Pain Inhibiting Circuits – Neuropathic Pain – Good Gone Bad?

Posted on December 22, 2008 by admin

Your body has a set of circuits to shut off pain – your endophin circuits, except in the spinal cord the endophins are called “enkaphalins” and are chemically built a bit different.  The pain inhibiting spinal circuits i.e. the “descending pain modulatory pathway” go from the brainstem rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) via the dorsolateral funiculus (DLF).  Now it appears cells in this RVM can either prevent or facilitate pain. Continue reading →

Posted in neuropathic, pain mechanisms | Leave a comment

On Tamoxifen? Beware of Some Anti-depressants – but only in 7%

Posted on December 14, 2008 by admin

Certain anti-depressants are used in chronic pain because of their painkiller effects.

Women with prior Ca. of Breast can end up on a drug called tamoxifen to help prevent recurrences. Tamoxifen has to be convered in the body by a system called cytochrome CYP2D to a drug called endoxifen. Certain anti-depressants inhibit this conversion. A recent article suggests this is can make tamoxifen more ineffective. Continue reading →

Posted in breast cancer | Leave a comment

Advanced Disc Degeneration Still Very Painful

Posted on December 7, 2008 by admin

Article states “there has been a belief that DD initially causes pain because of the penetration of fluid nuclear material through annular fissures, and that pain eventually resolves as the nucleus becomes fibrotic and can no longer penetrate the fissures”. These old  discs image “black” and a felt to be more painfree – yet the  reverse is true.  Continue reading →

Posted in Back Pain, Neck | Leave a comment

Diabetic Have More Muscle Pains

Posted on December 7, 2008 by admin

Diabetics are 1.6 times more likely to have chronic musculoskeletal complaints yet in non-diabetics, a high random glucose is associated with less complaints. Continue reading →

Posted in myofascial pain, neuropathic | Leave a comment

Multiple Allergies, Hives and Abdominal Pain – Think Mastocytosis

Posted on December 7, 2008 by admin

I have seen cases of severe Irritable Bowel, combined with allergies and hives, that require multiple medications to control and are disabled from symptoms. These cases are discarded by gastroenterologists yet might represent a systemic disease called Mastocytosis. Continue reading →

Posted in Abdominal pain, mast cell disease, skin | 3 Comments

Trigeminal Neuralgia

Posted on November 25, 2008 by admin

Listened to talk by Dr. Anthony Kaufman.He does probably the largest amount of Trigeminal nerve microvascular decompressions in Canada (~50/year) and helps run the Winnipeg Centre for Gamma Knife Surgery.
He has a web site with detailed descriptions here
Here are some points made: Continue reading →

Posted in Trigeminal Neuralgia | 8 Comments

When to Use Opioids in Chronic Headaches

Posted on November 23, 2008 by admin

Afraid the “College” will get on your back for giving opioids to someone with chronic headaches? Can’t get your doctor to listen that you have no quality of life with your headaches? Well here are some guidelines (Not rules – so can be stretched) that might help you in selected cases Continue reading →

Posted in Drugs, Headaches | 1 Comment

? Obturator Neuralgia Needing Help

Posted on November 19, 2008 by admin

(email kept anonymous)

I have had 4 inguinal hernia surgerys an nerves where cut I have chronic pain, all day long . I have burning sharp tender pain where I was cut in my iner thigh. My right testicle is numb and pain runs down my leg. My pain management Dr . meds helps a little. I can’t take the pain; is there something I can do ? I need help really bad!!!!

