Marijuana is known for delivering a good high. But the plant’s uses go well beyond the recreational. Marijuana contains a trove of medicinal compounds whose uses we are just now discovering.
Palliative radiation therapy can improve a cancer patient’s life, by alleviating pain and other symptoms. Unfortunately, some doctors associate the term with end-of-life care and fail to refer people.
David Farmer, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
The brain itself can’t actually feel pain. It can’t sense damage to itself the way your finger can. We know this because people can have brain surgery while they are totally awake.
Ambulance call-outs associated with the misuse of pregabalin (Lyrica) have increased tenfold in Victoria since 2012, mirroring an increase in prescription rates.
People who use painkillers for non-medical reasons often justify it as a form of self-medication for legitimate medical diagnoses such as depression, anxiety and stress.
Researchers are exploring the genetic differences that dictate why some people suffer greater pain than others, and how to translate these findings into personalized pain treatments.
Doctors tend to overestimate how good their treatments are and underestimate the harms that come from them. But many studies have shown knee arthroscopy to no more effective than fake surgery.
Ouch! Who hasn’t felt the effects of a paper cut and then cursed the gods or themselves for the injury? But have you ever wondered why they hurt so much? A professor of family medicine explains why.
Most countries need to find a happy balance between the American attitude that all pain needs to be cured – and the ethos in other countries that pain is to be endured.
Tao Che, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Scientists have taken atomic resolution snapshots of an opioid receptor interacting with a drug. Now they are using these images to design “biased” opioids that block pain without the dangerous side effects.
As knowledge of pain and the highly addictive nature of opioids has grown, so has the knowledge grown about pain and its origins. A pain specialist explains the intricacies, and how treatment is changing as a result.
Assistant Professor, University of Connecticut School of Nursing; Assistant Director, UCONN Center for Advancement in Managing Pain, University of Connecticut