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Arthritis – Nervous System and Nerve Growth Factors Have a Major Role

June 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment

In an experimental study conducted in arthritic rats, the researchers at McGill university, Canada have found that the nervous system and nerve-growth factor (NGF) play a major role in arthritis.

The study by Longo and colleaguse has been published by Journal of Neuroscience. online on June 12,2013.

Adequate treatments for arthritis are yet to come and existing therapies are not without serious side effect. An effective treatment can be developed only when the process of arthritis is well understood.

Present study determined the importance of nervous system and nerve-growth factor in pain behavior of arthritis.

The findings also support the idea that reducing elevated levels of NGF – a protein that promotes the growth and survival of nerves, but also causes pain may be an important strategy for developing treatment of arthritis pain.

The researchers  examined inflammatory arthritis in the ankle joint of rats to look for  changes in the nerves and tissues around the arthritic joint.

They did this  by using specific markers to label the different types of nerve fibres and allow them to be visualized with a fluorescence microscope.

Normally, sympathetic nerve fibers regulate blood flow in blood vessels. Following the onset of arthritis in the rats, however, these fibers began to sprout into the inflamed skin over the joint and wrap around the pain-sensing nerve fibers instead. More sympathetic fibers were detected in the arthritic joint tissues, as well.

The results also showed a higher level in the inflamed skin of nerve growth factor

The researchers also found that on blocking fibers’ function, a reduction in pain was noticed.

Drugs that aim at preventing the production of elevated levels of NGF in arthritic rats may help in treatment of the condition.

Source

  1. Study points to role of nervous system in arthritis, McGill Press Newsroom.
  2. G. Longo, M. Osikowicz, A. Ribeiro-da-Silva. Sympathetic Fiber Sprouting in Inflamed Joints and Adjacent Skin Contributes to Pain-Related Behavior in Arthritis. Journal of Neuroscience, 2013; 33 (24): 10066
    DOI:10.1523/%u200BJNEUROSCI.5784-12.2013, Abstract
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Neurostimulation Reduces Need For Opoid Drugs in Chronic Pain – Guidelines Issued

June 11, 2013 by Leave a Comment

International Guidance on Using Neurostimulation Announced

Neuromodulation Appropriateness Consensus Committee (NACC) comprising of more than 60 leading pain specialists, has created the first consensus guidelines for the use of neurostimulation in chronic pain.

Neurostimulation is field  of pain therapy that treats nerves with electrical stimulation rather than drugs.

The most common form of neurostimulation is  spinal cord stimulation (SCS). The therapy uses thin electrical leads which are placed under the  skin along the spinal cord. These leads are connected to a compact pulse generator that sends mild current along the leads.

This results into elicit a natural biological response and limit pain messages sent to the brain. [Read more...]

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Weather Does Not Affect Pain or Fatigue in Fibromyalgia

June 8, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Fibromyalgia affects about 2% of world population with women being affected more than men. Previous studies had been suggestive that weather changes may affect the symptoms of fibromyalgia but a Dutch research has reported that temperature, sunshine, and precipitation have no impact on fibromyalgia symptoms in female patients.

The study has been published in Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.

The cause of fibromyalgia is not known a mystery. Previous studies had found an uncertain association between weather conditions and changes in fibromyalgia symptoms.

The present 333 female patients with fibromyalgia pain syndrome in the study. The average age of participants was 47 years. patients had the diagnosis of fibromyalgia for nearly 2 years.
[Read more...]

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Regular Opioid Pain Killer use Linked To Erectile Dysfunction in Men

May 16, 2013 by Leave a Comment

In a newly published research published in May issue of Spine, it has been reported that persons who regularly take opoid painkillers are associated with higher risk of erectile dysfunction.

The study  was a cross-sectional analysis of electronic medical and pharmacy records.

Electronic records of 11327 males with back pain  were studied  to find out if the men taking prescription painkillers were more likely to also receive prescriptions for testosterone replacement or ED medications.

