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The national discussion forum and community for UK Healthcare Professionals with an interest in acute, chronic, or palliative Pain Management.
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This page was last updated: June 8, 2010
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Pain-talk media watch
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Some pain management related items that you may,
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Failures at hospital let nurses administer morphine which killed three: inquiry (Daily Telegraph 07:06:10)
Managers were too focused on achieving foundation trust status and were completely unaware of what was happening in the hospital at night, a leaked copy of the findings of the independent inquiry will say.
Morphine Remains Scarce for Pain Sufferers Worldwide (Time.com 07:06:10)
Whether you will have access to pain treatment depends largely upon where you live. Africa, which has most of the world's AIDS victims, is a painkiller wasteland. In India, more than a million cancer and AIDS sufferers die each year in extreme pain as cumbersome regulations and paperwork make it nearly impossible to get prescription painkillers.
Overtreated: Pain in the back widely overtreated (Associated Press. June 2010)
Doctors need guidance in end of life dementia care (Alzheimer’s Society 20:05:10)
Alzheimer’s Society is calling for doctors to receive advice on palliative care for people with dementia as the General Medical Council (GMC) publishes its end of life care guidance.
Dying patients denied pain relief because of legal fears (Nursing Times 18:05:10)
Dying patients are being denied adequate medication to control symptoms and relive pain because nurses fear prosecution for assisting suicide, a Nursing Times survey has found.
Do women suffer more intense pain than men? (Daily Mail 31:05:09)
It's an age-old debate that divides the sexes --do women feel pain more profoundly than men?
And now - although experts are still divided - new evidence is emerging that women may indeed be more long-suffering.
New cost-cutting NHS guidelines on back pain 'will lead to more surgery' (Mail on Line 28:05:09)
Thousands of patients could undergo unnecessary spinal operations because of new NHS guidelines on treatments for lower back pain, warn experts
Back Pain?: NHS to offer acupuncture (Channel 4 news 27:05:09)
The National Institute for Health and Clinical excellence has expanded its list of approved treatments to include alternative therapies to treat back pain.
Diamorphine dangers and wrong doses (U.tv 21:05:09)
What opioids are used for, and how the NHS is struggling with the problem of wrong doses of medicines
Terminally ill should be let die at home (Guardian.co.uk 14:05:09)
Elderly patients in the final stages of terminal illness are being denied the right to die at home due to inadequate NHS and social care, a critical parliamentary report warns today.
Scans 'no aid for back pain care' (BBC 06:02:09)
The routine use of scans in patients with lower back pain does not improve their outcomes, US scientists say.
Paediatric End-of-Life Pain Management Varies Widely (MedPage 06:02:09)
HARTFORD, Conn., Feb. 6 -- Use of opioids to control pain at the end of life for children with cancer varies substantially from center to center, researchers found.
Paradigm shift needed in way chronic pain is managed: (Daily Exchange 05:02:09)
Health care professionals tend to be bereft when faced with the medical need to ease the pain, as tools are lacking to accurately diagnose the severity of the pain, and tools are limited in terms of easing the pain.
Exploring pain management in older people with hip fracture (Nursing Times 20:01:09)
Pain following a fractured neck of femur can be severe; in addition patients often have underlying medical problems. This article examines the problems associated with good pain control for older patients following fractured neck of femur.
Study Revives a Debate on Arthritis Knee Surgery (New York Times 10:09:08)
A study has found that surgery is no better than more conservative treatment to relieve knee pain caused by arthritis.
Many Cancer Patients Receive Insufficient Pain Management Therapy (Science Daily 10:09:08)
Pain is one of the most common symptoms of cancer patients, yet many of them do not receive adequate therapy for the pain caused by their disease or treatments, according to a study.
Duloxetine Effective for Diabetic Peripheral Pain in Patients of All Ages (DocGuide.com 10:09:08)
Duloxetine is as effective and well tolerated when used to treat peripheral neuropathic pain in elderly patients with diabetes as in younger patients with the disease, investigators reported.
Op Under Hypnosis 'Was Pain Free' (Sky News 08:07:08)
There's no need for her to come round after a general anaesthetic, no nausea as she recovers,
NPSA issues warning on pain killers (nursinginpractice.com 08:07:08)
The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) is issuing a Rapid Response Report to healthcare practitioners following concerns over incorrect and unsafe dosing of opioids, powerful pain killers such as morphine, methadone, oxycodone and fentanyl, which are used to relieve severe pain.
Call for national plan to tackle chronic pain (Barchester.com 03:07:08)
National chronic pain strategy for England would be a major step forward, CPPC says.
