely in industry-funded rheumatoid arthritis drug trials
Monday, February 06, 2012

Warm Saline Enhances Shoulder Tendinitis Treatment
Warm solution improves dissolution of calcium deposits during therapy for rotator cuff tendonitis
Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Disc Degeneration More Likely in Overweight, Obese Adults
Higher body mass index linked to greater severity in lumbar degenerative disc disease
Monday, January 30, 2012

More Than 40 Percent of Adults With RA Are Inactive
Lack of strong motivation and belief in physical activity account for most of inactivity
Thursday, January 26, 2012

Neurologists Should Routinely Assess Patients for Abuse
Position statement from the American Academy of Neurology endorses assessment of abuse
Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Sex Differences Exist in Disease-Linked Pain Intensity
Women report higher pain intensity in musculoskeletal and other disorders
Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Unemployed Have Poorer Mental and Physical Health
And are less likely to receive needed medical care and prescriptions
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Effects of Severe, Childhood Brain Injury Long Lasting
Pre-injury ability and familial factors contribute to long-term recovery
Monday, January 23, 2012

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in ~4 Percent of U.K. Troops
Posttraumatic stress disorder, alcohol abuse tied to mTBI in troops back from Iraq/Afghanistan
Monday, January 23, 2012

Dosing Errors Occur With IV Acetaminophen in Children
Ten-fold overdose may occur in young children; treatment with acetylcysteine may be indicated
Monday, January 23, 2012

Neuromodulators Reduce Pain in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Second study shows no beneficial effect of muscle relaxants on pain in rheumatoid arthritis
Friday, January 20, 2012

Psychosocial Interventions Reduce Cancer Pain in Adults
Meta-analysis shows interventions affect both pain severity and pain interference
Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Juvenile Arthritis Disease-State Cut-Off Values Established
Key cut-off values established for inactive disease, minimal disease activity, subjective remission
Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Comorbidities Affect Hospital Costs After Hip Fracture
Largest cost increase due to weight loss or malnutrition, then pulmonary circulation disorders
Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Tool Predicts Improved Function After Hip Arthroplasty
Preoperative characteristics and radiographic assessment predict functional improvement
Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Pain and Depressive Symptoms Linked in Arthritis
Previous pain, depression are strongest predictors for change in pain and depression symptoms
Monday, January 16, 2012

Hyaluronic Acid Similar to Placebo for Ankle Arthritis
Single injection of hyaluronic acid to treat ankle osteoarthritis is not superior to saline solution
Monday, January 16, 2012

Surgery Beats Non-Op Care for Intervertebral Disc Herniation
Marital status, absence of joint symptoms, and worsening symptoms affect treatment effect
Friday, January 13, 2012

Thromboprophylaxis Rate Low for Knee Arthroplasty in Taiwan
Prophylaxis rate of 2.2 percent may be related to low incidence of post-op venous thromboembolism
Friday, January 13, 2012

U.S. Health Care Expenditure Still Unevenly Distributed
In 2008 and 2009, 1 percent of population account for ~20 percent of spending
Friday, January 13, 2012

Maternal Antidepressants Up Infant Pulmonary Hypertension
Similar risk found across the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor class of antidepressants
Friday, January 13, 2012

Foot Tapping Assesses Motor Function in Cervical Myelopathy
Test results correlate with other tests for cervical myelopathy; demonstrate post-op improvement
Thursday, January 12, 2012

Patients Give High Marks to Ankle Replacement Surgery
STAR procedure for end-stage ankle arthritis improves impairment, pain, function, quality of life
Thursday, January 12, 2012

SPECT-CT Is Good Predictor of Response to Vertebroplasty
Positive bone SPECT-CT good predictor of clinical improvement after percutaneous vertebroplasty
Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Rx Provides Fast Relief of Pain, Urgency of Interstitial Cystitis
Study finds alkalinized lidocaine plus heparin provides 12 hours of relief of pain and urgency
Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Occasional Marijuana Use Not Tied to Adverse Lung Function
Nonlinear association for marijuana exposure and lung function; no adverse effects for low exposure
Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Conscious Sedation Feasible for Ambulatory Spine Procedures
No significant difference in adverse event rates with conscious sedation or local anesthesia alone
Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Acupuncture May Have Minor Effect in Migraine Prevention
Compared with sham treatment, significant reduction in days with migraine at 13 to 16 weeks
Monday, January 09, 2012

Sucrose Beats Facilitated Tucking for Preemie Pain Relief
Oral sucrose, with or without facilitated tucking, has pain-relieving effect on preterm infants
Monday, January 09, 2012

Back Pain Intensity Not Linked to Extent of Muscle Damage
Magnitude of exercise-induced muscle damage not associated with intensity of low back pain
Monday, January 09, 2012

Rilonacept Reduces Gout Flares During Acute Urate Lowering Rx
Phase 2 trial shows that rilonacept reduces gout flares during initiation of allopurinol therapy
Monday, January 09, 2012

In-Hospital, 30-Day Standardized Mortality Measures Differ
In-hospital risk-standardized mortality rates vary between hospitals; linked with length of stay
Thursday, January 05, 2012

Spinal Manipulation Superior to Medication for Neck Pain
Spinal manipulation and home exercises better than medication for relieving neck pain
Thursday, January 05, 2012

Most Type 2 Diabetes, CAD Patients Present With Angina
History of β-blocker use, previous percutaneous coronary intervention tied to typical angina
Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Psych Symptoms Affect Key Subset With Celiac Disease
Despite gluten-free diet adherence, some women report symptoms of depression, disordered eating
Tuesday, January 03, 2012

Perceptions of Inappropriate Care Prevalent Among ICU Staff
For ICU staff in Europe, Israel, perceptions independently linked to higher intent to leave job
Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Mindfulness Program Curbs Distress in Rheumatic Disease
Better than individual practice for reducing pain, fatigue in rheumatoid joint disease
Thursday, December 22, 2011

NCHS: Poisonings Are Leading Cause of Injury Deaths
In 2008, poisoning deaths were main cause of injury death, with almost 90 percent due to drugs
Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Physician Opinions on Benefits of Open Visit Notes Vary
And, 79 percent of patients are interested in sharing their personal health record information
Monday, December 19, 2011

Training Improves Physical Function After Hip Replacement
Walking, stair-climbing, improve more in patients who undergo skill training
Friday, December 16, 2011

Some RA Remission Criteria Underestimate Foot Synovitis
Only 1981 ACR and proposed 2011 ACR/ EULAR criteria include it in remission classification
Thursday, December 15, 2011

ASH: Hydroxyurea Safe, Effective in Pediatric Sickle Cell
And, two-year treatment of young children with hydroxyurea is not associated with genotoxicity
Monday, December 12, 2011

Factors Affecting Micro-RNA Detection Accuracy Identified
Include variations in plasma samples, collection method, anticoagulant used, inhibitors in plasma
Friday, December 09, 2011

