Pain News Network

PEA: A Supplement That Helps Reduce Pain and Inflammation — Pain News Network By Julie Titone It is a question I’ve long had but never bothered to look up: How do drugs get their names? Then I heard about palmitoylethanolamide and, given it has the longest name of anything I e...

There's a supplement with a tongue-twister of a name -- palmitoylethanolamide -- that helps reduce pain and inflammation. Known as "PEA" for short, even people with intractable pain are finding it useful. rebrand.ly/pea-suppleme...

Weight Loss Drugs May Help Fight Addiction  — Pain News Network By Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly  A patient of mine, a veteran who had tried to quit smoking for over a decade, told me that after he started a GLP-1 drug for his diabetes , he lost interest in cigarettes...

One of the unexpected benefits of GLP-1 weight loss drugs is that they appear to reduce addictions -- everything from opioids and alcohol to smoking and gambling. If studies pan out, the drugs could be a new treatment option for substance abuse and behavioral disorders. rebrand.ly/weight-loss-...

Bill Expands Pain Care Options and Lowers Cost for Medicare Patients — Pain News Network By Dr. Lynn Webster Everyone who reads this publication understands chronic pain is often treated as a symptom. However, for tens of millions of Americans, it is a disease state. It reshapes the ne...

A bill in Congress would expand treatment options for chronic pain by lowering costs for non-opioid analgesics under Medicare Part D, and eliminate the need for prior authorizations and step therapy. bit.ly/3Nqs4OK

Sounds Are More Intense When You Have Chronic Pain — Pain News Network By Crystal Lindell Throughout the day, whenever I hear something particularly high-pitched or loud, I will often turn to my fiancé and say, “Turn it down. That sound is literally causing me pain.” H...

Does chronic pain make you more sensitive to sound? For many pain sufferers, they answer is yes. Researchers say their brains react differently to annoying sounds than those of healthy people. bit.ly/4lc00Lr

California Expands Crackdown on Kratom and 7-OH — Pain News Network By Pat Anson California is expanding a statewide crackdown on kratom and 7-OH products, with Gov. Gavin Newsom boasting of a “95% compliance rate” in removing the products from store shelves. “Calif...

California has stepped up its crackdown on retailers selling kratom and 7-OH products, claiming a “95% compliance rate.” But it's still relatively easy to order kratom products shipped to California from out of state. bit.ly/4b9Ex1l

Why Is There Always Money for War, But Never Healthcare? — Pain News Network By Crystal Lindell When Sen. Bernie Sanders was running for president in 2020, he campaigned for universal healthcare, also known as “Medicare for All.” As someone with a chronic illness that starte...

Critics say universal healthcare is too expensive. That "Medicare for All" is unaffordable. Yet when its time to pay for a war, tax money can always be found for that. bit.ly/4ubdk6O

Many Rotator Cuff Surgeries May Be Unnecessary — Pain News Network By Pat Anson Since I write about chronic pain and the many different treatments for it, it’s not uncommon for readers to ask if I’ve ever experienced it myself. The answer, unfortunately, is yes.&nb...

Millions of middle aged and older adults have shoulder pain caused by rotator cuff injuries. MRIs can help diagnose the problem, but in many cases it's a problem that doesn't need fixing or invasive treatments like surgery. bit.ly/3OKtbJy

As Anxiety Grows, More Americans Turn to Antidepressants  — Pain News Network By Phillip Reese, KFF Health News After a grueling year of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation to treat breast cancer, Sadia Zapp was anxious — not the manageable hum that had long been part of h...

Stress and anxiety are increasing for many Americans, which has led to a growing demand for antidepressants. Young, college-educated adults are driving the increased use of anxiety medication. bit.ly/4rWBznK

Tapering Plan Led by Pharmacists Shows No Benefit for Seniors — Pain News Network By Crystal Lindell If pharmacists helped taper elderly patients off opioids and benzodiazepines, would that reduce their risk of falling? Turns out, the answer is no. Having pharmacists get involved...

Should pharmacists make tapering recommendations for elderly patients on opioids and/or benzodiazepines? A new study suggests not -- and that discontinuing medication doesn't reduce the risk of falling for seniors. bit.ly/4sdwxD4

Opioids Effective for Many Acute Pain Conditions — Pain News Network By Pat Anson As pharmaceutical companies scramble to develop new non-opioid treatments for pain, a large new review found that opioid analgesics are effective for many acute pain conditions and c...