A picture of pain - Chronic pain sufferer uses art to express his agony (timesleader.com 13:05:08)
Editors note. This news article features the “The Pain Exhibit” as featured on Pain Talks home page.
The Lollipop That Can Kill (medadnews.com 12:05:08)
Dr. Smith Talks About Fentanyl
18 week wait target worsens chronic pain suffering (Pulse 12:05:08)
The Government’s flagship waiting time target is increasing the suffering of many patients with chronic pain, by distorting clinical priorities, a new study reports
Chronic Pain Meds Unlikely to Cause Addiction (MedHeadlines 09:05:08)
The general population and many in the medical community alike harbor the popular opinion that using strong pain medications, including opioids, for long-term, chronic pain puts the patient at high risk of developing an addiction to the pain medications. A report presented recently at the annual meeting of the American Pain Society (APS) reveals evidence to the contrary.
(ScienceDaily 09:05:08)
As controversy swirls about proper clinical use of opioids and other potent pain medications, research reported at the American Pain Society annual meeting shows that, contrary to widespread beliefs, less than 3 percent of patients with no history of drug abuse who are prescribed opioids for chronic pain will show signs of possible drug abuse or dependence.
Palliative Care Is The Area Of Health Care In Which Doctors Can Make The Greatest Difference To Their Patients (Medical news today 25:04:08)
Palliative care for non-malignant disease has been voted the area of health care in which doctors can make the greatest difference to patient care, said the BMJ today.
New Neuropathic Pain Guidelines For Primary Care Will Benefit Patients With Debilitating Neuropathic Pain Such As Post-Herpetic Neuralgia, UK (Medical News Today 15:04:08)
New primary care guidelines on diagnosing and managing neuropathic pain published in Guidelines - summarising clinical guidelines for primary care will benefit sufferers of post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), the debilitating neuropathic pain that follows a shingles infection as well as other causes of neuropathic pain.
Co-proxamol ban is reducing pain control, evidence shows (The Pulse 17:03:08)
GPs are being forced to switch patients from co-proxamol to controlled drugs and other potentially risky analgesics in an often vain attempt to maintain pain control, a new audit reveals.
Study sheds light on epidural denial (University of Pennsylvania 06:03:08)
Penn associate professor E. Andrew Ochroch has found that minority patients, especially African Americans, are less likely than others to allow doctors to administer epidural pain relief prior to surgery.
Use of placebos common among physicians (University of Washington 07:02:08)
A survey of the use of placebos among Chicago physicians was published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine last month. Of the 230 physicians who responded, 45 percent reported they had used a placebo in clinical practice.
Unlawfully killed: the mother given fatal epidural dose minutes after birth (Guardian 06:02:08)
The case of a new mother who was mistakenly given a fatal dose of a strong epidural anaesthetic will be re-examined by the Crown Prosecution Service after an inquest jury ruled yesterday that she was unlawfully killed.
New Gene Therapy Eliminates Chronic Pain (Redorbit.com 23:01:08)
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine were able to eliminate chronic pain for at least three months in rats who were given spinal injections of a new gene therapy that triggers the body’s natural pain killer endorphin.
The scientists hope the new discovery will revolutionize the way chronic pain is treated and managed.
No clear proof that antidepressants alleviate low back pain (Thaindian News 23:01:08)
A new review by Cochrane researchers has found no clear evidence that antidepressants work on this chronic pain.
Drug Approved. Is Disease Real? (New York Times 14:01:08)
Fibromyalgia is a real disease. Or so says Pfizer in a new television advertising campaign for Lyrica, the first medicine approved to treat the pain condition, whose very existence is questioned by some doctors.
Medical abbreviations 'pose risk' (BBC 06:01:08)
Doctors are being warned that using abbreviations in medical notes is putting patients' lives at risk.
Regulation plans for homeopathy (BBC 05:01:08)
A range of complementary therapies such as homeopathy and aromatherapy are to be regulated by a new body.
Cancer Patients Often Misinterpret Opioid Treatment a Sign of Imminent Death (Cancerpages.com 02:01:08)
Cancer patients often refuse opioid medications out of the belief that the drugs are offered as a "last resort" rather than as legitimate pain killers that can improve their quality of life, British investigators report.
White patents receive better pain management than blacks and Hispanics (EarthTimes.org 02:01:08)
Black and Hispanic patients in acute pain are likely to receive less potent pain killers when they visit emergency departments in hospitals as compared to their white counterparts, a large US study has revealed.
FDA warns of Dangers of Misuse of the Duragesic Patch (DBTechno.com 21:12:07)
On Friday officials issued a second warning regarding death and other dangerous side effects that have occurred using the Duragesic analgesic patch and generic versions of the patch using the drug fentanyl. The first warning was issued in July 2005.
