American Pain Foundation: PAIN MONITOR - June 2010

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PAIN MONITORJune 2010

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The Pain Monitor is a monthly electronic publication of the American Pain Foundation. We want to keep you abreast of recent media attention given to topics that are related to pain care or living with pain. This information is provided for educational and information purposes only. Readers may wish to print the information and discuss it with their doctor. Always consult with health care providers before starting or changing any treatment. Below are links to news articles, feature stories and timely information that have come to our attention. Please pass them along to others who might benefit. We encourage you to send any comments you may have to the authors or publishers directly. Every voice counts when working towards improving pain care in our nation.

NEWS

FDA Approves Denosumab for OsteoporosisThe Food & Drug Administration has approved denosumab (Prolia), a fully human monoclonal antibody, for treatment of postmenopausal women who have a high risk for osteoporotic fractures.

FDA Approves Intranasal NSAIDThe Food & Drug Administration approved ketorolac tromethamine (Sprix), a short-term use, intranasal painkiller for moderate to moderately severe pain, for use in patients who require an analgesic at the opioid level. The medication is an inhaled form of a non-opioid, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory injectable analgesic for use in ambulatory patients.

FDA Adds Suicide Risk to Opioid LabelThe FDA updated the warning label of the opioid analgesic tramadol (tramadol hydrochloride/Ultram, tramadol hydrochloride and acetaminophen/Ultracet) to account for suicide and overdose risk in some patients.

Some Popular Pain Pills Increase Heart DeathsStudy finds that some pain medications increase the risk of heart problems in healthy people.

Older Patients Denied Adequate Pain ReliefPersons older than 65 years of age are less likely to receive strong analgesics for moderate to severe pain than younger patients complaining of comparable pain, according to researchers at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society. Specific reasons for this are as yet undetermined.

Sugar Drops Ease Baby Jab Pain Experts say newborns are less likely to cry if given a few drops of a sugar solution before immunisation.

Hip-Strengthening Exercises May Relieve DiscomfortHip exercises can reduce a common type of knee pain in female runners, according to a new study.

Endometriosis Has Major Effect on Lives of WomenUncertainty about its cause, a lack of effective prevention or cure, and delays in diagnosis and treatment all contribute to a major societal impact of endometriosis, according to research presented here.

Diet and Lifestyle Linked to Headaches in TeensDrinking coffee and alcohol, smoking, and lack of physical activity all appear to be associated with migraine and tension-type headaches in teenagers, researchers found.

Managing Headaches Without Pain MedicationFor those who get headaches so often that they're chronic, recent studies have found that they may be caused by the very medications used to treat the pain.

Headache HelpersThe postural root of many headaches is the forward head position. If you're experiencing a headache, try stretching your shoulders and neck.

Skin Color Affects Ability to Empathize with PainHumans are hardwired to feel another person's pain. But they may feel less innate empathy if the other person's skin color doesn't match their own, a new study suggests.

Ginger Can Help Reduce Muscle Pain After Heavy ExerciseA daily dose of the spice can relieve the aches from sport, or even gardening and heavy housework, by as much as a quarter.

Find Help When Living With Chronic PainChronic pain impacts a person's ability to work, sleep, concentrate, socialize and their overall quality of life. Depression and anxiety follows, and a vicious cycle is created - depression can actually worsen pain conditions, which can lead to more depression and so on. These tips can also help a person and their family come to terms with their pain condition as well as improve their overall quality of life.

Coping Skills Essential for Managing Chronic PainHow individuals cope with and appraise disease-related pain, such as from arthritis or cancer, is related not only to their experience with pain, but also to their neurobiological and psychological functioning. Coping skills training may help to provide long-term improvements in brain function and relief from chronic pain.

Ouch! These Top 5 Myths About Pain May Be What's Really Hurting YouWhen it comes to persistent, chronic pain, such as back pain, migraines, and arthritis, things are a bit more complicated than when you stub your toe or cut your finger. Explore some common pain myths.

Chronic Pain: New Research, New TreatmentsWebMD talks to M. Fishman, MD, president of the American Pain Foundation, to find out what's new in pain management - and what doctors still need to learn to help their patients.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Cancer Pain Medication Approved for Use in CanadaHealth Canada, the regulatory authority in Canada, has approved Onsolis (fentanyl buccal soluble film) for the management of breakthrough pain in opioid-tolerant adult patients with cancer.

Canadian Cancer Society: End-of-Life Care Needs FixingToo many Canadians with terminal cancer do not have a say in where their lives will end, simply because end-of-life palliative care services and support for their caregivers varies so widely across the country. Not only are many patients suffering, but so are the family members who care for them.