Knee Asymmetries Identified Early in Unilateral Hip OA
Loading and structural asymmetries identified early in disease course, when knee is asymptomatic
Thursday, December 08, 2011

Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury Linked to Headaches
Prevalence of headache related to patient's gender, age, time after injury, and injury severity
Wednesday, December 07, 2011

Gender Impacts Chronic Pain Adjustment in Couples
Context, timing of validation and invalidation also affect patients' adjustment
Tuesday, December 06, 2011

Medical Students Fail to ID Hand Hygiene Indications
Preclinical phase medical students lack knowledge about hand disinfection indications
Monday, December 05, 2011

Total Disc Replacement, Spinal Fusion Reach Surgical Goals
However, no correlation between fulfillment of surgical goals and back pain or disability
Friday, December 02, 2011

Global Postural Alignment Parameters Tied to Spinal Pain
Global alignment, but not local spinopelvic features, linked to outcome measures of spinal pain
Thursday, December 01, 2011

U.S. Patients Highly Satisfied With Outpatient Medical Care
Patient satisfaction scores tied to waiting time, time spent with provider, and age category
Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Long-Term Superiority Seen in Group Intervention for Neck Pain
Pain and stress self-management group intervention beats individually-administered physical therapy
Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Young Adult Back Pain Severity Tied to Spinal Disc Degeneration
Association with low back pain is independent of other degenerative findings
Tuesday, November 29, 2011

NSAID, Statin Use Cuts Cancer Risk in Barrett's Esophagus
NSAIDs, statins each reduce neoplastic progression risk; additive benefit with combined use
Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Opioid Rx for Chronic Abdominal Pain Up Over Last Decade
Most commonly prescribed to 25- to 40-year-olds; least commonly to uninsured, African-Americans
Tuesday, November 29, 2011

High-Performing Docs Learn Equally From Success, Failure
High performers learn from successes, failures; low performers have asymmetric learning rates
Monday, November 28, 2011

Substance Abuse Health Programs Benefit Surgeons
Recovery, completion, and extension of monitoring period similar for surgeons, non-surgeons
Friday, November 25, 2011

Default-Mode Brain Network Deactivation Seen in Meditators
Less mind-wandering in experienced meditators tied to deactivated default mode network
Thursday, November 24, 2011

Staggered Acetaminophen Overdose Tied to Poor Outcome
Delayed presentation after overdose associated with death/liver transplantation
Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Behavioral Therapy Effective in Juvenile Fibromyalgia
Cognitive-behavioral therapy superior to fibromyalgia education for reducing disability
Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Decision Aids Help Caregivers Discuss Terminal Illness
Decision aid improves caregivers' decisional conflict and satisfaction over six months
Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Adverse Effects of Pediatric Acupuncture Usually Mild
Mild adverse effects include pain, bruising, bleeding, and worsening of symptoms
Monday, November 21, 2011

Nonpunitive Method Improves Medical Error Reporting
Most common errors: misfiled or incorrectly entered patient info
Monday, November 21, 2011

Pain, Function Key Factors in Elective Amputation Decision
Satisfaction with outcome linked to patient's expectation of life after amputation
Monday, November 21, 2011

Survival Up With Posterior Cruciate-Retaining TKR
Significantly lower risk of revision with posterior-cruciate-retaining total knee replacement
Monday, November 21, 2011

CT Scan Beats Radiograph for Diagnosing Sacroiliitis
Excellent inter-reader reliability of staging and ascertaining sacroliitis with CT scans
Friday, November 18, 2011

Evidence-Based Spine Surgery Recommendations Issued
Recommendations based on review of six spine surgery studies
Friday, November 18, 2011

'Number of Criteria' Approach Best Defines Gout Flare
Presence of four criteria provides 96 percent specificity, 85 percent positive predictive value
Friday, November 18, 2011

Lower Floor Stiffness Reduces Peak Spine Forces in Falls
Peak spine forces decrease cranially, with lower forces at L3/L4 than at L5/S1
Thursday, November 17, 2011

Sleep Problem Severity Tied to Fibromyalgia Risk in Women
Sleep problem severity has dose-response link with fibromyalgia, especially in older women
Thursday, November 17, 2011

U.S. Oncologists Rate Selves Highly in Pain Management
But, acknowledge barriers to optimal care, and consider quality of training to be poor
Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Patients Without Insurance Have Shorter Hospital Stays
Uninsured have shorter stays for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions, or non-ACSCs
Tuesday, November 15, 2011

SfN: Exercise Tied to Neuronal Changes in Fibromyalgia
Increased pain sensation following medication withdrawal is improved by aerobic exercise
Monday, November 14, 2011

Recurrent Pelvic Inflammation Ups Infertility, Pelvic Pain
Nearly doubles infertility risk; ups chronic pelvic pain more than four-fold
Friday, November 11, 2011

Zostavax Still Recommended Only for Those 60 and Over
Supply and data issues influence committee decision
Thursday, November 10, 2011

Leg Motor Restlessness More Common in Parkinson's
LMR, but not restless leg syndrome is significantly more likely in early unmedicated Parkinson's
Thursday, November 10, 2011

Minimally Invasive Osteoid Osteoma Surgery Viable Option
Emerging as an alternative method to conventional excision of osteoid osteoma in the mobile spine
Thursday, November 10, 2011

Glove Use Linked to Reduced Hand Hygiene Compliance
Gloves often worn when not indicated, and not worn when indicated
Thursday, November 10, 2011

Pre-Knee Replacement Use of Opioids Tied to Complications
Significantly higher complication rate and greater need for pain management referral
Thursday, November 10, 2011

Similar Cuff Repair Outcomes With, Without Acromioplasty
But higher reoperation rate for patients with arthroscopic cuff repair alone
Thursday, November 10, 2011

Varying Response to Etanercept in Juvenile Arthritis
Excellent response tied to low disability scores, prior DMARD use, younger age at onset
Wednesday, November 09, 2011

Centrally-Mediated Symptoms Tied to Pain Severity in OA
Age, radiographic severity, centrally-mediated symptoms partially explain pain severity variance
Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Great Achievement at Young Age Function of Time, Not Field
Age dynamics tied to proportion of theoretical work, age of attainment of foundation knowledge
Monday, November 07, 2011

Causal Link Suggested Between Acetaminophen Use, Asthma
Children at risk or with asthma should avoid acetaminophen until safety is documented
Monday, November 07, 2011

ACR: Vitamin D Beneficial in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
And, interferon-α-kinoid immunization is safe, shows promise for SLE
Monday, November 07, 2011

Receptionists Contribute to Safety of Repeat Prescriptions
Clinicians often unaware of input of receptionists and administrative staff in repeat prescribing
Friday, November 04, 2011

Perceived Distortion in Scoliosis Tied to Quality of Life
Non-braced patients perceive their body appearance to be significantly less distorted
Friday, November 04, 2011

