During their first physician visit, patients experiencing newly diagnosed chronic musculoskeletal pain are prescribed opioids more often than physical therapy, counseling, and other nonpharmacologic approaches, according to new research. The study, published in the Journal of Pain, included authors from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), part of the National Institutes of… Continue reading Patients with Newly Diagnosed Musculoskeletal Pain Are Prescribed Opioids More Often than Recommended
Tag: opiods
Breast Cancer Surgery: Avoiding or Minimizing Postoperative Nausea
In the first 24 to 48 hours following surgery, about one-third of patients undergoing surgery with general anesthesia suffer post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Some patients find PONV more unpleasant and distressing than post-operative pain, making PONV a common problem that should not be dismissed as unimportant by patients, surgeons, and anesthesiologists. We can’t always… Continue reading Breast Cancer Surgery: Avoiding or Minimizing Postoperative Nausea
Scientists Take a Big Step Toward Building a Better Opioid
For the first time, scientists at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and collaborators solved the crystal structure of the activated kappa opioid receptor bound to a morphine derivative. They then created a new drug-like compound that activates only that receptor, a key step in the development of new pain medications. A release… Continue reading Scientists Take a Big Step Toward Building a Better Opioid
A Frightening Epidemic among Middle-Class Americans
There’s a new epidemic among white, middle-aged Americans, according to a recent study from Princeton University. The number of deaths from drugs and alcohol; suicide; chronic liver disease; and cirrhosis have increased to the point where the number of deaths are comparable to the number of Americans who have died of AIDS, according to the… Continue reading A Frightening Epidemic among Middle-Class Americans