First thing seems to me, to be what nerves are damaged? Continue reading →

Posted in neuropathic, post herpetic neuralgia | Leave a comment

Chiari-Syringomyelia Resources

Posted on November 16, 2008 by admin

This is a disorder with brain outlet crowding and cysts in the spinal cord. Having this condition means that you likely will be treated very poorly by the medical community because imaging is poor and people don’t want to believe your symptoms. The signs of myelopathy (spinal damage) that one can have can be very non-specific – gait issues, somewhat hyperactive reflexes etc. which can be discounted. I have on brave soul who was wheelchair bound before she received much help- and only then with help she received from th Chiari Institute in Florida. She put together a list of resources she found helpful and I have included them here verbatum: Continue reading →

Posted in chiari syringomyelia | 5 Comments

Calcific Tendonitis Shoulder – Puncture as Good as Puncture/Aspiration

Posted on November 16, 2008 by admin

Calcification seen in the Supraspinatus tendon with tendonitis is by tradition treated by puncture and aspiration of the calcific deposits. I never met anyone who did it.  Now, it appears just puncturing the deposit and steroid injection into the deposit is enough to ensure long term benefit. Continue reading →

Posted in shoulder | 1 Comment

Migraines More Common in Celiac Disease (Which Could Still Have Normal Biopsy)

Posted on November 15, 2008 by admin

5.5 % of children with migraine were found to have elevated tTGA antibodies. They were considered Potential Celiac Disease [CD] despite normal duodenal biopsies. It is suggested “These patients might develop villous atrophy on repeated biopsies performed 1–4 years later and should be followed up closely.” Continue reading →

Posted in celiac, Headaches | Leave a comment

Would Basal Body Temperature Manipulation Help Fibromyaglia(FM)?

Posted on November 11, 2008 by admin

Subjects with Fibromyalgia have lower basal body temperatures even though “controls and patients were matched for physical activity level” in one study. Lower free T3 levels, found in some FM subjects in the study, affected pressure pain threshold (p = 0.034). I am left to wonder if bringing the basal body temperature up to “normal” with thyroid would impact pain and fatigue. Continue reading →

Posted in Fibromyalgia | 1 Comment

Post-Stretococcus Reactive Arthritis – Poorly Diagnosed Treatable Chronic Pain

Posted on November 11, 2008 by admin

I have become aware of two cases of chronic pain following a Stretococcal infection. This could be a flavour of an Ankylosing Spondylitis with sacroiliits being a prime factor. As a matter of fact in those patients with persistently elevated Antistretolysin titers (ASO titers) suggestive of chronic strep infection, “Most of the subjects with high ASO titer had unclassified or undifferentiated arthritis.” Continue reading →

Posted in Rheumatic | 9 Comments

Regina Fibromyaglia Group

Posted on November 8, 2008 by admin

Monthly Support Meetings at:

Linda’s Sugar & Nails

Rosemont Shopping Centre

5010 – 4th Ave., Regina
First Thursday every month 7:30 PM

contact # – 522-8686

Posted in Regina Pain News | Leave a comment

Got Crohn’s? – May Have Spine Arthritis Too

Posted on November 7, 2008 by admin

Recent MRI study of crohn’s colitis patients found 17/44 cases had evidence to sacroiliitis and 11 of these had back pain. HLA B27 is seen in 10% of the population. If present in any of the crohn’s patients (were in 7) – they all had sacroiliitis. This means that 11/44 = 25% of Crohn’s patients will have spine arthritis which is over twice the rate in the normal population. There are significant delays in diagnosis. Continue reading →

Posted in Abdominal pain, Back Pain, Rheumatic | 3 Comments

Fibromyalgia (FM) Tragic Misdiagnosis – Myotonic Dystrophy Type 2 and Cervical Spinal Stenosis or Myelopathy – New Treatments as Result

Posted on November 3, 2008 by admin

Since they have found the gene for Myotonic Dystrophy, they have found a subgroup not having that gene but having another gene deficit instead that is associated with milder disease. Randomly selecting Fibromyalgia cases found 2/63 cases though none of 200 controls had the gene. Another subgroup of FM patients have been found to have cervical spinal stenosis and surgery helps them. A cervical implanted stimulator is also getting good results in FM. Continue reading →

