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The American Pain Foundation

January Pain Monitor

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PAIN MONITOR

January 2008

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The Pain Monitor is a monthly electronic publication of the American Pain

Foundation. We want to keep you abreast of recent media attention given to

topics that are related to pain care or living with pain. Below are links to

news articles, feature stories and timely information that have come to our

attention. Please pass them along to others who might benefit. We urge you

to send any comments you may have to the authors or publisher directly.

Every voice counts when working towards improving pain care in our nation.

THE NEWS

FDA Warns Of Severe Bone, Muscle Pain With Bone Drugs

A class of osteoporosis drugs may cause severe and sometimes debilitating

pain, the FDA warned Monday. The drugs, bisphosphonates, already carry

warning labels about painful side effects, but some doctors still fail to

consider whether the treatments are responsible for extreme pain in

patients, the agency said.

CNN Health Minute Video: Support Groups Reduce Stress, Pain

Support groups offer emotional help following the diagnosis of an illness.

Study: Whites More Likely to Get Opioids in ER

Emergency room doctors are prescribing strong opioids more often to patients

who complain of pain, but minorities are less likely to get them than

whites, a new study finds.

Dual Therapy Improves Endometriosis Pain Control

Hormone suppression and diet therapy can relieve pain in women with

endometriosis who undergo conservative therapy, according to a report in the

medical journal Fertility and Sterility.

Faulty Wiring Mystifies Mechanics and Doctors Alike

Patients with neuralgia, a type of chronic pain caused by nerve damage are

laid low by pain in various locations, but medical exams and tests often

show no cause.

Brain Response Differences Found in the Way Women with IBS Anticipate and

React to Pain

A University of California Los Angeles study found brain response

differences in the way women with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) anticipate

and react to pain compared to women without IBS; findings may lead to a new

understanding of disorder and novel treatment approaches.

Disorder Puts Patients in Cycle of Pain

Characterized by chronic pain without apparent cause or specific treatment,

reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome, or RSD, can strike at any age.

Arthritis Knows No Age

More than 40 million Americans are affected by some form of arthritis, and

many have chronic pain that limits daily activity. While many people think

of arthritis as a disease common to elders, one of every 100 child under the

age of 18 is afflicted with joint pain.

Constipation Most Common Cause Of Children's Abdominal Pain

A new study showed that acute and chronic constipation together accounted

for nearly half of all cases of acute abdominal pain in children treated at

one hospital.

Crohn's Disease Different in Boys than in Girls

Crohn's disease tends to be more severe in girls than in boys, but boys with

the disorder are more prone to stunted growth, new research suggests.

Pain Relief for Some, With an Odd Tradeoff

For people with chronic pain, relief comes with a tradeoff. Bed rest means

missing out on life. Drugs take the edge off, but they also dull the senses

and the mind. But there's another potential option: implantable stimulators

that blunt pain with electrical impulses, but the tradeoff is living with a

low-grade buzzing sensation in place of the pain.

Not So Painful Truth About Non-Chronic Addiction

University of Wisconsin researchers found that less than 4 percent of people

who use opiates to control chronic pain became addicted. Physician

Brody applauds the conclusion that " the risk of addiction is not high enough

to counter the value of opiate medications prescribed by primary care

physicians. "

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

paineurope Journal

paineurope is a quarterly journal that is distributed to over 15 countries

within Europe. The website provides access to information for both patients

and healthcare professionals. It aims to offer everyone a better

understanding of pain and its management, and help provide support to

patients and their families.

Research: Video Games Better Than Drugs For Chronic Pain

Games may be more effective than drugs for treating chronic pain sufferers,

says an Australian professor studying the therapeutic benefits of virtual

reality technology.