Rooms of Patients With A. baumannii Often Contaminated
Supply carts, floors, infusion pumps, ventilator touch pads are most commonly contaminated
Friday, November 04, 2011

Carisoprodol-Related Emergency Visits Up in United States
Most ER visits involving carisoprodol involve another drug; usually narcotics or benzodiazepines
Thursday, November 03, 2011

No Medicare Savings From Disease-Management Hotline
Modest improvement in quality of care, but no reduction in costs of care or acute care utilization
Thursday, November 03, 2011

Risks for C. difficile Infection, Colonization Identified
Host, pathogen factors differentially affect this health care-associated infection, colonization
Thursday, November 03, 2011

CDC: Opioid Overdoses Have Reached Epidemic Proportions
Overdose death rates, sales, OPR-related treatment admissions increased between 1999 and 2008
Wednesday, November 02, 2011

ACG: Childhood and Adult Traumas Linked to Adult IBS
Individuals with IBS report more traumas before and after the age of 18 than controls
Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Yoga Beats Usual Care for Pain-Related Back Function
However, back pain and general health scores similar with yoga and usual care intervention
Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Exparel Approved for Post-Surgery Pain
Provides relief up to 72 hours
Monday, October 31, 2011

Disc Herniation Symptom Duration Tied to Outcome
Longer symptom duration tied to worse outcomes, regardless of surgical versus nonsurgical treatment
Monday, October 31, 2011

Switching From IV to Oral Meds Cuts Health Care Costs
In patients eligible for oral intake, switch from IV to oral equivalents cuts hospital costs
Monday, October 31, 2011

Self-Reported Knee Function, Pain Worse Than Doc-Assessed
Self-reported American Knee Society scores worse than clinician-assessed; Oxford Knee score similar
Friday, October 28, 2011

IBS Patient-Reported Outcomes Tied to Symptom Severity Ratings
Psychological factors of pain catastrophizing, somatization affect patient-reported outcomes
Friday, October 28, 2011

Nonclinical Factors Impact Back Pain Treatment Decisions
Patient presentation, socioeconomic status, gender influence physician treatment decisions
Friday, October 28, 2011

Ghost Authorship Prevalent in About One-Fifth of Articles
Prevalence of honorary, ghost authorship, down from 29.2 to 21.0 percent from 1996 to 2008
Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Yoga As Effective As Stretching for Chronic Low Back Pain
But yoga is more effective than a self-care book in improving function and reducing symptoms
Wednesday, October 26, 2011

AACR: NSAID Use Tied to Lower Colorectal Cancer Mortality
At least 10 years of NSAID use significantly lowers CRC mortality in postmenopausal women
Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Ultrasound, Shock Wave Not Effective for Low Back Pain
Available evidence shows that different treatments of acute low back pain give similar results
Friday, October 21, 2011

3-D CT Useful for Classification of Ligament Ossification
Combining 3-D CT with MRI useful for detecting spinal cord compression
Thursday, October 20, 2011

Breastfeeding No Balm for Pain in Preterm Infants
But, breastfeeding during a procedure does not keep them from developing breastfeeding skills
Thursday, October 20, 2011

Readmission Risk Models Display Poor Predictive Ability
Current hospital readmission risk models for comparative or clinical purposes perform poorly
Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Exercise Shows Potential for Migraine Prophylaxis
Reduction in migraine frequency similar for exercise, relaxation, and topiramate treatment
Monday, October 17, 2011

Rare Disorders ID'd by NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Program
Integrated high-density SNP arrays, whole exome or genome analyses used to aid diagnosis
Thursday, October 13, 2011

Financial Conflicts of Interest Prevalent, Under-Reported
Conflicts of interest prevalent; under-reported by members, chairs of panels developing guidelines
Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Restless Legs Syndrome Ups Hypertension Risk in Women
The risk of hypertension increases with increasing frequency of restless legs symptoms
Monday, October 10, 2011

Septicemia Most Costly Reason for Hospitalization in 2009
Almost one in 23 patients had septicemia; average of 4,600 new patients treated each day
Monday, October 10, 2011

Electronic Records Enhance Care Transitions for Elderly
Complete and accurate transfer of information necessary to maximize patient care
Monday, October 10, 2011

Adults With Mental Distress More Likely to Be Uninsured
Uninsurance more common in those with mental distress only, or mental and physical distress
Friday, October 07, 2011

Use of Oral Steroids Linked to Vitamin D Deficiency
Steroid users have more than two-fold increased risk of vitamin D deficiency than steroid nonusers
Thursday, October 06, 2011

More Minority Patients in Low-Quality, High-Cost Hospitals
More elderly black, Hispanic, Medicaid patients consult worst rather than best hospitals
Thursday, October 06, 2011

Oral Teriflunomide Effective in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis
Oral teriflunomide significantly reduces relapse rates, disease progression, MRI disease evidence
Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Advance Directives Linked to Regional Medical Expenditures
High-spending areas have lower end-of-life costs, in-hospital death, and increased hospice care
Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Poor Footwear Ups Impairment, Disability in Chronic Gout
Comfort, fit, support, and cost influence footwear choice in patients with chronic gout
Monday, October 03, 2011

Risk Factors ID'd for Post-Spine Surgery Death, Morbidity
Complication predictors include older age, cardiac disease, neuro-abnormalities, corticosteroid use
Monday, October 03, 2011

Vitamin D Insufficiency Prevalent in Psoriatic Arthritis
Researchers find that season and location appear to have no effect
Monday, October 03, 2011

Smoking Complicates Joint Replacement Outcomes
Smokers undergoing total hip or knee replacement should be counseled to quit
Monday, October 03, 2011

Spinal MRI Reviewer Accuracy Equal Across Training Levels
Posterior ligamentous complex integrity interpreted with accuracy irrespective of training level
Friday, September 30, 2011

Doctors, Patients Identify Tacit Clues in Their Interactions
Non-verbal tacit clues most common, but interpretation differs for doctors and patients
Friday, September 30, 2011

U.S. Nonelderly Mental Health Disability Up 1997 to 2009
More so in adults with disability due to chronic cause, psych distress but no mental health care
Thursday, September 29, 2011

Three Weekly Hyaluronate Shots Improve Ankle Arthritis
Three weekly intra-articular hyaluronate injections improve pain, function, balance, patient satisfaction
Thursday, September 29, 2011

Stratified Care May Be Best Option for Back Pain Patients
Study finds that patients fare better and that care costs less
Thursday, September 29, 2011

Elderly Recover Adequately After Cervical Laminoplasty
No significant difference in mean achieved JOA scores for elderly, young-old, and old-old
Wednesday, September 28, 2011

DMARDs Found to Be Effective Treatment for Juvenile Arthritis
But more research is needed to define long-term safety
Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Lower Walking Speed, Altered Gait in Overweight Women
Reduced walking performance due to poor relative strength, rate of torque development in muscles
Monday, September 26, 2011

