Chronic Opioid Therapy and Spinal Fusion

Findings from new research conducted at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center conclude that long-term opioid therapy is associated with an increased risk of complications following spinal surgery. Lead author Safdar Kahn, MD,  an orthopedic spine surgeon at Wexner Medical Center’s...

Impacting Diverting: It Can Be Done

Jeremy A. Adler, MS, PA-C, of Pacific Pain Medicine Consultants, emphasizes the importance of the patient/practitioner conversation about the importance of drug safety. Communication and safety are key.

The argument that we need to educate providers more is an argument that could always be made...

Another Indication for Amitriptyline: Managing Chronic Neck Pain

The efficacy of amitriptyline (Elavil® and others) has been established for a variety of pain conditions, but has been understudied for the management of chronic neck pain (CNP), the optimal treatment approach for which has remained controversial. A new study supported by the Council of Research of...

Managing Chronic Pain: Should You Start with Opioids or Nonopioids?

In a step to address the dearth of clinical research on opioid therapy for chronic pain, a new long-term study finds no advantages to opioid medications over nonopioids for the management of pain from hip or knee osteoarthritis or chronic back pain. Lead author Erin Krebs, MD, MPH, with the...

Reducing Medication Burden While Managing Chronic Pain

Per the department of Health and Human Services, opioid related overdose deaths have increased almost 400% over the last 18 years. This shift has yielded heightened scrutiny of prescribing practices, and opioids have subsequently fallen out of favor as a first-line treatment for chronic pain. In...

Can a Failed Osteoarthritis Drug Have Other Pain Management Uses?

Although human trials of a new compound developed by Eli Lily and Co. for the treatment of osteoarthritis failed to demonstrate efficacy, the drug may still have substantial utility in the pain management armamentarium. Findings from a study conducted by researchers from Indiana University suggest...

Abuse Deterrent Technologies to Minimize Opioid Abuse

Although opioids remain an important tool in aiding the management of pain in the United States, the balance between the potential benefits and harms must be considered. Some specific harms are manifested in the abuse of opioids for nonmedical purposes. The primary access to prescribable opioids for...

Short-Term Pain Management: New Opioid Alternative, Therapeutic Option

In a press release issued last week, KemPharm, Inc., announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its New Drug Application for Apadaz for the short-term management of acute pain severe enough to warrant an opioid analgesic and for which alternate treatments have been inadequate...

Treating Major Depression with Ketamine: Not Just an Anesthetic?

A review conducted by researchers from the National Institute of Mental Health concludes that ketamine and similar drugs may offer an innovative approach to treating severe and refractory depression. Terming the potential a “paradigm shift” in depression therapy, the authors report that ketamine...

Medications for Concussion? Maybe Not...

A retrospective analysis conducted at University of Utah Health has concluded that commonly prescribed medications for concussion sufferers have little positive impact on severity of symptoms, or the course of recovery. Presenting author Venessa Lee, MD, resident in physical medicine and...