Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Pain Management for October 2015. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Chronic Pain Conditions Cost $32K Per Patient Annually
FRIDAY, Oct. 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Chronic pain conditions pose a substantial utilization burden on the health care system, according to a study published online Oct. 7 in Pain Practice.
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Synchronized Prescription Renewal Process Saves Time
FRIDAY, Oct. 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A synchronized prescription renewal process can save physicians time and money, which can be dedicated to patient care, according to a report from the American Medical Association (AMA).
Increasing Numbers of Med School Applicants, Enrollees
FRIDAY, Oct. 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — There has been a 25 percent increase in the number of medical school enrollees since 2002, with the number reaching an all-time high of 20,630 this year, according to a report published online Oct. 22 by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).
AAFP Encourages Family Doctors to Consider Prescribing Naloxone
FRIDAY, Oct. 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A resource has been produced to encourage family physicians to consider prescribing naloxone to patients, their family members, or close friends when there is a risk of opioid overdose, according to a report published by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).
More Prescription Opioid Addicts Are Turning to Heroin
THURSDAY, Oct. 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Concurrent use of heroin and prescription opioids is increasing, according to a research letter published in the Oct. 29 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Lidocaine, Hyaluronidase Mix Works Faster in Myofascial Pain
THURSDAY, Oct. 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) — In patients with myofascial pain syndrome (MPS), trigger point injection (TPI) with lidocaine and hyaluronidase works more quickly on the first day following injection than lidocaine alone, but there are no significant differences between the methods after four days, according to a study published online Oct. 7 in Pain Practice.
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Lifestyle Factors Not Linked to Chronic Prostatitis/Pelvic Pain
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, cigarette smoking, and hypertension are not associated with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome, according to a study published in the November issue of The Journal of Urology.
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Nearly 15 Percent of Plans Lack In-Network Specialists
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A considerable proportion of federal marketplace plans lack at least one in-network specialist, according to a research letter published in the Oct. 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Physician Emphasizes Importance of Saying Thank You
TUESDAY, Oct. 27, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The importance of thanking patients for coming to see you, the physician, is described in an essay published online in Medical Economics.
AMA: Eight Reasons for Nonadherence to Medications
FRIDAY, Oct. 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Eight reasons associated with patient’s intentional nonadherence to medications have been identified in a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Pain Relief, Function Up Post Knee Replacement in Arthritis
THURSDAY, Oct. 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Total knee replacement usually results in greater pain relief and better joint function after a year than nonsurgical osteoarthritis treatment, researchers report in the Oct. 22 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Knee, Hip Arthroplasty Tied to Increased Short-Term MI Risk
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) for osteoarthritis, the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) is increased in the first postoperative month, according to a study published in the October issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology.
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Opioid Added to Rx Naproxen No Help in Low Back Pain
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Naproxen alone appears to provide as much relief for low back pain as naproxen plus oxycodone/acetaminophen or cyclobenzaprine, according to research published in the Oct. 20 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Opioid Prescriptions Common With Fibromyalgia
TUESDAY, Oct. 20, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Opioid use is widespread among patients with newly diagnosed fibromyalgia, and patients taking opioids have a decreased likelihood of receiving guideline-recommended medications, according to a study published online Oct. 7 in Pain Practice.
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Needle Type Doesn’t Change Epidural Vascular Uptake Risk
MONDAY, Oct. 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Blunt-tip and pencil-point needles have comparable risks of inadvertent vascular injection during lumbosacral transforaminal injections, according to a study published online Oct. 7 in Pain Medicine.
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Review Links Lipid Profiles With Tendon Health
FRIDAY, Oct. 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Lipid profiles seem to be associated with tendon health, according to a review published online Oct. 15 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
CDC: Prescribing Practices Key to Curbing Rx Abuse
FRIDAY, Oct. 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Improved prescribing practices could help reduce opioid abuse and overdose deaths from those drugs, according to research published in the Oct. 16 issue of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Epidural-Related Complications Down for C-Sections
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Complications from epidural and spinal anesthetic procedures during cesarean deliveries dropped 25 percent over a recent 10-year period, according to a study published online Sept. 29 in Anesthesiology.