Multilevel Hemilaminectomy Economical for Lumbar Stenosis
Mean two-year cost per quality-adjusted life year $33,700 following surgery
Friday, September 23, 2011

Back Pain Outcomes Similar for Surgery, Cognitive Intervention
Long-term outcomes similar for patients treated with surgery or cognitive intervention and exercise
Friday, September 23, 2011

Videos Prior to Spine Surgery Aid, Strengthen Patient Choices
Patients make balanced, unbiased decision after watching evidence-based video decision aid
Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Mortality Up in Hospitals With More Minority Trauma Patients
Trauma patients' odds of mortality linked to the proportion of minority patients in the hospital
Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Posterior Shoulder Dislocation Has Low Prevalence
Recurrent instability predicted by age, dislocation during seizure, large reverse Hill-Sachs lesion
Monday, September 19, 2011

MS-Related Disorders ID'd by Proteomic Pattern Analysis
CSF proteomic pattern analysis discriminates among multiple sclerosis-related disorders
Monday, September 19, 2011

Child Self-Exposure to Meds Explains Most Drug Poisoning
Child self-exposure accounts for 95 percent of emergency visits from 2001 to 2008 in U.S.
Friday, September 16, 2011

Surgery Effective for Subaxial Cervical Synovial Cysts
Surgical resection effective with no deaths, and minimal postoperative complications
Thursday, September 15, 2011

Specific Pain Reduction Seen With Transdermal Buprenorphine
Buprenorphine, but not fentanyl, significantly reduces bone pain and primary hyperalgesia
Thursday, September 15, 2011

Long-Term Nonaspirin NSAID Use Ups Renal Cell Cancer Risk
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, but not aspirin or acetaminophen, increase RCC risk
Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Many Mistakenly Believe FDA OKs Only Safe, Effective Drugs
Consumer explanations about safety, efficacy of drugs help public make better decisions
Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Abnormal Hippocampal Blood Flow Persists in Gulf War Vets
Veterans with confusion-ataxia, central neuropathic pain have abnormal regional blood flow
Tuesday, September 13, 2011

TNF Inhibitors for RA Do Not Increase Malignancy Risk
But tumor necrosis factor inhibitor exposure ups non-melanoma skin cancer and melanoma risk
Monday, September 12, 2011

Opioid Delivery to Olfactory Region Ups Therapeutic Effects
More of drug delivered to central nervous system, no increase in plasma drug exposure in rats
Friday, September 09, 2011

Many Hospital Staff Uniforms Contaminated With Bacteria
More than 60 percent of uniforms are contaminated, with similar rates between nurses, physicians
Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Gestational NSAID Intake Tied to Spontaneous Abortion Risk
Risk increases with any type, dosage of nonaspirin NSAIDs separately or in combination
Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Dexamethasone Dose of >0.1 mg/kg Reduces Post-Op Pain
More consistent analgesic effects seen with preoperative administration of dexamethasone
Thursday, September 01, 2011

Self-Efficacy Tied to Achieving Physical Activity Goals in RA
Achieving physical activity goals lowers pain and increases quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis
Monday, August 29, 2011

Extended-Release Opioid Pain Medication Approved
Nucynta ER sanctioned for chronic pain in adults
Friday, August 26, 2011

Clinical, Lab Variables Predict Survival in Advanced CA
Combination of variables predict two-week and two-month survival for advanced cancer
Friday, August 26, 2011

Complementary Medicine Used More by Health Care Workers
U.S. health care providers use complementary, alternative medicine more than support workers
Friday, August 26, 2011

Pharmaceutical Ads Often Don't Adhere to U.S. FDA Guidelines
Only 18.1 percent of advertisements fully adhere to FDA guidelines, over half do not quantify serious risks
Thursday, August 25, 2011

CDC: 2010/2011 Flu Vaccination Coverage Studied
Coverage in health care personnel and pregnant women remained stable versus previous season
Thursday, August 18, 2011

Cost of Interacting With Payers Higher in U.S. Than Canada
U.S. physicians and nursing staff spend more time and money interacting with health plans
Friday, August 05, 2011

Antidepressant Prescriptions for Non-Psych Disorders Up
Non-psychiatrists' antidepressant prescriptions without psych diagnosis rise from 1996 to 2007
Friday, August 05, 2011

APA: Suicidal Thoughts Common Among U.S. Student Veterans
Nearly half the student veterans thought about suicide, with 20 percent having a suicide plan
Thursday, August 04, 2011

Teens Who Misuse Controlled Meds More Likely to Abuse Drugs
Among teens who take controlled meds, 22 percent report misuse, including intentionally getting high
Thursday, August 04, 2011

Knee Arthroplasty Unaffected by Patellar Resurfacing
In addition, no difference in reoperation incidence in patella-friendly or unfriendly designs
Monday, August 01, 2011

Medical Students Support Right to Conscientious Objection
Nearly half of medical students believe in right to conscientiously object to any procedure
Thursday, July 21, 2011

Stopping Low Dose Aspirin Ups Cardiac Risk
Patients with a history of heart disease who stop taking aspirin are at higher risk of heart attack
Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Safety Concern for Chronic NSAID Users With HTN, CAD
Chronic NSAID use tied to increased risk of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke
Monday, July 18, 2011

BMI Changes Predictive of Bilateral Knee Pain in Women
Significant association between higher body mass index at year one and knee pain in year 15
Friday, July 15, 2011

Higher Incidence of OA Seen in U.S. Military
Female, black, and older active-duty personnel have higher incidence of osteoarthritis
Thursday, July 07, 2011

NSAIDs, COX-2 Inhibitors Tied to Increased Risk of A-Fib
Association strongest for new users, with a higher risk for COX-2 inhibitors than NSAIDs
Thursday, July 07, 2011

Massage Therapy Relieves Symptoms of Low Back Pain
Structural and relaxation massage improve function and decrease chronic low back pain
Tuesday, July 05, 2011

Pain Is a Public Health Issue and Economic Burden in U.S.
Integrated approach and research needed to treat, manage, and prevent chronic pain
Thursday, June 30, 2011

Bottles of Tylenol Recalled
Product being recalled due to uncharacteristic odor
Thursday, June 30, 2011

In Lumbar Stenosis, ABI and TBI Needed for PAD Diagnosis
Ankle, toe brachial index needed for peripheral artery disease diagnosis in lumbar spinal canal stenosis
Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Brief Intervention Helps Employees Return to Work
Sick-listed employees with low back pain benefit from brief or multidisciplinary intervention
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Millions in U.S. Do Not Receive PAD Prevention Therapies
Treatment of peripheral artery disease with multiple agents tied to reduced all-cause mortality
Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Physical Therapy Post Lumbar Discectomy May Be Ineffective
Does not change range of movement, overall impairment, disability or back pain
Friday, June 17, 2011

Unequal Care Access for Children With Public Insurance
Disparities exist in providers' acceptance of public insurance compared to private insurance
Thursday, June 16, 2011