Palliative care under-funded and patchy (Healthcare Republic 17:12:07)
Over-reliance on charity funding for palliative care in the UK exacerbates inequalities and has created a patchy service, a report says.
Painkillers and a walk are best for back pain (The Times 09:11:07)
The best treatment for acute lower back pain is a painkiller plus normal activity, a trial in Australia has shown.
(ThisisBath.co.uk 07:11:07)
A booklet written to help patients cope with pain has been launched at Bath's biggest hospital. Living With Persistent Pain has been written by clinicians working in the Royal United Hospital's Pain Management Unit.
Pain, especially pain that doesn’t quit, changes a person. And rarely for the better.
Too many painkillers can be a daily headache (Daily Telegraph 01:09:07)
Doctors and migraine charities are calling for a national campaign to alert sufferers, especially migraine victims, to the phenomenon of "rebound" headaches which are triggered by overuse of painkillers.
(Editors note: We have an article on our articles page that looks at this in greater depth)
Breast cancer patients need less anaesthetic during operations if they have been relaxed by hypnosis beforehand, US research suggests.
Migraine relief can create its own headaches (Herald Sun 06:08:07)
AN alarming number of Australians treating migraines with over-the-counter and prescription pain relievers are at risk of inducing 'rebound headaches' caused by medication overuse, experts said.
(Editors note: We have an article on our articles page that looks at this in greater depth)
Hospices 'face funding struggle' (BBC 23:07:07)
Hospices are struggling with debts as funding promised by the government has failed to materialise, campaigners say.
Depression More Pervasive Among Back Pain Sufferers (Medical News Today 19:07:07)
A study by Spine-health.com, the leading health information website for consumers with chronic pain and back pain, reveals that depression may be much higher in back pain sufferers than previously thought.
Pain's in the mind (News.com.au 16:07:07)
WHEN it comes to pain, it may really be possible to put mind over matter, scientific studies show.
Has Science Unearthed The Holy Grail Of Pain Relief? (ScienceDaily 13:07:07)
Science Daily — Scientists studying one of nature's simplest organisms have helped to unravel the structure of a key molecule that controls pain in humans.
Pain clinic: such relief (Scarborough Evening News)
CAMPAIGNERS battling to save Scarborough's pain clinic are hoping they have fought off moves to cripple the service
Back pain linked to short-term memory deficits (newindpress.com 25:04:07)
Dr. Jonathan Ling, of Keele University, Staffordshire, UK, and colleagues compared the prospective memory of 50 subjects with chronic back pain to the memory of 50 subjects who were pain-free.
Top-level talks on pain clinic (Scarborough Evening news 23:04:07)
CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save Scarborough's pain clinic are to have talks with top health officials.
Morphine Kills The Pain, Not The Patient (Medical News Today 20:04:07)
Professional and public anxieties about the effects of morphine continue to hinder adequate prescribing of this vital painkiller for genuine pain relief, claims a Comment in this week's edition of The Lancet.
UK Plans to Make Naproxen Pain Drug Available OTC (Reuters 12:04:07)
British women may soon be able to buy painkiller naproxen without prescription for the relief of period pains, under the latest proposal to liberalise access to prescription medicines.
PainTalk.org.uk Nominated for the New Statesman NewMedia Awards 2007 (newswiretoday.com 12:04:07)
The New Statesman, Britain’s leading political magazine, in association with Atos Origin, the leading IT services company, announces the nomination of Pain Talk in their New Media Awards in the category of Information and Openness.
Increasing Number Of UK Nurses Suffer From Back Pain Due To Obese Patients & Work Pressure (medindia.net 02:04:07)
A Recent report published by the British Chiropractic Association has once again brought to light the negative effects of obesity. This time report of this condition does not talk about the effects it has on the individual, but on the people treating the individual.
Nursing home residents 'in pain' (BBC 21:03:07)
Many people living in nursing homes are enduring chronic pain, a study says.
Cell phones safe to use in hospitals: U.S. study (Reuters 09:03:07)
Calls made on cell phones do not affect hospital medical devices, U.S. researchers said on Friday, but store anti-theft alarms might make implanted heart devices misfire.
Cannabis granny vows to keep using drugs (telegraph.co.uk 08:03:07)
A grandmother insisted yesterday that she would carry on cooking with cannabis despite being convicted of growing and possessing the drug at her home.
Ibuprofen provids better pain relief in children than acetaminophen (paracetamol) or codeine (eMaxHealth 05:03:07)
A Canadian study found that ibuprofen provided better and more efficient pain relief than acetaminophen or codeine for children brought in to the emergency department with acute musculoskeletal injuries.