Living with PainThe United Kingdom's NHS Choices is a comprehensive information service that helps to put you in control of your healthcare. The service is intended to help you make choices about your health through to the practical aspects of finding and using NHS services in England when you need them. Live Well is a lifestyle section that provides guides, tips and high-quality information on how to live a healthier life.

APF NEWS

Off-Label Uses of Cancer Medications Reviewed in AHRQ ReportPhysicians seeking justification for off-label uses of targeted cancer therapies may find it in a new report sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The report, prepared by Amy Abernethy, MD (one of the expert advisors for APF's Breakthrough Cancer Pain project), and colleagues at Duke University's Evidence-based Practice Center, summarizes recent research on unapproved indications for eight monoclonal antibodies and kinase inhibitor medications now on the U.S. market.

APF ACTION NETWORK

APF and the APF Action Network wrote letters in support of California's "Fail First" bill, AB 1826, and are happy to report that it has now passed the Appropriations Committee and is moving on to the Senate. This bill would limit "Fail First" therapies in California. For more on this bill, please visit our State Efforts page.

Ohio leaders Dee Browers and Annette Keyes provided testimony in support of HB477 which would establish September as Pain Awareness Month as an annual recognition. The bill was voted out of committee and is also moving forward! Dee and Annette are working with the Ohio Pain Initiative and others on this important symbolic legislation.

Oklahoma leader Rushing shared her pain journey and struggles with rheumatoid arthritis in an interview with Health.com

At the annual meeting of the Virginia Association of Clinical Counselors, Virginia Leader Kirsten B. Herman, RN, LPC, presented a seminar on working with clients battling chronic pain to 150 counselors.

Washington State remains a major battle ground for fighting for pain care rights and Action Network co-leaders Dionetta Hudzinski and Lyla Aldrich continue the fight, preparing testimony to influence a negative bill (for the positive) in the upcoming legislative "Rule-making" process.

Click here to visit the Network in Action page for more on what advocates are doing across the country.

CONNECT

Webinar Replay: Chronic Pain Conditions & The Overlapping Conditions AllianceIn this webinar, sponsored by the TMJ Association, speakers described four of the conditions that have sidelined as many as 50 million lives and cost up to $80 billion each year. The four conditions to be spotlighted are: chronic fatigue syndrome, endometriosis, temporomandibular disorders and vulvodynia.

PainAid Online Support CommunityPainAid provides Chat Rooms (regularly scheduled chats on different issues), Discussion Boards (threaded message boards on a broad variety of topics), and Ask the Expert feature (pose questions to licensed healthcare professionals). PainAid is staffed by highly qualified volunteers with a range of backgrounds, all of whom either live with chronic pain or care for people who do. Visit PainAid for more information.

Voices of People with PainIf you are a person with pain or know someone who lives with pain, we invite you to share your story. Read others' stories or share your own.

Webinar and Teleconference ReplaysAll APF webinars and teleconferences are archived for on-demand viewing. Make sure to check out our chat transcripts and join us at PainAid for future daily and special chats. Sign up to receive notifications of future webinars and teleconferences.

FacebookFacebook is a social networking website in which users can join networks organized by organization or cause. Please join APF on Facebook!

TwitterFollow APF on Twitter to receive our tweets, text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on our profile page or delivered to your cell phone.

YouTubeYouTube has many ways to help you find and watch videos. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel now.

SPOTLIGHT ON PAIN

The American Pain Foundation "Spotlights" are educational campaigns that highlight specific pain conditions or populations of people that experience pain. Spotlights bring focus to an issue offering a variety of ways for people to learn more about the topic, gain support, and take action. Click here for more information about our spotlights.

Acute Pain

When to Ice and Heat an Acute InjuryAn acute injury should always be iced, never heated, whether it's a muscle strain, a twisted ankle, or pain around a joint. The ice will constrict blood flow in surrounding blood vessels, which reduces swelling at the injury site. The cold will also help to dampen pain.

Cancer Pain

Self-Hypnosis Can Ease Cancer PainResearch done by social worker D. at the University of Buffalo in New York found that women living with breast cancer, among others, were able to find pain relief through self-hypnosis. The study found that a combination of self-hypnosis and psychotherapy helped the patients with metastatic breast cancer manage their pain over a period of time.

Caregivers

Can Caring Make You Sick?More than 65 million people, nearly a third of the U.S. population, provide care for a friend or family member during any given year, according to the National Family Caregivers Association. In an editorial in the May issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, a psychologist explains that many of these people suffer just as much as the person they care for.

Neurology on the 'Net: Neuropathy Caregiver Blog Macropoulos recently launched a blog, "The Circle of Care: Considering the Neuropathy Caregiver" to share her caregiving experiences, which are, in 's words, "routine, but sometimes feel like the world without end."