EAC: Hypnosis, Local Anesthesia Combo Beneficial
Compared to post-general anesthesia, stays shorter after breast surgery and thyroidectomy
Monday, June 13, 2011

Disability Pension Not Affected by Family Background
Sociodemographic and health issues affect number of disability claims for low back disorders
Monday, June 06, 2011

Effect Estimates May Be Inflated in Biomarker Studies
Highly cited studies overestimate biomarker effect compared to meta-analyses
Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Health-Related Quality of Life Lower in Arthritis Sufferers
Low income, inability to work, diabetes associated with worse HRQOL
Friday, May 27, 2011

Acetaminophen Prescriptions for Children Often Incorrect
Excessive doses often prescribed for infants; underdosing common for 6- to 12-year olds
Friday, May 27, 2011

Peripheral Nerve Injury May Cause Substantial Disability
Patients report disability, pain, and cold sensitivity six months or more after nerve injury
Friday, May 27, 2011

Contact With Drug Industry Linked to Positive Attitudes
Substantial proportion of medical students believe gifts from drug industry affect prescribing
Wednesday, May 25, 2011

More Scans for Back Pain by Doctors Who Bill for MRI
Having an MRI increases likelihood of surgery in orthopedic patients with low back pain
Wednesday, May 25, 2011

End-of-Life Cancer Care Differs in the U.S. and Canada
Rates of chemotherapy use are higher, but fewer hospitalizations in U.S. patients
Monday, May 23, 2011

Tai Chi May Prevent Falls and Improve Mental Health
Tai chi may improve general health of seniors, not effective for treating cancer or arthritis
Friday, May 20, 2011

Awareness of Terminal Cancer Doesn't Impact Survival
Use of palliative care and nonuse of ICU are not associated with reduced survival time
Thursday, May 19, 2011

Triamcinolone Ineffective in Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
Intranasal triamcinolone acetonide and placebo show comparable effect on tympanometric symptoms
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Therapeutic Climbing Beneficial for Chronic Low Back Pain
Physical functioning and health perception improve with climbing, compared to standard exercise
Friday, May 13, 2011

Blacks Screened More Often Than Whites for Opioid Misuse
More regular office visits and restricted early refills for black patients treated with opioids
Thursday, May 12, 2011

Medical Education Participants Recognize Funding Bias
Yet most are unwilling to pay more for continuing medical education registration to overcome bias
Wednesday, May 11, 2011

DDW: Meditation May Improve Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Mindfulness training helps with bowel symptom severity, quality of life, psychological symptoms
Tuesday, May 10, 2011

NSAIDs May Increase Cardio Risk in MI Patients
In patients with MI, NSAIDs may increase the risk of MI, death during the course of treatment
Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Self-Image Impacts Pain Perception in Scoliosis Patients
Lower deformity perception linked to greater pain reduction in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis
Monday, May 09, 2011

NSAIDs, Aspirin May Increase Risk of Diverticulitis
Regular usage linked to higher risk of diverticulitis and diverticular bleeding in men
Monday, May 09, 2011

Icons May Help Adults Identify Acetaminophen Medicines
Consumers prefer explicit safety warnings, maximum dose information for acetaminophen
Friday, May 06, 2011

Race, Ethnicity May Influence ICU End-of-Life Care
Nonwhite patients less likely to have living wills, more likely to die with full support
Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Acupuncture Found to Relieve Hot Flashes in Men
Promising results for ancient therapy after prostate cancer treatment
Monday, May 02, 2011

Monthly Injection Effective for Opioid Dependence
Naltrexone superior to placebo in improving abstinence, retention, and relapse rates
Thursday, April 28, 2011

Post-Vietnam-Era Vets Have Highest Substance Use Rate
Veterans diagnosed with serious mental illness more likely to have substance use disorder
Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Anti-Inflammatory Drugs May Lower Antidepressant Efficacy
In mice, humans, anti-inflammatories attenuate effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Children and Parents Have Similar Responses to Pain
Children's pain experience shaped by family, sociodemographics
Friday, April 22, 2011

Ultrasound Shows Pathology in Joints Despite Remission
Pathology detected in idiopathic arthritis may assist with assessment in children
Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Adalimumab Maintains Remission of Childhood Uveitis
Compared with infliximab, adalimumab treatment more effective at delaying time to relapse
Monday, April 18, 2011

Self-Rated Health Predicts Outcomes of Joint Replacement
Health outcomes after surgery predicted by mental well-being and self-rated health
Thursday, April 14, 2011

End-of-Life Care for Medicare Patients Changing
Patients in hospital less but hospice more; care has become more intense
Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Antenatal Paracetamol Use May Be Tied to Childhood Wheeze
More research needed to determine impact of prenatal paracetamol use on risk of asthma
Monday, April 11, 2011

Meditation Affects Brain Activation to Reduce Pain
Brain activity altered in multiple areas responsible for cognitive modulation of pain
Friday, April 08, 2011

'Global Trigger Tool' Identifies 10 Times More Errors
New tool identifies many more adverse events in hospital admissions compared to other methods
Thursday, April 07, 2011

Guidelines for Juvenile Arthritis Treatment Published
Guidelines suggest drug therapies based on disease characteristics
Thursday, April 07, 2011

Maximum Daily Opioid Doses Increase Mortality Risk
But opioid overdose death risk is not affected by regular or as-needed dosing schedule
Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Patients, Doctors Agree OA Care Needs Improvement
Need for more information at time of diagnosis, and osteoarthritis specialist in primary care
Monday, April 04, 2011

Autoimmune Diseases Number Two Cause of Chronic Illness
Major burden on all U.S. health care costs, patient expenses, and loss of earnings
Friday, April 01, 2011

Early Rehabilitation Post-Knee Arthroplasty Beneficial
Starting rehabilitation within 24 hours of total knee arthroplasty improves pain and autonomy
Thursday, March 31, 2011

Osteoarthritis Patients Show Increased Pain Sensitivity
Increased pain sensitivity linked to higher levels of C-reactive protein and interleukin-6
Thursday, March 31, 2011

Online Health Records Less Used by Minorities, Poor
Low-income patients, blacks, and Hispanics less likely to use Internet personal health record
Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Cannabis Use Tied to Poor Cognitive Function in MS
Associated with worse working memory, executive function, information processing speed
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Use of Strategies to Reduce Risk of Opioid Misuse Is Low
At-risk patients are not monitored closely and are more likely to receive early opioid refills
Friday, March 25, 2011

U.S. Shingles Vaccine Approval Expanded
To include people in their 50s
Thursday, March 24, 2011

Reduced Hours for Trainees Has Had Little Effect in U.S.
Shorter work week for doctors in training has had little impact, positive or negative, on patient safety
Thursday, March 24, 2011

Qigong Comparable to Exercise for Treating Neck Pain
Similar effect regarding neck pain, disability, and quality of life; superior to no treatment
Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Professional Values of U.S. and U.K. Doctors Examined
Nearly one-third of doctors fail to report inadequate colleague, often for fear of retribution
Thursday, March 17, 2011