A large new review found that opioid analgesics are effective for many acute pain conditions, less so for others. No evidence of severe adverse events were found in the short-term studies. bit.ly/4qZPXdQ

Why Are Women More Likely to Have Chronic Pain? Blame Hormones — Pain News Network By Crystal Lindell Chronic pain typically lasts longer for women than men, and new research suggests hormones could be to blame. That’s according to a study at Michigan State University, published in...

Ever wonder why women are more likely than men to have chronic pain? Researchers say hormone-regulated immune cells release molecules that can "switch off" pain signals. The cells are more active in men because they have higher levels of hormones like testosterone. bit.ly/4sdjjX7

Exercise Is Hard for Me. Now I Know Why — Pain News Network By Madora Pennington Exercise is difficult for me. I’m lucky I can do it at all. I am extremely double-jointed because my tendons and ligaments are excessively stretchy as a result of hypermobile Eps...

PNN's Madora Pennington has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, an inherited disorder that makes her doubled jointed. She's always wondered why exercise was so difficult -- and finally has some answers, thanks to a new study. bit.ly/46s5Su5

Illicit Use of Rx Opioids Down Significantly  — Pain News Network By Pat Anson The illicit use of prescription opioids by patients undergoing addiction treatment has fallen dramatically over the past decade, according to a new analysis by Millennium Health. ...

A new analysis of urine drug tests over the years shows that the illicit use of prescription opioids has declined dramatically. Stimulant use is growing and so are positive tests for kratom. bit.ly/3MuoT8t

How to Successfully Taper Off Medication – From Someone Who’s Actually Done It — Pain News Network By Crystal Lindell The problem with tapering off a medication is that, before you even start, you first have to get past all the cultural messaging that tells you that going cold turkey is the morall...

There's a right way and a wrong way to taper off medication. PNN's Crystal Lindell recommends against going cold turkey. Your chances of being successful are much better if you slowly taper yourself. bit.ly/4tRYcLK

Chronic Pain and Suicide: Three Ways to Recognize and Reduce Risk  — Pain News Network By Dr. Thomas Rutledge Suicide is a cause of death that haunts the living in perpetuity. After a suicide event, those left behind are tormented by questions: "Could I have done something?"  "W...

Do you worry about a loved one with chronic pain having suicidal thoughts? Dr. Thomas Rutledge, a VA psychologist, has tips on how to recognize the symptoms and reduce suicide risk. bit.ly/4kNuumU

How Chronic Pain Steals Your Time — Pain News Network By Crystal Lindell Chronic pain is a thief. It steals your health, relationships, money, motivation, and time. This week, so far, it has taken one full day away from me. My Tuesday was stolen. That...

Chronic pain is like a thief. When you least expect it, it can sneak up on you and steal your time. See how PNN's Crystal Lindell lost Tuesday to a pain flare. bit.ly/4qJMwIc

Moderate Cannabis Use Linked to Better Cognition in Older Adults — Pain News Network By Pat Anson As cannabis use grows among older adults, researchers are beginning to focus on the effects – good and bad — on aging brains. A recent study found that 18.5% of Americans adults age...

Moderate cannabis use appears to increase brain volume and improve cognitive function in middle aged and older adults, according to a large new study. Cannabis users performed better in learning, processing speed, and short-term memory than non-users. bit.ly/3OoI04g

Can Fentanyl Be ‘Rewired’ to Make It Safer? — Pain News Network By Pat Anson Scientists at Scripps Research have found a way to change fentanyl’s molecular structure to reduce the risk of overdosing, while at the same time preserving its pain-relieving proper...

Scientists have found a way to change fentanyl molecules so the drug doesn't suppress breathing as much, yet is still an effective pain reliever. It could pave the way for a new generation of synthetic opioids with lower risk of causing an overdose. rebrand.ly/fentanyl-rew...

How to Feed Yourself When You Have Chronic Pain — Pain News Network By Crystal Lindell One of the biggest hurdles many people with chronic pain face is finding something to eat. It’s literally a daily problem that has to be solved. Personally, it’s something I strug...

Eating is not a simple task when you have chronic pain or a chronic illness. Shopping for food, preparing it, cooking, and cleaning up after a meal can be exhausting. If you're tired of settling for cereal, PNN's Crystal Lindell has some tips to make meals easier. rebrand.ly/feed-yoursel...

Microcurrent Therapy: The Healing Electrical Stimulation You’ve Never Heard Of — Pain News Network By Madora Pennington If you suffer from chronic muscle or soft tissue pain, a physical therapist or doctor may have recommended you get a TENS unit. A traditional  TENS (Transcutaneous Electri...

Have you heard of microcurrent therapy? It's like a TENS device, but uses even less electricity -- not to relieve pain -- but to stimulate the body's natural healing properties. PNN's Madora Pennington says it worked on some of her nagging injuries. rebrand.ly/microcurrent...