End of Life

The Difference Between Palliative and Hospice Care: An Expert Interviewa Kaplan, RN, MSN, AOCN, oncology clinical nurse specialist in New Jersey, specializes in end-of-life care. She writes and talks frequently on those issues and presented an abstract recently at the Oncology Nursing Society 35th Annual Congress and spoke about the differences between palliative and hospice care and the ways clinicians can help patients make more use of those services.

Fibromyalgia

Have Unexplained Pain? These Questions Could Lead to a Fibromyalgia DiagnosisOne common cause of chronic pain is fibromyalgia, a condition that affects an estimated 5 million Americans. It causes widespread pain and fatigue and is often tied to other health problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome and depression.

A New Way of Diagnosing FibromyalgiaA new way of diagnosing fibromyalgia, by using a pain index and a measure of key symptoms and severity, may lead to more diagnoses and treatment, a new study says. The findings appear in the May issue of Arthritis Care & Research.

People With Fibromyalgia Prone to FallsPeople with fibromyalgia may be prone to falls due to balance problems, a small study suggests. People with fibromyalgia may benefit from exercises to improve balance.

When Fibro Strikes Men Men get fibromyalgia, too. But they experience the pain and fatigue differently. A neurological disorder that causes chronic pain and fatigue, fibromyalgia strikes mostly women. Of the estimated 5 million adults with fibromyalgia in the U.S., as few as 10% are men. For that reason, the popular perception of it as a women's disease has persisted, even among fellow patients.

Let's Talk Pain

How to Talk to Your Doctor About Chronic Pain: Tips for Open Communication with Your MD When you suffer from a chronic disease, you probably find yourself at the doctor's office more than you would like. Here are some helpful tips to encourage open and honest communication with your providers.

Military/Veterans

Poor Sleep Persists After Brain TraumaTrouble sleeping long after traumatic brain injury may be due to disruption of both melatonin production and sleep architecture, a study has found.

Multi-Symptom Pain Disorders Plague Returning Service Men and Women Nine in 10 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans return with some form of pain and about 60 percent have significant pain, mainly from the cumulative effect of exposure to recurring blasts which cause unimaginable injuries, according to prominent VA pain clinicians speaking at the American Pain Society's annual scientific meeting.

Shingles/PHN

APF Survey Shows Need for Education and Awareness about After-Shingles PainThe results of an American Pain Foundation (APF) survey on postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) indicate that the majority of people with shingles are not aware of the possibility of developing PHN, also known as after-shingles pain. After-shingles pain is one of the most common causes of pain-related suicide in older Americans. To raise awareness about this painful condition that affects approximately one in five people who have had shingles, APF has partnered with the Patchwork of Hope Network, an educational campaign led by the National Council on Aging. Learn more about the survey and resources available on shingles and PHN.

Yoga

Yoga Can Improve Sleep for Cancer Survivors, Study SaysA new study found that cancer survivors randomly assigned to take a 4-week yoga course had much greater improvements in their sleep quality than patients who didn't take the classes, even though yoga participants used less sleep medication.

People Are Researching The Types of Yoga That Will Help Their Medical ConditionJust as other forms of exercise can have an amazing effect on the body as a whole, yoga has been touted by many as the treatment of choice for a variety of different conditions such as back and neck pain.

SCIENCE & MEDICINE

Revisiting Pain Management in Cancer Patients: Breakthrough Pain and Its TreatmentsComprehensive strategies must be implemented in cancer pain management during active treatment, as well as in cancer survivors with chronic pain. These strategies must also address the potential for opioid abuse in cancer patients, particularly those at high risk for dependence.

E-Rx Now an Option for Controlled MedicationsDoctors can now submit prescriptions for schedule II, III, IV, and V controlled substances electronically under a new Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) rule. DEA's interim final rule, "Electronic Prescriptions for Controlled Substances," could make things easier for many physicians who are already electronically prescribing non-controlled medications.

The Concept of Addiction in Law and Regulatory Policy Related to Pain Management: A Critical Review (Abstract)APF board member M. Gilson, MSSW, PhD, presents a critical appraisal of the present definitions of addiction-related terminology that appear in U.S. laws and regulatory policies that apply to the prescription of controlled substances for pain management. Read an interview with Dr. Gilson on laws and policies affecting pain management.

COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE

Meditation Reduces Emotional Impact of PainPeople who meditate regularly find it easier to cope with pain because their brains anticipate it less, a study has found. The findings could help develop new treatments from those who suffer from conditions that cause chronic pain.