Short Nurse Staffing Linked to Higher Patient Mortality
More deaths seen when shifts fall eight or more hours below target
Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Drug-Related Poisonings Highest in Young Children
Poisonings with suicidal intent seen most often in young women
Monday, March 14, 2011

Long-Term Increase in Death Rates After Head Injury
Young adults have increased mortality more than a year after even mild injury
Friday, March 11, 2011

Risk of Infection, Malignancy With Anti-TNF Therapy Unclear
No raised risk in early rheumatoid arthritis patients, naive to methotrexate
Friday, March 11, 2011

Automated Propofol and Remifentanil Delivery Effective
Closed-loop coadministration of propofol and remifentanil maintains Bispectral Index values
Friday, March 11, 2011

HealthGrades Finds Rates of Patient Safety Events Vary
Patients have 46 percent lower risk of safety error in top versus bottom-ranking hospitals
Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Ethnic Differences Seen in Academic Measures for U.K. Docs
Gap exists in academic performance of white versus nonwhite medical students and doctors
Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Pharmacological Meta-Analyses Rarely Report Disclosures
Meta-analyses of pharmacological interventions rarely disclose funding or conflicts of interest
Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Improvement in Fibromyalgia Pain Scale Quantified
Two-point improvement on Brief Pain Inventory implies meaningful pain reduction
Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Majority of Pediatric Burn Admissions Due to Scalding
Annual 2.3 percent decrease in hospitalization rate for children under 5 in Western Australia
Tuesday, March 08, 2011

FDA: Topiramate (Topamax) Tied to Risk of Oral Clefts
Higher risk of cleft lip and cleft palate in infants exposed to topiramate during first trimester
Friday, March 04, 2011

Cannabis Use in Youth Ups Incident Psychosis Risk
Study also finds that continued cannabis use may increase risk of persistent psychotic symptoms
Thursday, March 03, 2011

Maternal Opioid Use Tied to Higher Birth Defect Risk
Opioid analgesic use just prior to or during early pregnancy may up risk of certain defects
Wednesday, March 02, 2011

Fish Oil May Help Cancer Patients Maintain Weight
Muscle maintenance, even gain, seen in non-small-cell lung cancer patients who take fish oil
Wednesday, March 02, 2011

Inhaled Nitric Oxide Does Not Shorten Sickle Cell Crisis
Inhaled nitric oxide gas does not reduce the duration of vaso-occlusive pain crisis
Wednesday, March 02, 2011

Opioid Treatment Associated With Cognitive Dysfunction
Possible or definite cognitive dysfunction seen in one-third of opioid-treated cancer patients
Tuesday, March 01, 2011

Helmets Protect Motorcyclists From Cervical Spine Injury
Riders are 20 percent less likely to suffer cervical spine injury if wearing a helmet
Tuesday, March 01, 2011

Many Patients Do Not Consolidate Drugs Efficiently
Low literacy identified as independent predictor of dosing more times than necessary per day
Tuesday, March 01, 2011

Equations Predict Quadriceps Strength in Knee Osteoarthritis
Equations based on submaximal strength are good measures of actual maximal strength
Thursday, February 24, 2011

Herpes Zoster Risk Tied to COPD
Risk of herpes zoster also increases with the use of steroids, particularly oral corticosteroids
Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Different Therapies Improve Chronic Fatigue Outcomes
Cognitive behavior and graded exercise therapy effective additions to specialist medical care
Friday, February 18, 2011

Insomnia in Arthritis Tied to Pain, Depression Ups Risk
Adults with arthritis having depression and anxiety are at highest risk of sleep disturbance
Friday, February 18, 2011

Analgesic Efficacy Altered by Patient Beliefs
Subjective pain relief and pain-related brain activity affected by patient expectations
Thursday, February 17, 2011

New U.S. Report on the Nation's Health 2010 Released
The 34th annual CDC report includes a special feature on death and dying
Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Most Recalled Medical Devices Given Lenient Approval
Over 70 percent of the medical devices recalled were considered low or moderate risk
Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Researchers Explore Nature of Difficult Clinical Encounters
Patients, physicians both contribute characteristics; difficult patients have worse outcomes
Monday, February 14, 2011

Addison's Disease Is a Risk Factor for Hip Fracture
Diagnosed or undiagnosed disease ups fracture risk; highest risk for women age 50 or younger
Friday, February 11, 2011

SMFM: Patient-Controlled Epidural Lowers Drug Use
Women use 30 percent less analgesia during labor, with similar satisfaction level
Friday, February 11, 2011

Public Sector Plays Big Role in Drug Research
Role of public-sector research institutions larger than previously thought
Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Errors in Hospital Analgesia Prescriptions Nearly 3 in 1,000
Prescription error rate more than double in pediatric population
Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Imaging for Low Back Pain Often Useless, Harmful
American College of Physicians questions value, benefit, cost
Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Community-Based Exercise Alleviates Arthritis Pain
Pain and physical function improved by community-deliverable exercise programs
Thursday, January 27, 2011

Electronic Health Records May Not Improve Care Quality
Use with clinical decision support not tied to better quality of care
Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Physical Exam Helps Diagnose Source of Lumbar Pain
Physical exam tests can accurately predict lumbar nerve impingement presence and location
Friday, January 21, 2011

Motivation Affects Return to Work After Knee Replacement
Physical demands of patient's job have only moderate influence on ability to return to work
Friday, January 21, 2011

Alternative Therapies Offered by Many Hospice Care Providers
About 5 percent of discharged hospice patients received at least one alternative therapy
Thursday, January 20, 2011

Viewing Flexible Cystoscopy Reduces Pain From Procedure
Among cystoscopy viewers, fewer report pain, and pain is less for those who do
Friday, January 14, 2011

CDC Report Highlights Important Health Disparities
Outlines disparities by sex, race/ethnicity, income, and other social characteristics
Thursday, January 13, 2011

FDA Limits Acetaminophen in Combo Prescription Products
Sets 325 mg maximum in order to lower risk of liver toxicity; also requesting boxed warning
Thursday, January 13, 2011

FDA Warns of Morphine Sulfate Oral Solution Overdose
100 mg per 5 mL product ordered in mg may be mistakenly interchanged for mL of the product
Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Burnout Levels Particularly High in Residents
High percentage of anesthesiology chairs also meet criteria for high or moderately-high burnout
Monday, January 10, 2011

Clinicians Not Adhering to Arthritis Guidelines
Emphasis should be on weight loss and exercise rather than imaging, pharmacology, and surgery
Monday, January 10, 2011

Back Pain Tied to Psychological Well-Being in Teens
Exercise, control of psychological profile can reduce frequency, intensity of lower back pain
Thursday, January 06, 2011

Placebos Without Deception Still Work in IBS
Irritable bowel syndrome patients find relief with known 'sugar pills'
Thursday, December 23, 2010

