Cytokine Inflammation Diseases Will Be the Diseases of the 21st Century

Posted on July 31, 2010 by admin

Cytokine (Immune chemical) diseases will become more clear in the ensuing years. Recently Tension headache was associated with higher Interleukin-6 levels. Continue reading →

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High Vitamin D Prevents Pains from Breast Cancer Aromatase Inhibitors – But is Hard to Achieve

Posted on July 31, 2010 by admin

Aromatase Inhibitors are used in post menopausal women to prevent breast cancer recurrence. Aching muscles and joints can be a hazard. High Vitamin D levels help prevent this problem but this is harder to achieve then one would think. Continue reading →

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Shoulder Impingement Much More Than Rotator Cuff – New Treatment Suggestion

Posted on July 31, 2010 by admin

A recent study showed diffuse muscle trigger knots about the shoulder in impingement syndrome, highlighting the fact there is considerable peripheral and central sensitization.  Measures dealing with this disease must deal with these issues. Continue reading →

Posted in shoulder | 2 Comments

Chronic Nonspecific Neck Pain Cut in Half With Just an Epidural Of Local Anesthetic

Posted on July 30, 2010 by admin

Chronic neck pain without a disc protrusion or facet indications (negative blocks) gets no respect. One can have pain from internal disc disruptions in a neck disc and have nothing to show for it. Now it looks like the patient’s pain can be cut in half for months with just injections of local, epidurally. Continue reading →

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Drippy Nose and Nothing Helps? – Soak It With Botox (Botulinum)

Posted on July 26, 2010 by admin

Idiopathic rhinitis is a condition where the nose drips for no reason – it can be resistant to treatment though Botox has been found helpful Continue reading →

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Use of Transcutaneous Nerve Stimulation and Lyrica for Post Herpetic Neuralgia

Posted on July 20, 2010 by admin

TENS became a significant add-on when used with pregabalin for Post-herpetic neuralgia Continue reading →

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Smokers 1.5 times More Back Pain – Does Quitting Become An Effective Treatment?

Posted on July 20, 2010 by admin

This was a large Canadian study and results demonstrated “this association remained significant after controlling for sociodemographics and any lifetime anxiety or mood disorder.”  If smokers back pain dropped to normal after quitting, this would result in a 33% improvement. This is significantly better than the 20% some treatment can manage and might constitute a major objective for pain relief. Continue reading →

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Miracle Treatment – Low Back Post Herpetic (Post Shingles)Neuralgia Treated With Epidural Steroid and Spinal Midazolam Without Local Can Give Significant Relief For Over 3 Months

Posted on July 12, 2010 by admin

Post Herpetic Neuralgia (PHN)  is a horrendous disease with limited options. A group with low back version of this were treated with 60 mg methylprednisolone and 2 mg midazolam in saline epidurally. Note – no local anesthtic block was necessary. Though pains started at near 10/10 on the pain scale, the highest it got after 3 months was 5.5/10. On average, painkiller pill consumption went from 25 tablets/day to 5/day even after 3 months. These results are miraculous and I hope to spread the news. Continue reading →

Posted in post herpetic neuralgia | 1 Comment

How One May Obtain Significant Relief Pain With Over the Counter (OTC) Meds – Using Dextromethorphan

Posted on July 11, 2010 by admin

NOTE – many drugs could be effected by treatment below (and potentially dangerously) and so this should be supervised by your doctor or your pharmacist -especially if on Warfarin. There are rare cases of Dextromethorpan “Benylin cough syrup” dependence mentioned here but cases were usually people with widespread dependency drug issues.

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In the USA, a combination of Dextromethorphan and a drug to prevent its metabolism (quinidine) may have significant non-narcotic pain relieving potential though inhibition of NMDA receptors. It can be easily reproduced with DM cough capsules and grafefruit juice. Continue reading →

Posted in Drugs, Fibromyalgia | 1 Comment

Making Your Own Lidocaine Patches

Posted on July 5, 2010 by admin

Lidocaine patches are ridiculously expensive and yet ridiculously easy to make – here’s how. Continue reading →

Posted in Topical Pain Treatments | 20 Comments

7 day Buprenorphine Patch Lanched in Canada

Posted on June 23, 2010 by admin

Purdue has released their 7 day patch painkiller – where it fits in remains to be seen.

 

Continue reading →

Posted in Drugs | 5 Comments

Could Minocycline/Doxycycline Help Prevent Post herpetic Neuralgia Post Shingles ?

Posted on June 21, 2010 by admin

Glial Cells are immune cells in the nervous system – they have been getting considerable press over their part in activating chronic pain. It has now been suggested that Minocycline (and hence Doxycycline), tetracyclines that suppress glial cells function, could help prevent post herpetic neurralgia (PHN).