Opioid use was categorized as

  • “none” for men who did not receive a prescription for opioids
  • “acute” for men who took opioids for three months or less
  • “episodic” for men who took opioids for more than three months, but less than four months and with fewer than 10 refills
  •  “long-term” for men who took opioids (a) for at least four months or (b) for more than three months with 10 or more refills.

Anything more than 120 mg of morphine equivalent was categorized as high-dose use. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Back Pain, News, Pain Management Tagged With: , , , ,

Fibromyalgia Drugs Help But Side-effects are Problem – New Cochrane Study

February 24, 2013 by Leave a Comment

A new review published in Cochrane Library has reported that serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) reduce pain, improve quality life but people are more likely to stop medication because of side effects.

The review by Hauser and colleagues is based on 10 studies with up to 6038 people and has been published on January 13, 2013.

Out of 10 included, 5 studies investigated duloxetine against placebo, and five investigated milnacipran against placebo. Both the drugs are SNRIs.

Fibromyalgia syndrome results in chronic widespread pain, sleep problems and fatigue.

At present, there is no treatment available which would cure fibromyalgia syndrome. [Read more...]

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Diclofenac Raises Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases

February 15, 2013 by 1 Comment

The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac has been found to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular complications.

This has been reported by a study authored by Patricia McGettigan and David Henry, published in journal PLOS Medicine on Feb 12 2013.

Diclofenacis listed on the essential medicine list of 74 countries.

The authors have reported a risk similar to that by rofecoxib, a drug withdrawn from worldwide markets because of cardiovascular toxicity. [Read more...]

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Fibromyalgia Underdiagnosed Especially In Male Patients

December 28, 2012 by Leave a Comment

A population based study done at Mayo Clinic’s Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota has reported that fibromyalgia may be more common than previously thought and that most fibromyalgia ases are not being diagnosed.

A first of its kind, the study was done by Ann Vincent and colleagues to compare the prevalence of diagnosed fibromyalgia to the general population prevalence of people reporting symptoms that met the updated 2010 American College of Rheumatology.

The article has been published online November 30 in Arthritis Care & Research. [Read more...]

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Pain Relief From Placebo Affected By Personality

November 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment

A new study by University of Michigan neuroscience research has reported that your personality affects the way you respond to is placebo.

A placebo is a fake or sham medicine that is given but that patient thinks he is getting actual medicine.

If you are good at coping with tough phases of life or helpful to others, you are more likely to get pain relief from placebo than if you are an angry, hostile type.

The work, published online today* in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology is build  on nearly a decade’s worth of work on the placebo effect by the team led by Jon-Kar Zubieta. [Read more...]

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Vitamin D Deficiency Responsible For increased Knee Osteoarthritic Pain in Black Americans

November 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment

A new study published in Arthritis & Rheumatism indicate that vitamin D deficiency may be one of many factors that account for increased pain in older black Americans with knee osteoarthritis.

Lifetime risk of developing knee osteoarthritis is roughly 46%.

Recent studies have confirmed many roles for vitamin D other than aiding in calcium absorption. It also has numerous other functions and decreased vitamin D levels reduce immunity and may contribute to diseases such as cancer and diabetes.

Most vitamin D in humans comes from exposure to the sun. Vitamin D levels less than 20 ng/mL represent deficiency and levels between 21 and 29 ng/mL represent insufficiency. [Read more...]

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Hyaluronic Acid

October 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Hyaluronan (hyaluronic acid or hyaluronate or HA) is an anionic, nonsulfated glycosaminoglycan distributed widely throughout body and has highest concentrations in fluids in the eyes and joints.

In body, hyaluronic acid is involved in the wound repair process, inflammation, reepithelization of normal epidermis, cancer metastases.

Uses

Hyaluronan is used in eye surgery, osteoarthritis of knee, atopic dermatitis, tumor marker for prostate and breast cancer, to prevent postoperative adhesions in pelvic surgery. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Definitions, E-H, Pain Management Tagged With: , ,

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