Different Opioids Linked to Different Risks of Events
Subjects were Medicare beneficiaries prescribed five common opioids for nonmalignant pain
Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Burnout Driving Away Many Emergency Physicians
French study finds work-family conflicts, poor teamwork associated with burnout
Thursday, December 02, 2010

Integrated Care Cost-Effective for Low Back Pain
Workplace intervention program cuts costs compared to standard care
Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Reallocation of Care Would Increase PCPs' Work Weeks
Study investigates plausibility of reallocating specialty care follow-up to primary care physicians
Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Knee Osteoarthritis Pain Is Worse If Other Areas Hurt Too
More aches, pains in multiple areas -- especially back, foot, and elbow -- tied to worse knee pain
Monday, November 22, 2010

FDA: Propoxyphene Withdrawn From U.S. Market
Drug being withdrawn due to risk of serious or even fatal heart rhythm abnormalities
Friday, November 19, 2010

U.S. Health Insurance Compared to 10 Other Nations
U.S. adults spend more time, money on insurance; have more coverage denials
Friday, November 19, 2010

Young Adult Cancer Patients Do Not Cope As Well
Quality of life decreased by more frequent pain, financial concerns
Thursday, November 18, 2010

Fraud in Scientific Literature Appears Intentional
Characteristics of articles retracted for fraud versus error suggest deliberate effort
Thursday, November 18, 2010

Education Linked to Pain-Reducing Steps at Pediatrician
Hour-long intervention teaches doctors ways to make childhood immunizations less unpleasant
Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Pain Linked With Poorer Prognosis in Liver Cancer
Early pain may mean worse tumor characteristics, shorter survival in hepatocellular carcinoma
Friday, November 12, 2010

ACR: Tai Chi Associated With Improvements in Arthritis
May reduce pain, fatigue, stiffness, improve feelings of well-being in arthritis patients
Friday, November 12, 2010

Physician-Industry Financial Ties Decreased Since 2004
But 83.8 percent of physicians still have some type of industry financial relationship
Friday, November 12, 2010

Workers' Compensation Hand Injuries Receive Different Care
More testing and longer time to surgery interval seen in Workers' Compensation recipients
Monday, November 08, 2010

Last Years of Life Painful for Many Older Adults
For those with arthritis, 60 percent deal with pain in their last month of life
Tuesday, November 02, 2010

Effective Neck Pain Treatments May Be Underutilized
Meanwhile, diagnostic imaging, narcotics, and unproven treatments are overused, study finds
Monday, November 01, 2010

FDA: Methotrexate Injection Vials Recalled
Recall issued due to presence of small glass particulates in limited number of vials in four lots
Friday, October 29, 2010

Opioid Substitution Rx Lowers Mortality Risk for Abusers
Death risk higher in first two weeks of treatment but overall is lower than risk out of treatment
Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Primary Care Trails Other Specialties in Hourly Wages
In other study, physicians point to Medicare reimbursement problems, differ on reforms
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

FDA: Fentanyl Transdermal System Patches Recalled
Recall issued due to risk for fentanyl to be released faster than approved specification
Monday, October 25, 2010

FDA Approves Botox for Chronic Migraine Treatment
Drug approved for administration every 12 weeks in an effort to reduce future headache symptoms
Monday, October 18, 2010

Expectations Don't Predict Recovery Time for All Injuries
Predictive only for workers filing back-injury claims, not for other musculoskeletal issues
Friday, October 15, 2010

Fibromyalgia Sufferers May Benefit From Yoga Practice
Meditation, poses, breathing exercises ease symptoms, aid coping
Thursday, October 14, 2010

Buprenorphine Implants Effective in Opioid Dependence
Compared to placebo, result in decreased opioid use and lower drop-out rates
Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Somatic Symptom Burden High in Cancer Patients
Managing symptoms may improve quality of life, researchers suggest
Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Word Choice Influences Patient Perception of Prognosis
Degenerative explanations of back pain may have a negative impact
Monday, October 11, 2010

No Single Standard for Faces Pain Scales for Children
Leading pain scales all found to have validity and reliability; choice depends on other factors
Monday, October 04, 2010

DMARDs, Glucocorticoids, Biologics Similar for RA
Equally effective at slowing joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis
Friday, October 01, 2010

FDA Calls for Halt on Marketing of Unapproved Colchicine
Orders companies to stop making, distributing the gout medication
Friday, October 01, 2010

Behavioral Intervention Cuts ER Use for Chronic Pain
Consultation in emergency department sharply reduces visits for high-utilization group
Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Assaults Linked to Pain in Nursing Home Workers
Many providers report recent assaults at work; issue associated with musculoskeletal pain
Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Racial Disparities Seen With End-of-Life Discussions
Black patients more likely to receive life-prolonging care than white patients post-EOL discussion
Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Daily 100 mg Milnacipran Found Effective in Fibromyalgia
Drug improves pain, fatigue, and global scores; is well tolerated
Thursday, September 23, 2010

Risk Factors for ER Visits in Chronic Opioid Users Identified
Headache, back pain, substance use disorder history tied to ER visits in those prescribed opioids
Friday, September 17, 2010

Krystexxa Approved for Gout
For adults who can't use other therapies
Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Sacrifice Makes Industry Gifts Seem More Acceptable
Residents reminded of med school sacrifices tend to perceive gifting more favorably
Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Re-Consent Important Before Secondary Use of Genetic Data
Research participants want to be asked before their data are added to federal database
Monday, September 13, 2010

Annual Medical Liability Costs Surpass $50 Billion
Account for more than 2 percent of total health care spending in the United States
Thursday, September 09, 2010

More Stomach, Fewer Chest Complaints Seen in ERs
Use of advanced imaging for both has increased greatly
Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Sucrose May Not Be Effective Analgesic in Newborns
Appears to alter facial expressions but not to actually relieve pain
Thursday, September 02, 2010

Lifestyle Choices Affect Headache Frequency in Teens
Overweight, inactivity, smoking increase odds of recurrent headache
Thursday, August 19, 2010

APA: Gender Differences Exist in Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is more common in women, who experience it more intensely and for longer periods
Friday, August 13, 2010

Some Adversity Exposure May Improve Back Pain Outcomes
Back pain sufferers with some exposure have less impairment than those with high or no exposure
Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Industry-Funded Clinical Trials Yield More Positive Outcomes
Also less likely than government-, nonprofit-funded trials to be published within two years
Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Exercise Adherence Helps Osteoarthritis Patients
Those who stick with home exercise plans and have greater physical activity have better outcomes
Friday, July 30, 2010

Continuous Morphine Plus Injection Preemptive Pain Option
Approach compares favorably with continuous subcutaneous morphine alone after lumbar fusion
Friday, July 30, 2010

Nurses Perceive Barriers in Pain Management
Several barriers to optimal pain management identified among nurses caring for older adults
Thursday, July 29, 2010