APF NEWS

Power Over Pain Action Network Leaders Making a Difference

Carol Rains, a Power Over Pain Action Network Leader from Washington State,

was recognized by APF's Pain Community Advisory Council (PCAC) and received

a Patient Advocacy Award. Dan O'Neal, fellow POPAN Leader (Oregon) and PCAC

member, presented her award during the Second Annual POP Action Network

Training in November, 2007. O'Neal applauds " her persistence in helping

people in need - even though she has so much pain, she puts that all aside

to push forward. " Maggie Buckley, PCAC Co-Chair and Treasurer of the APF

Board of Directors, explained they were " so impressed with Carol's

accomplishments that it was deemed necessary to acknowledge her proven track

record as an APF volunteer within POPAN. " Carol is pictured here with her

husband, caregiver, and fellow state POPAN leader, Rains.

POLICY & ADVOCACY

Issue of Drugs and Pain Strikes a Nerve

Washington state became a battlefront in the pain war earlier this year when

a group of state agency medical directors issued voluntary guidelines to

physicians for prescribing opioids for noncancer pain. Power Over Pain

Action Network Leader Dionetta Hudzinski and other pain advocates are

mentioned. Click here to read APF's position statement.

SPOTLIGHT ON PAIN

Cancer Pain

Controlling Cancer Pain: What You Need to Know to Get Relief

Cancer Care has updated their booklet to provide you with the latest

information and practical tips about how best to address cancer pain

concerns.

Military/Veterans

Internet-Based Treatment For Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Shows Potential

An eight-week program of self-management cognitive behavior therapy

delivered over the Internet to U.S. military service members produced

greater reductions in posttraumatic stress disorder and depression than did

Internet-based supportive counseling. Abstract

Pain Treatment in the Field: Good for Soldiers' Comfort and Better for

Rebuilding Troop Strength

Noncombat-related acute and recurrent chronic pain are the leading causes of

soldier attrition in modern war, with the return-to-duty rate as low as 2

percent when these soldiers are treated outside the theaters of operation.

However, that rate jumps to 95 percent when troops and officers are treated

and managed for pain in the field of instead of being sent elsewhere for

therapy.

Pain at the End of Life

End-of-Life Care: The Management of Pain in Palliative Medicine

The end stage of life often is characterized with pain and suffering. As the

most experienced and feared symptom at the end of life, pain is often

undertreated, even though it can be controlled in the vast majority of

cases. Healthcare professionals should have a better understanding of the

objectives of palliative care and options available for patients and

caregivers when treating patients at the end of life.

SCIENCE & MEDICINE

Myths About Morphine May Limit Its Use

A study in the journal ls of Oncology examined the beliefs cancer

patients hold about using opioids for pain relief. The study stated that,

" Cancer patients are suffering unnecessarily because they wrongly believe

that morphine and other opioids are only used as 'comfort for the dying' and

as a 'last resort' rather than seeing them as legitimate pain killers that

can improve their quality of life. " Abstract

Physicians Gain New Tool To Better Manage Acute And Chronic Pain

The Federation of State Medical Boards Research and Education Foundation

(FSMB) is offering every physician a new handbook to help them better manage

patients' acute or chronic pain. Responsible Opioid Prescribing: A

Physician's Guide offers real-world explanations and practical strategies

that address issues of undertreatment of pain, risk of prescription drug

abuse and improved patient care.

COMPLEMENTARY/ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

Massage May Help Ease Pain And Anxiety After Surgery

A 20-minute back massage can reduce the pain and anxiety of patients

recovering from major surgery, research has shown. The report noted that in

the past, massage was routine for post-surgical patients. But because

healthcare systems have become more complex and administrative demands on

nurses have increased, the massage has fallen by the wayside.

Hypnosis Is Getting a New Image

Hypnosis continues to be a proactive way to defeat bad habits and chronic

pain.

Tibetan Meditation to Treat PTSD in Research Project

Researchers at Miami and Ohio State universities are investigating the

impact of Tibetan meditation on victims of post-traumatic stress disorder

(PTSD) with a test group in Columbus, Ohio.

EN ESPANOL

Culebrilla: Esperanza en la Investigación

http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/trastornos/culebrilla.htm

La misión de NINDS es reducir la carga de los trastornos neurológicos, una

carga que puede afectar a personas de todas las edades, cada segmento de la

sociedad y de todo el mundo. La sección sobre culebrilla incluye información

general, los riesgos, los síntomas y tratamiento.

