Gaining control of chronic pain by turning it off may be in future...

Persons with chronic pain disorders know that regular discomfort is a part of every day life. And while we all know that there are some ways to manage that discomfort, it is ever present. Wouldn't it be great if there was a way to just...turn if off? The exciting news I have for you today is...maybe someday in the future it will be possible to do just that!

About a year ago, researchers at the University of Saint Louis discovered that pain pathways originating in the brain could be the key. According to their findings, if a certain chemical receptor in the brain and spinal cord was turned on, the pain pathways in animal models of chronic neuropathic pain were turned off. Activation of the A3 receptor was accomplished using a naturally occurring substance known as adenosine. Synthetic molecules developed by NIH were also tested during the study.

The beauty of using a system such as this is that there are no risks of analgesic tolerance or intrinsic
rewards in contrast to opioids, which are a current standard of treatment. It's still too early to tell where this research will lead us, but let's remain optimistic!

Sources: Newswise; Flickr

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Living with Chronic pain hits the big screen!

Been to the movies lately? Jennifer Aniston is on the big screen in a recent release titled "Cake." Her character, Claire is a victim of chronic pain...she belongs to a support group, where all of the members are coming to terms with the suicide of one of their members. Of course, she also takes pain medication and addiction is another of her problems...and of course there's more! I guess I am writing this post just to bring readers' attention to the fact that Hollywood has become aware of the crisis that is chronic pain. This movie is a testament to that. People that don't have to live with this kind of pain don't fully understand the whole story. Maybe this movie will shed some light on the issues. Here is the official trailer for the movie: Sources: prweb;NorthJersey.com;YouTube

The Multimodal Approach to Pain Management

OK..so if you've been following this blog you will notice that there are a good number of ideas to help manage chronic pain. You might ask yourself, "Which one of these ideas is best for me ?" I would suggest that you might try any number of these things, depending on your level of ability/disability, health care team recommendations, and your personal interests. There are a number of reasons for doing this: 1) The patient is in control..with few exceptions, it is your decision what to try/not try and how many different things you want to experiment with at any time. 2) Non drug pain management ideas do not have any of the drug interactions or side effects that medications have. You may have to set limits or modify activity according to personal circumstances, but usually it does not hurt to try any of them. 3)You usually do not need a prescription for most of the ideas I have described. There are a few exceptions, such as physical therapy. There ...

Beware Of The Tick!

It's tick season, everyone! And while we all know about Lyme Disease and its lingering effects, a new problem has entered the scene. According to the CDC, the Powassan virus is another tick-borne disease that has recently been recognized. The CDC says symptoms become apparent anywhere from one week to one month after infection. Symptoms include vomiting, weakness, confusion, loss of coordination, problems with speech and seizures. Approximately half of those infected by this virus have permanent neurological symptoms, which can include muscle wasting, problems with memory, and recurrent headaches. Many people who have been infected with Powassan virus required hospitalization and sometimes even respiratory support (i.e., a respirator). Treatment is focused on supportive measures. In the meantime, preventive measures are the best way to avoid Lyme disease, Powassan virus , or any other tick-borne virus. You can read more about preventive measures by clicking here . Sour...

Everyday pain management ideas

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