Pain Management
True compassion means not only feeling another's pain but also being moved to help relieve it...(Daniel Goleman)
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Overview of a Pain Clinic
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Does the Moon affect Joint Pain?
References:
1.
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Cajochen C, Songül
AE, Mirjam M, al e. Evidence that the Lunar Cycle Influences Human Sleep.
Current Biology. 2013; 23(15): p. 1485–1488.
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2.
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Haba-Rubio J,
Marques-Vidal P, Tobback N, al e. Bad sleep? Don't blame the moon! A
population-based study. Sleep Med. 2015; 16(11): p. 1321-6.
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3.
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4.
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Mcminn. Last's
Anatomy: Regional and Applied. In.: Elsevier Australia; 2003. p. 542.
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5.
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Komann M, Weinman
C, Meissner W. Howling at the moon? The effect of lunar phases on
post-surgical pain outcome. Br J Pain. 2014; 8(2): p. 72–77.
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6.
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[Online]. Available
from: https://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/experiment/exper.aspx?exp_index=13806.
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Tuesday, November 1, 2016
long-glanded blue coral snake to provide next generation analgesic?
Long-glanded blue coral snake of southeast Asia also known as "killer of killers" can help to reduce a lot of human suffering. This visually striking snake with a vibrant blue body and a blood red head is a specialist feeder that preys on other fast moving, venomous snakes.
It has the world’s biggest venom glands which grow up to one quarter of its body length.The snake can grow up to two metres long and its venom glands can reach 60 centimetres. It has a fondness for eating young king cobra snakes and because it feeds on other venomous snakes which are capable of profound retaliation, it needs to be able to immobilise its prey almost instantly.
Therefore the long-glanded blue coral snake has developed venom which administers a lightning strike electrical spasm throughout the body. Like scorpions it causes its prey to completely spasm.
The study, published in the journal Toxin, reveals how it achieves such a feat. The venom of the blue coral snake contains a number of unusual peptides that switch on all of its victim’s nerves at once, causing it to become instantly paralysed.
So what does this have to do with human health?
According to Dr Fry (associated with the research), it works to act on a particular type of sodium channel that is important for the treatment of pain in humans. “Even if it doesn’t itself become a drug, which it still may, it already immediately teaches us about how those channels work which means we have more data for drug design,” he said.
However like plenty of other species, the long-glanded blue coral snake faces a tough and uncertain future. It’s an incredibly rare snake and it’s becoming only rarer. It is found in the monsoonal forest in southeast Asia which are being wiped out at an alarming rate.
So, conservation efforts are equally important in preserving such rare pieces of evolution which may hold the key towards elimination of human suffering and creation of a better tomorrow.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
New Drug of Abuse: Gabapentin
Gabapentin is increasingly being used by patients in methadone maintenance programs to get a high.
Increasing availability, infrequent drug testing, and potentiation of euphoria when combined with opioids have likely all contributed to gabapentin misuse.
- Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) data show that ED visits involving thenonmedical use of gabapentin have increased by 90% in the United States since 2008.
- DAWN data also suggest that 20% of patients in treatment may misuse or abuse gabapentin.
Meanwhile, there has been a rise in gabapentin prescribing.
Current advice on prescribing Gabapentin: use caution. Don't necessarily avoid prescribing it, but be careful and prescribe it from visit to visit. Don't just give somebody six refills and say you will see them in 6 months.