Shingles: Hope Through Research

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/shingles/detail_shingles.htm (English)

http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/trastornos/culebrilla.htm (Spanish)

The NINDS section about Shingles includes general information and an

overview of risks, symptoms and treatment.

WEBSITE OF THE MONTH

Hospice and Caregiving Blog

The Hospice Foundation of America provides the blog with the goal of

gathering and disseminating information useful to professionals and

consumers from a single destination. The goals are to inform, offer support,

and generate online comments about important end-of life issues, including

pain management.

RESOURCES & OPPORTUNITIES

Lawful Prescribing & Prevention of Diversion: A Balanced Approach to

Controlled Substances

A monograph that discusses the importance for physicians to know when

opioids might be useful, knowhow to prescibe them safely and understand the

regulatory structure that surrounds the controlled substances that are being

prescribed.

The Assessment of Pain in Older People

This concise, 17-page guideline was developed in conjunction with the Royal

College of Physicians, the British Pain Society, and the British Geriatrics

Society. They reviewed current evidence in the literature to produce sound

guidance for all practitioners in assessing the presence of pain in the

elderly. Numerous pain rating scales and other tools especially applicable

to this population of patients are provided.

UPCOMING EVENTS

January 24, 2008

Press Conference Unveiling " The Fibromyalgia Pledge to Care "

9:00 am - 10:00 am

National Press Club

Washington, DC

The National Fibromyalgia Association will be presenting Ambassador L.

Bremer III (former Presidential Envoy to Iraq) and his wife, Frances

Winfield Bremer, as the new spokespersons to unveil " The Fibromyalgia Pledge

to Care " which aims to help raise awareness of fibromyalgia and its impact

on the family and the health care system, and advocate for better access to

health care for people with FM.

January 28-29, 2008

Symposium on Music, the Breath & Health: Advances in Integrative Music

Therapy

Beth Israel Medical Center

New York , NY

February 12 - 16, 2008

American Academy of Pain Medicine

24th Annual Meeting

Orlando, FL

February 20-21, 2008

ELNEC Super Core Course

American Association of Nursing & City of Hope

Newport Beach, CA

February 27-29, 2008

Initiative for Pediatric Palliative Care Regional Education Retreat

Children's Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition & Southern California

Pediatric Palliative Care Network

Lake Arrowhead, CA

March 7-9, 2008

Miami Headache Symposium

Miami, FL

March 15, 2008

Emerging Issues in the Art and Science of Pain & Symptom Management

Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care, Beth Israel Medical Center

New York, NY

VOICES OF PEOPLE WITH PAIN

APF's First Pain and Creativity Exhibit

We thank all the artists for their incredible works of art, their courage,

and their hope. APF's online exhibit highlights the works of art chosen by

our volunteer jury. These pieces are beautiful and heartfelt and they

represent a small portion of the many, many wonderful works of art

submitted. See all the submissions or contribute your own art to the ongoing

Pain and Creativity Center.

" The beauty of the world has two edges, one of laughter, one of anguish,

cutting the heart asunder. "

~ Virginia Woolf

PainAid Online Support

Join our vibrant community and share discussion and your personal stories

with others affected by pain. Here you will find: Conference Rooms

(regularly scheduled chats on a range of issues); Discussion Boards

(threaded message boards on a broad range of topics); and Ask the Expert

feature (pose questions to licensed healthcare professionals). PainAid is

staffed by highly qualified volunteers with a range of backgrounds, all of

whom either live with chronic pain or care for people who do. Visit PainAid!

Be sure to check out the VOICES section of our website! New personal

stories are added weekly!

Thank you to our medical/science editor, J. Vicente Ph.D., ABPP.

Share with us how you'd like to get involved and ways you might be able to

contribute your voice and skills to our joint efforts by completing our

online Advocacy Survey. We welcome your participation and look forward to

working with you!

The American Pain Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization that

relies upon private donations to fund its programs, services, and

distribution of educational materials. There are millions of people who live

with unrelieved chronic pain. If you can help, please make a donation to the

American Pain Foundation. For other ways you can support APF's work, please

visit our website at www.painfoundation.org.

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