What’s new in pain management

Many of us have to face pain every day, from mild headaches, to debilitating pain of chronic diseases. Today I bring you some news update in pain management.

FDA Approves Morphine Sulfate Oral Solution for Relief of Acute and Chronic Pain
The US FDA approved last month an oral form of morphine for the management of moderate to severe, acute and chronic pain in patients who are opioid-tolerant.  This pain management strategy has already been commonly used in the past even prior to the approval. In order to minimize the risk for abuse, misuse, and overdose, the US FDA decided to work the manufacturers, patient organizations and prescribers to better regulate the product and ensure its quality, as part of the so-called unapproved drugs initiative.
“An important goal of the unapproved drugs initiative is to make sure that marketed drugs meet current FDA standards,” said Douglas Throckmorton, M.D., deputy director for the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “Our action today reflects a careful balance between ensuring patient access to necessary medicines, while making sure companies comply with the law.”

Botulinum toxin injection may help prevent some types of migraine pain
Botox is not just for taking the wrinkles away. It may also be able to ease the headaches away, according to researchers. A study reports that the botulinum toxin is associated with reduced frequency of migraines, the kind called ocular headaches, described as “crushing, vice like or eye-popping” pain.
“These preliminary data are intriguing, and our results provide support for the hypothesis that patients with migraine that is characterized by imploding and ocular headaches are more responsive to botulinum toxin type A than those with migraine characterized by exploding headaches. Our findings invite consideration of using botulinum toxin type A injections to prevent migraine headaches and may promote the role of the dermatologist in the treatment of patients with migraine. However, well-controlled trials need to be conducted to confirm these findings.”

Anesthetic approach stops pain without affecting motor function
Anesthetics work by inducing a nerve block that eliminates sensation of pain. However, a long-lasting never block adversely affects motor functioning. Researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston are testing a substance that might potentially be the ideal anesthetic that stops the pain without affecting motor function. So far, the substance has shown promise in rats. Anesthetics without motor function effect can be very useful, for example, ”a  local anesthetic for childbirth that would block pain without interfering with the mother’s ability to push, or for musculoskeletal disorders in which it is important to maintain mobility.”

Taking the pain out of injections
Finally, there is the pain that comes with injections. The jab pain may not be that painful for adults but can be traumatic for children. If needle pain and fear are not properly managed, it can turn into a phobia that will track through to adulthood, and well, present some health care problems in the future. Get here some tips on how to take the “ouch” out of children’s injections.