Back pain linked to brain changes (BBC 18:02:07)
Chronic back pain is linked to physical changes in the brain, according to researchers in Germany.
Woman 'in constant pain' launches right-to-die bid (This is London 12:02:07)
A terminally-ill woman has started a ground-breaking legal bid to force doctors to let her die.
Opioid Prescribing At Forefront Of Pain Medicine Meeting (Medical News Today 11:02:07)
Opioid therapy, opioid prescribing and prescription drug diversion were provoking topics at the 23rd annual meeting of the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel/Morial Convention Center, February 7-10, 2007.
Chronic Pain Up Almost 40 Percent Among U.S. Workers in Past Decade (Health News Digest 02:02:07)
Persistent, chronic pain has risen dramatically among full-time U.S. workers in the past 10 years,
Doctors propose using Afghan opium as NHS pain-killer (Belfast Telegraph. 24:01:07)
Afghan heroin available on the NHS? It may sound far-fetched but that is what two leading doctors from the British Medical Association have put forward as a way of dealing with a shortage of the drug.
Pain care under savings threat (York Press 16:01:07)
Patients letter about the closure of a local pain service on money saving grounds
Virtual system eases phantom limb pain: study (Reuters, 14/11/06)
British scientists say they have developed a virtual reality system that can help amputees cope with phantom pain
Natural chemical 'beats morphine' (BBC 14/11/06)
The human body produces a natural painkiller several times more potent than morphine, research suggests. (BBC 14/11/06)
Nurse shortage boosts death rates (BBC 23/10/06)
Nursing shortages are linked to an increase in patient death rates, a study of English hospitals has found. Scientists discovered mortality was 26% higher for the hospitals with the worst staffing levels compared with those with more nurses per patient.
Too many elderly 'left in pain' (BBC 23/10/06)
Not enough is being done to improve the management of pain in the elderly, a charity says. Nearly a third of the 3,000 carers surveyed by the Patients Association said their patient's chronic pain was poorly managed.
Optimum Management of Pre-amputation Pain Eliminates Phantom Pain at 6 Months (Docguide.com 16/10/06)
Patients scheduled for lower extremity amputation who receive optimum pain management before, during, and after surgery are unlikely to experience prolonged phantom limb pain, according to a paper presented here at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA).
(Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development Aug 2006)
Consumer ratings of satisfaction with treatment are rarely used as measures of treatment outcome. This study examined the relationships between service ratings and psychometric outcomes of patients receiving pain-management services in a tertiary teaching hospital. (Note: this is a .pdf document, and make take a minute or so to open depending on your internet connection)
Spinal cord stimulation gives significant improvement in pain relief for chronic pain sufferers (MTB Europe 06/10/06)
An international multicentre study presented at the annual meeting of the European Federation of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) Chapters (EFIC) shows that neurostimulation in combination with conventional medical management is significantly more effective than conventional medical management alone for patients suffering from persistent leg and back pain despite anatomically successful spine surgery.
Alzheimer's sufferers feel pain like everyone else (theage.com.au 23/09/06)
THOUSANDS of people with Alzheimer's disease who are in chronic pain suffer in silence without medication, research has revealed
Complementary and alternative therapies. (Independentnurse.co.uk 14/08/06)
As debate rages over whether the NHS should fund alternative therapies, Caroline Stagg looks at their uses in Primary Care.
Scarborough Hospital's pain clinic to close. (Scarboroughtoday.co.uk 24/07/06)
The local primary care trust, which funds the clinic, says the closure is for financial reasons.
EDITORS NOTE: This story comes from Scarborough’s local paper; does anyone out there know any more about the story behind this? If so drop us a line.
story behind this? If so drop us a line.Drug shortage leaves dying patients in pain (Telegraph.co.uk 24/07/06)
(diamorphine) ..still in limited supply more than 18 months after the government was warned of serious shortages.
Experts warn on unsafe drug prescribing (Reuters 18/07/06)
Patient safety is being compromised by an increase in adverse drug reactions and prescribing errors, many of which are avoidable, experts said on Tuesday.
What role for complementary medicine in treating cancer? (Spiked News july 06)
Leading British cancer specialist Michael Baum caused a storm with his letter criticising the NHS for spending money on alternative therapies. Here, he answers his critics.