Brain Scans Show How Meditation Calms PainPeople who routinely practice meditation may be better able to deal with pain because their brains are less focused on anticipating pain, a new British study suggests.

New Insights into How Acupuncture WorksThe next time someone mentions acupuncture as an option to relieve that backache of yours, don't scoff. Researchers have uncovered how it may really work.

EN ESPAÑOL

SiringomieliaLa siringomielia es un trastorno en el cual se forma un quiste dentro de la médula espinal. Este quiste, conocido como syrinx, con el tiempo se expande y alarga, destruyendo una porción de la médula espinal desde su centro, expandiéndose hacia afuera. Cuando un syrinx se ensancha lo suficiente como para afectar las fibras nerviosas que transportan información desde el cerebro hacia las extremidades,este daño produce dolor, debilidad y rigidez en la espalda, los hombros, los brazos o las piernas. Otros síntomas pueden incluir dolores de cabeza y pérdida de la capacidad de sentir calor o frío extremo, especialmente en las manos.

Syringomyelia Fact SheetSyringomyelia is a disorder in which a cyst forms within the spinal cord. This cyst, called a syrinx, expands and elongates over time, destroying a portion of the spinal cord from its center and expanding outward. As a syrinx widens it compresses and injures nerve fibers that carry information from the brain to the extremities. Damage to the spinal cord often leads to progressive weakness in the arms and legs, stiffness in the back, shoulders, arms, or legs, and chronic, severe pain. Other symptoms may include headaches, a loss of the ability to feel extremes of hot or cold (especially in the hands), and loss of bladder and other functions.

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

Improving Quality of Life and Quality of Care for Oncology Family CaregiversA new National Cancer Institute-funded professional educational course for healthcare professionals aims to improve the quality of life and quality of care for oncology family caregivers across physical, psychological, social, and spiritual domains. Four three-day courses will provide teams of competitively-selected interdisciplinary oncology professionals the opportunity to learn from national experts to improve support for oncology family caregivers around the country. Two courses are available in March 30-April 1, 2011 (application deadline is October 1, 2010), and July 13-15, 2011 (application deadline is February 1, 2011). The 2011 courses will be held at the Disneyland Resort Paradise Pier Hotel in Anaheim, California.

Competitively selected teams will receive free Registration and course materials, meals, $350 stipend per participant applied to hotel cost , CE credits for full attendance of an annual course, 6, 12, and 18 month follow-up and support. For more information and course application, please visit http://www.cityofhope.org/oncfamilycaregivers.

EVENTS

Public

June 22, 2010 1:30pm-2:30pm ETSurvivorship and Workplace TransitionsCancerCare will present a free telephone workshop as part of their Eighth Annual Cancer Survivorship Series: Living With, Through & Beyond Cancer. The telephone workshop is offered at no charge. However, pre-registration is required. To register, simply go to the CancerCare Connect. In case you missed a previous CancerCare Connect education workshops, you can listen to archived podcasts.

August 28-29, 2010Facial Pain Association National ConferenceRochester, MN

Professional

July 30, 2010Southern California Cancer Pain Initiative5th Annual Promoting Excellence in Pain Management & Palliative Care for Social WorkersDuarte, CA

August 21 - 26, 2010Intensive Review of the Specialty of Pain MedicineChicago, IL

August 27 - 29, 20102nd International Course on Pain MedicineMontreal, Canada

August 29 - September 2, 2010International Association for the Study of PainMontreal, Canada

September 1-3, 2010Southern California Cancer Pain Initiative19th Annual Pain Resource Nurse (PRN) CourseDuarte, CA

September 8 - 11, 2010PAIN Week 2010Las Vegas, NV

September 21-24American Academy of Pain ManagementLas Vegas, NV

September 22-25American Society for Pain Management NursingMinneapolis, MN

September 22 - 24, 2010American Association of Integrative Medicine2010 National ConferenceOrlando, FL

September 24, 20105th Annual Florida Pain SummitOrlando, FL

October 21-23, 2010Association of State Pain Initiatives 21st Annual Meeting: A Decade of ChangeAtlanta, GA

November 2-3, 2010Capital Hospice 12th Annual fina Magno ConferenceBreathing In, Breathing Out: Inspiration for Holistic CareSpringfield, VA

November 11-14, 2010International Multidisciplinary Forum on Palliative CareBudapest, Hungary

Thank you to our medical/science editor J. Vicente, PhD, ABPPand our guest editor G. Fine, MD.

The American Pain Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization that relies upon private donations to fund its programs, services, and distribution of educational materials. There are millions of people who live with unrelieved chronic pain. If you can help, please make a donation to the American Pain Foundation. For other ways you can support APF's work, please visit our website at www.painfoundation.org.

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