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Cannabis Not Recommended to Prevent Post-op Nausea
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Cannabis should not be used to prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) because of unacceptable side effects and low effectiveness, according to a study published online Sept. 30 in Anesthesia & Analgesia.
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Early Physical Therapy Shows Limited Value in Low Back Pain
TUESDAY, Oct. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For adults with low back pain (LBP) fitting a decision rule, early physical therapy is associated with modest improvement in disability compared with usual care, but the improvement is not seen at one-year follow-up, according to a study published online Oct. 13 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Prescription Opioid Use Disorders Up From 2003 to 2013
TUESDAY, Oct. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Trends in opioid use and treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) are described in two studies published online Oct. 13 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Some Changes Seen in Line With ‘Choosing Wisely’ Initiative
TUESDAY, Oct. 13, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Significant decreases in low-value services were seen in accordance with two of seven early “Choosing Wisely” recommendations, according to a study published online Oct. 12 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Dying at Home Brings More Peace Without More Pain
MONDAY, Oct. 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Patients who die at home experience more peace in their final days and hours than they would in a hospital, with no greater pain, according to findings published online Oct. 9 in BMC Medicine.
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Americans Spend More on Health Care, but Fare Worse
MONDAY, Oct. 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) — When compared to 12 other industrialized nations, Americans spend more on health care services, but they fare worst in terms of life expectancy, according to recent findings from The Commonwealth Fund.
Cannabis Appears to Be Safe for Chronic Pain Patients
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 7, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Cannabis appears mostly safe for treating chronic pain, at least among patients with some experience using the drug, a new study suggests. The findings were reported online Sept. 15 in The Journal of Pain.
Rehab Not Necessary for Uncomplicated Ankle Fracture
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 7, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A supervised exercise program does not confer additional benefits in activity limitation or quality of life compared with advice alone for patients with isolated and uncomplicated ankle fracture, according to research published in the Oct. 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Guidelines Developed for Managing Conflicts of Interest
TUESDAY, Oct. 6, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The Guidelines International Network has developed principles for disclosure and management of conflicts of interest (COIs) during the clinical practice guideline development process, according to a report published in the Oct. 6 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Type of Provider Impacts Health Care Utilization in LBP
MONDAY, Oct. 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For new entries into health care with low back pain (LBP), the provider chosen for entry is associated with future health care utilization, according to research published online Sept. 29 in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.
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Modified SOAP Ups Student Awareness of Health Care Costs
MONDAY, Oct. 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Modification of the traditional Subjective-Objective-Assessment-Plan (SOAP) presentation to consider value (SOAP-V) can help medical students learn to practice high-value, cost-conscious care, according to a study published online Sept. 28 in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
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Simvastatin, Vitamin D3 Combo Helps Prevent Migraines
MONDAY, Oct. 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — In adults with episodic migraine, the combination of simvastatin and vitamin D3 seems effective for prevention of headache, according to a study published online Sept. 29 in the Annals of Neurology.
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Providers Must Understand Legal Limits of Telemedicine
FRIDAY, Oct. 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — In order to minimize risk when practicing telemedicine, providers should ensure they hold the proper medical licenses, have medical liability insurance coverage, and communicate with patients regarding the potential risks of telemedicine, according to a report published in Medical Economics.
No Benefit Seen With Physical Tx in Acute Lateral Epicondylitis
FRIDAY, Oct. 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Most patients with acute lateral epicondylitis recover without physical therapy and steroid injections, according to a study published recently in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders.
Serotonin Levels Low in Ankylosing Spondylitis
FRIDAY, Oct. 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have lower serotonin levels than healthy controls and patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a study published online Sept. 30 in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
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Strategies Provided for Improving EHR Efficiency
THURSDAY, Oct. 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Several strategies can be implemented in order to better use electronic health records (EHRs) for patient care and efficiency, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
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