Predictors for Long-Term Back Pain and Disability Evaluated
Disability, pain at one year linked to baseline disability and pain, anxiety, diffuse tenderness
Wednesday, July 28, 2010

FDA Panels Vote Against Plan to Reduce Opioid Abuse
Key issue cited by an FDA official was lack of mandatory training for prescribing doctors
Monday, July 26, 2010

Admissions for Prescription Pain Reliever Abuse Rising
Admissions for pain reliever abuse increased more than 400 percent over a decade
Friday, July 16, 2010

Pain and Depression Dim Work Expectations After Whiplash
However, two-thirds of whiplash sufferers expect to return to work, while only 1.8 percent do not
Friday, July 16, 2010

Telecare Management Lowers Pain, Depression in Cancer
Involves phone-based management by nurse-physician team, automated symptom monitoring
Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Poor Health Literacy Not Major Factor in LBP Disability
Subjective beliefs, avoidance behaviors due to fear related to higher disability levels
Thursday, July 08, 2010

Cardio Exercise Safe, Beneficial in Rheumatoid Arthritis
RA patients who exercise experience small but significant improvements in quality of life, pain
Wednesday, June 30, 2010

End-of-Life Hospital Care Has Room for Improvement
Study gives high marks for pain and dyspnea care, but cites lack of follow-up and communication
Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Doctors Agree Malpractice Fears Drive Overuse of Tests
Almost all surveyed physicians say more tests and procedures are ordered than needed
Monday, June 28, 2010

Updated Recommendations for Endometriosis Released
ACOG committee says treatment should progress from conservative to more invasive therapies
Friday, June 25, 2010

Recent Low Back Pain Guidelines Offer Similar Advice
Review summarizes guidelines' recommendations for assessing and managing low back pain
Friday, June 25, 2010

ER Visits for Prescription Drug Misuse Climbing
Estimated number of visits for nonmedical use of opioid analgesics rises 111 percent in five years
Friday, June 18, 2010

Celecoxib Linked to Lower Rate of Gastrointestinal Events
Associated with lower risk than diclofenac plus omeprazole in arthritis patients
Thursday, June 17, 2010

Psychological Variables Predict Disability From Back Pain
Adapted model finds emotional distress, cognitive appraisal, and fear of work are disability predictors
Thursday, June 17, 2010

Music Decreases Pain, Anxiety During Bone Marrow Biopsy
Both genders experience less pain, anxiety with music; women have higher pain scores than men
Friday, June 11, 2010

Lifestyle, Behaviors Affect Headache Risk in Adolescents
Alcohol, coffee drinking, smoking and physical inactivity all associated with headaches
Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Pediatric Migraine Treatment Practices Vary Widely in ER
Children seen for migraines represent failure of outpatient abortive efforts
Wednesday, June 09, 2010

CDC: Many U.S. Teens Have Abused Prescription Drugs
Report finds that 23 percent of white, 17 percent of Hispanic high school students have done so
Thursday, June 03, 2010

Exercise Offers Benefits After Low Back Rehabilitation
Subjects in exercise program have better trunk muscle endurance, disability scores
Wednesday, June 02, 2010

New Tramadol Label Warns of Suicide, Overdose Risks
Tramadol-related deaths reported in those with substance abuse problems, emotional disturbances
Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Depression Common at End of Terminal Cancer
Study urges integrated care to give terminally ill patients both physical and emotional support
Thursday, May 20, 2010

Sprix Approved for Moderate-to-Severe Pain
A non-narcotic nasal spray
Monday, May 17, 2010

Sucrose or Glucose Before Shots Reduces Infants' Crying
Compared with water or no treatment, reduces incidence, duration of crying after immunization
Thursday, May 13, 2010

APS: U.S. Veterans Plagued by Multi-Symptom Pain Disorders
VA pain clinicians report pain in nine out of 10 soldiers returning from Iraq, Afghanistan
Thursday, May 13, 2010

New FDA Program Targets Misleading Drug Advertising
Aims to teach health care providers their role in recognizing, reporting untruthful ads
Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Opioid Therapy Linked to Avoidance of Some Screenings
Patients on chronic therapy significantly less likely to be screened for cervical, colorectal cancer
Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Restless Legs Syndrome Is Frequently Familial
Siblings and children of those with RLS are at increased risk of developing the disease
Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Opioid Misuse Risk Factors Differ for Men and Women
Behavioral issues more common in men; women who misuse likely to have psychological issues
Monday, May 10, 2010

High Body Mass Index Linked to Low Back Pain
Association is stronger in women; study cannot determine whether relationship is causal
Thursday, May 06, 2010

Bar-Code Technology Reduces Medication Errors in Hospitals
Substantial reductions seen in both transcription and administration errors
Wednesday, May 05, 2010

FDA Orders Recall of Colleague Volumetric Infusion Pumps
Agency cites years of problems; Baxter Healthcare ordered to offer refunds, replacements
Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Cost Barriers Hamper Herpes Zoster Vaccination of Seniors
The vaccine is well tolerated, but financial barriers among physicians hinder broader uptake
Tuesday, May 04, 2010

In VBAC, Epidural Doses Linked to Uterine Rupture Risk
Higher number of doses associated with increased risk of rupture
Thursday, April 29, 2010

Risk Factors for Physician Misconduct Identified
Male sex, lower socioeconomic status, and difficulty in medical school increase misconduct risk
Wednesday, April 28, 2010

FDA Changes Medical Device Advisory Committee Process
Expert panels reviewing devices for premarket approval will discuss information differently
Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Interruptions Increase Medication Errors by Nurses
The higher the frequency of interruptions, the greater the error severity
Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Financial Ties Negatively Affect Perceptions of Research Quality
Patients believe their physicians' ties also influence clinical care
Tuesday, April 27, 2010

FDA Addresses External Infusion Pump Safety Issues
New initiative includes additional premarket requirements for manufacturers
Monday, April 26, 2010

Most Doctors Not Knowledgeable About Herbals
Survey also finds health care providers think the public has 'misplaced faith' in herbal medicines
Monday, April 26, 2010

Soldiers Treated for Neck Pain Unlikely to Return to Duty
Only 14 percent of combat soldiers medically evacuated for neck pain returned to their units
Monday, April 26, 2010

Younger Workers Often at High Risk for Occupational Injury
Rate of nonfatal injuries treated in emergency rooms twice as high in younger workers
Friday, April 23, 2010

Acupuncture Shows Benefit After Cancer Neck Dissection
Treatment linked to reduced pain, dysfunction, xerostomia in patients compared to usual care
Thursday, April 22, 2010

Long-Term Effects of Sucrose in Infants Unclear
Researchers urge cautious use of sucrose for pain control until effects better understood
Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Migraine Care Often Subpar for Uninsured, Medicaid Patients
Standard therapy often not received at emergency rooms, where many of these patients seek care
Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Palliative Radiotherapy Is Often Not Beneficial
End-stage cancer patients often treated with little or no benefit
Monday, April 12, 2010