Posted in Fibromyalgia, Mechanical aids | 6 Comments

Nerve Pain? – 21st Century Gene Therapy

Posted on November 1, 2008 by admin

Since the early 2000’s experiments gene therapy experiments have been done on rodents using a non-replicating (Not growing) version of Herpesvirus (cold sore virus). The virus’s genetic machinery has been altered so it makes ingredients for enkephalins (spine cord morphine-like produced agent) or similar. When injected into a painful nerve segment, the virus ascends to the spinal dorsal root ganglion where it alters the cells there to make pro-enkephalins leading to significant relief for 3-7 weeks. Now human trials are scheduled for China Continue reading →

Posted in neuropathic | Leave a comment

Ounce of Prevention is a Pound of Cure For Neuropathic Pain

Posted on October 29, 2008 by admin

Chronic administration of minocycline (a tetracycline antibiotic) started 7 days prior to nerve injury prevented neuropathic pain in the animal model – This offers exciting possibilities for preventing post surgical pain conditions. Continue reading →

Posted in neuropathic | 3 Comments

New Arthritis Pain Option – Botox It

Posted on October 29, 2008 by admin

For some years, they were finding Botox into ankle, shoulder and hip joints was giving pain relief. Now injecting Botox 25 u into a thumb Metacarpal-phalangeal and 50 – 100 units into cervical facet joints gives a similar result. Continue reading →

Posted in arthritis | 2 Comments

Irritable Bowel – Possible Missed Protozoan Disease With Treatment

Posted on October 27, 2008 by admin

It has been known for some time that bacterial overgrowth is a common cause/aggravation of irritable bowel. Now further concern Blastocystis Hominis and Dientamoeba fragilis infections are not being reported because labs are restricting their search for Amoebiasis and Giardiasis – but only with one stool which is suboptimal. Continue reading →

Posted in Abdominal pain | Leave a comment

Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PR) – What can Help?

Posted on October 27, 2008 by admin

Prednisone dosage for the PR is a major concern. Initial dosages can be 20 mg daily, decreased 50% at 21 weeks. The accumulative dose is dangerous for osteoporosis, weight gain, hypertension and heart disease. Methotrexate at 7.5 mg weekly failed to reduce this accumulative dose though 10 mg did help. Now Etanercept (Enbrel) shows useful promise. Continue reading →

Posted in arthritis | 5 Comments

Possible Cure for Parkinson and Central Pains – Gamma Knife the Thalamus

Posted on October 25, 2008 by admin

Gamma knife (GK) thalamotomy was used in cases of pain with Parkinson disease and other central pains.”A clinical success rate of approximately 80% with negligible complications” was achieved. Continue reading →

Posted in central & spinal | Leave a comment

Got a Sinus Infection? Try a Migraine Triptan.

Posted on October 25, 2008 by admin

Cases with “sinus headaches” but negative workup were found to respond to tripans used for migraines 82% of time. 31% cases didn’t by into idea migraine and refused to be part of the study from the start – maybe, however, there is a middle ground… Continue reading →

Posted in Headaches | Leave a comment

Bacterial Overgrowth causing Chronic Pancreatitis and Rosacea – New treatment? And, for elderly, a quick way to get rid of lactose intolerance

Posted on October 25, 2008 by admin

Chronic pancreatitis is a disease associated with recurrent abdominal pains, and malabsorption with possible steatorhea (fatty looking stools), bloating, intermittent diarrhea. A recent study found Small Intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in 14/15 cases and suggested treatment would help those symptoms. In another study, SIBO is common in Rosacea and eradication led to “almost complete regression of their cutaneous lesions and maintained this excellent result for at least 9 months.” Half of elderly have lactose intolerance and treating them for bacterial overgrowth can cure it. Continue reading →

Posted in Abdominal pain | 2 Comments

Hamstring Syndrome of Tethered Sciatic Nerve – Newer Entity With Surgical Treatment

Posted on October 21, 2008 by admin


This syndrome comprises of pain in the gluteal region radiating down thigh to the posterior knee popliteal fossa. It is associated with hamstring weakness. A series of 43 cases were found in athletes and surgically rectified. This resulted in a 75% satisfaction rate. Continue reading →

Posted in Leg Pains, piriformis, radiculitis | 12 Comments