Eisai launches snail venom pain drug in Britain (Reuters 10/07/06)
LONDON, July 10 (Reuters) - A new pain drug based on the venom of a deadly sea snail was launched in Britain today (Monday)
NHS 'not learning from errors' (The Times 06/07/06)
THOUSANDS of lives are being put at risk every year in the NHS because of the Government’s failure to set up an effective system to monitor patient safety and prevent mistakes recurring, an influential cross-party committee said yesterday.
Acupuncture reduces knee pain, but so does placebo (Reuters 05/07/06)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Acupuncture is effective in relieving osteoarthritis knee pain, new research suggests, but placebo acupuncture appears to also do the job.
Pharmos Phase 2a Cannabinor Study To Evaluate Analgesic Activity And Safety In Acute Pain Approved By UK Regulatory Authorities (Medical News Today 21/06/06)
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (Psychiatric Times 20/06/06)
Therapy could 'cut benefits bill' (BBC 19/06/06)
The UK incapacity benefit bill could be cut by spending more on psychotherapy, a group of economists says.
NHS could lose thousands of junior doctors (LSE.co.uk 14/06/06)
Thousands of junior doctors could end up unemployed or be forced to leave the country because of a disastrous lack of jobs in the cash-strapped NHS, doctor's leaders warned today.
Trust's botox pain relief apology (BBC 14/06/06)
Cannabis effective at relieving pain after major surgery (Imperial College 05/06/06)
A cannabis plant extract provides pain relief for patients after major surgery such as knee replacements, a study by Imperial College and the Medical Research Council has shown.
Doctor manslaughter charges rise (BBC 02/06/06)
Ibuprofen can double risk of heart attack, says medical study (Daily Telegraph 02/06/06)
Research published in the British Medical Journal analysed results of 138 trials involving 140,000 patients over several years. It found that ibuprofen and diclofenac, two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), could cause attacks when taken in high doses.
Analysis Clarifies Cox-2 Heart Risk (WebMD 01/06/06)
A new analysis shows that some popular nonsteroidal pain killers are just as likely to increase the risk of heart attacks as the Cox-2 inhibitors, two of which were removed from the market.
NEW GUIDANCE ON COMPLIMENTARY THERAPIES FOR BACK PAIN SUFFERERS (Community newswire press 31/05/06)
NHS computer system behind schedule and to cost £20bn (The Guardian 31/05/06)
Epidural injection death hospital 'sorry' (BBC 30/05/06)
Music 'can reduce chronic pain' (BBC 28/05/06)
Alternative therapies: a lifeline or drain on the health service? (The Scotsman 24/05/06)
Labour MPs support medicinal cannabis use (The Guardian 24/05/06)
European licence for Restless Legs Syndrome drug (BBC news 04/04/06)
Premature babies feel true pain (MedicalNews Today 06/04/06)
Expert nursing jobs under threat (BBC 31/03/06)
Lack Of Specialist Training For Nurses Is Failing Adolescent Cancer Patients, UK (MedicalNewsToday 31/03/06)
Six men in intensive care after drug trial (Reuters 14/03/06)
Hole-in-heart linked to migraine (BBC 13/03/06)
Epidural Steroid Injection Not Useful for Chronic Shingles Pain (Medpagetoday.com 20/01/06)
Cognitive Therapy Helps Ease Back Pain (Forbes.com 20:01:06)
Researchers Identify Key Protein Involved In Neuropathic Pain (Medicalnewstoday.com 16/12/05)
Cannabis drug available in the UK (BBC News 17/11/05)
Fentanyl patch for paediatric pain patients (eurekalert.org 17/11/05)
Cannabis drug promising in rheumatoid arthritis (Reuters 09/11/05)
Right-to-die plans back in Lords (BBC 09/11/05)
Botulinum toxin successfully treats trigeminal neuralgia (news-medical.net 01/11/05)
Pain in the Elderly (IrishHealth.com 27/10/05)
Children's tsar says young are still losing out on pain relief (Guardian 17/10/05)
Molecular basis for phantom pain following spinal cord injury (Yale University 19/09/05)
Positive thinking and pain relief (BBC news 05/09/05)
Self reported chronic pain in school age children (Medical News Today 26/08/05)
Study into Needs of Dying Sikh Patients (Panthic Weekly)
Dame Cicely Saunders,founder of the hospice movement dies. (Telegraph 17/07/05)
Survey highlights need for primary care guidance on NSAID use (Medical News today 11/07/05)
Children in chronic pain need better support, (University of Bath 04/07/05)
Arthritis patients suffer as drugs guidelines ignored (Times on line 06/06/05)
Cannabis pain relief appeal fails (BBC 27/05/05)
Age discrimination in NHS palliative care (BBC 25:05:05)
Low back pain: surgery versus rehabilitation (BMJ 23/05/05) (PDF)