Continue reading →

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Alternate Approaches to Post-Herpetic Neuralgia (PHN)

Posted on June 21, 2010 by admin

Post herpetic neuralgia is a terrible disease that can be mitigated by certain measures. There are some old and some new treatments that might be missed: Continue reading →

Posted in post herpetic neuralgia | 3 Comments

Glial Cells Effect Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (in Mice Anyway)

Posted on June 20, 2010 by admin

Injection of wild type glial brain support cells into mutant OCD grooming mice helps abate the mice’ OCD some. Continue reading →

Posted in pain mechanisms | 1 Comment

Steroid Epidurals – Why Some Work And Some Not So Well

Posted on June 13, 2010 by admin

Recent findings demonstrate lying patient with bad side down for 15 minutes can almost double its effectiveness. Continue reading →

Posted in Back Pain, Injection | 2 Comments

Episopic Burning Feet? – Erythromelalgia They Call It – Newer RX

Posted on May 30, 2010 by admin
  • Erythromelalgia (EM) is a syndrome of  burning pain in the feet often accompanied by redness and  warmth,and  often aggravated by heat and exercise. Cold water soaks are the mainstay of treatment. Painkillers are usually ineffective. IV lidocaine and mexelitine hold promise. Some cases are more complex then they seem.

Continue reading →

Posted in Leg Pains | 9 Comments

Sciatica Pain Is Different and Does NOT Respond Much to Pregabalin (Lyrica)

Posted on May 24, 2010 by admin

Recent guidelines for treating Neuropathic pain have drawn extensively from results with Diabetic and Post Herpetic Neuropathy. I have written about how those results cannot be generalized to treatment of Radiculopathy (sciatica either of back or neck).  see here:  Etanercept (Enbrel) for Radiculitis (Sciatica).

Now that Pregabalin has failed to help Lumbosacral radiculopathy, this is more clearly true.

Continue reading →

Posted in Back Pain, radiculitis | 3 Comments

New Tool For Fibromyalgia Diagnosis Clinically

Posted on May 24, 2010 by admin

A series of 6 self-administered questions proved helpful in delineating fibromyalgia risk. A cut-off of 5/6 positive answers “gave the highest rate of correct identification of patients (87.9%), with a sensitivity of 90.5% and a specificity of 85.7%”. Continue reading →

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What Can One Do For Low Glutathione Levels?

Posted on May 13, 2010 by admin

Gluthathione levels decrease by 10-15% per decade – what can one do to help this anti-oxidant? Continue reading →

Posted in pain mechanisms | 1 Comment

Herbals For Diabetic Neuropathy Prevention

Posted on May 12, 2010 by admin

Though ignored by chronic pain groups, Alpha Lipoic Acid, and L acetyl Carnitine have shown promise if taken early in course of diabetic peripheral neuropathy Continue reading →

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Nerve Entrapment in Diabetic (DM) Peripheral Neuropathy – Surgery Helps Foot Ulcers and Charcot Foot Syndrome

Posted on May 12, 2010 by admin

Despite repeated studies demonstrating beneficial effects by Dellon and his contemporaries, resistance to idea of entrapment as being part of DM neuropathy continues. Recent studies demonstrate dramatic results from decompression.

Continue reading →

Posted in neuropathic | 1 Comment

Intranasal Sufentanyl and Buccal Fentanyl for Breakthrough Cancer Pain

Posted on May 11, 2010 by admin

Breakthrough cancer pain occurs at least once in 2/3 of cancer patients. Either morphine sc injections, which require a needle, or fentanyl intranasal, which requires multiple sprays, has been used. Sufentanyl intranasal spray requires much less.

Continue reading →

Posted in Drugs | 1 Comment

Does Itching Between Shoulder Blades Drive You Nuts? – Botox It

Posted on May 10, 2010 by admin

Noctalgia paresthetica is considered nerve damage in between shoulder blades leading to itching in areas. Treatments have not been that satisfactory to date

Continue reading →

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New Treatment of Perineal / Pelvic Pain – Botox to Ganglion Impar

Posted on May 10, 2010 by admin

Sometimes chronic perineal pain comes out of the blue and one could certainly use a secret weapon. Botox to ganglion impar reduced one case of perianal and genital pain from 8/10 to 2-4/10 for months.  Continue reading →

Posted in pelvic | 12 Comments

What Can One Expect From Amitriptyline and Topiramate For Headaches?

Posted on May 1, 2010 by admin

Study compared the two agents and found their effects comparable except topiramate offered better some quality of life Continue reading →

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