You Might Have Chronic Pain If… — Pain News Network By Crystal Lindell Back in the 90s, comedian Jeff Foxworthy had this whole bit about, “You might be a redneck if…”   He’d start off with a funny description and then make the obvious c...

Remember Jeff Foxworthy? He's a comedian who became popular for his funny routine about, "You might be a redneck if..." PNN's Crystal Lindell borrowed the idea for her comic rendition of, "You might have chronic pain if..." rebrand.ly/chronic-pain...

Medicare Pilot Program Could Deny Coverage of Pain Treatments  — Pain News Network By Grace Mackleby and Jeff Mar r Medicare has launched a six-year pilot program that could eventually transform access to health care for some of the millions of people across the U.S. who rel...

A Medicare pilot program launched in six states could deny coverage for several pain treatments, including epidural steroid injections, cervical fusions and some arthroscopic surgeries. rebrand.ly/pilot-progra...

Can Long-Term Opioid Use Be Predicted Before Surgery? — Pain News Network By Pat Anson Patients on Medicaid and those who have a history of anxiety, mood disorders, or benzodiazepine use are significantly more likely to use opioids long-term after surgery, according to a n...

Researchers have identified 4 key risk factors that make surgery patients significantly more likely to use opioids long-term. Being on Medicaid is one of them. Should that affect the treatment patients get? rebrand.ly/long-term-c3...

How Should the U.S. Regulate Medical Marijuana?  — Pain News Network By Chris Meyers Medical marijuana could soon be reclassified into a medical category that includes prescription drugs like Tylenol with codeine, ketamine and anabolic steroids . That’s becaus...

President Trump has ordered the DEA to reschedule marijuana as a Schedule III controlled substance, but the debate continues over whether that should happen or even what it means. Here's what could happen. rebrand.ly/medical-mari...

Medicine for the Soul: Friends Are Important When You Have Chronic Pain — Pain News Network By Crystal Lindell Every month before book club, I count out some pain pills. I have to make sure I have a dose to take before I leave the house, so that they will be fully working when I arrive. An...

Making new friends and staying connected with old ones can be hard when you have chronic pain. PNN's Crystal LindeIl says it's well worth the effort. rebrand.ly/medicine-sou...

The Most Dangerous Drug in Canada Is Not Prescription Opioids — Pain News Network By Pat Anson The most dangerous drug in Canada doesn’t require a prescription. You can’t smoke, vape, snort, or inject it. It doesn’t come in a pill, patch or edible. It’s responsible for as many as...

The most harmful drug in Canada is not fentanyl, cocaine, heroin or prescription opioids. It's not even a street drug. A panel of experts ranked a legal drug as the most dangerous by a wide margin. rebrand.ly/dangerous-dr...

Three Clichés That Help Me Get Through Bad Pain Days — Pain News Network By Crystal Lindell As the old cliché goes: clichés are clichés for a reason. They tend to convey a lot of fundamental truth about the world and life itself. While dealing with chronic pain for more ...

"This too shall pass." It may sound corny, but that's one of the three cliches that Crystal Lindell uses for inspiration on bad pain days. She's learned to appreciate them, as they make chronic pain a little easier to endure. rebrand.ly/three-clich-...

CDC Opioid Guideline Raised Cost of Pain Care — Pain News Network By Pat Anson The CDC’s 2016 opioid prescribing guideline not only had disastrous consequences for many pain patients, but raised the cost of treating them in primary care practices, according to a ne...

The CDC’s 2016 opioid prescribing guideline not only harmed many pain patients, it raised the cost of treating them in primary care practices, according to a new analysis. rebrand.ly/cdc-opioid-8...

Can Rheumatoid Arthritis Be Prevented? — Pain News Network By Kevin Deane More than 18 million people worldwide suffer from rheumatoid arthritis , including nearly 1.5 million Americans . Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune, inflammatory form of...

New research suggests a simple blood test could identify people with rheumatoid arthritis before symptoms begin. Early diagnosis and treatment could delay or even prevent full-blown RA from developing. rebrand.ly/rheumatoid-a...

7-OH Is a Breakthrough for Pain Relief and Should Remain Legal  — Pain News Network By Crystal Lindell  This week, in a very disappointing move, Missouri took a step towards banning most 7-OH products, joining a long list of governmental bodies considering similar things.&n...

Missouri may join the growing list of states that restrict or ban sales of kratom and 7-OH products. PNN's Crystal Lindell says that would be a big mistake. rebrand.ly/breakthrough...