Our weekly round-up is back! Here is the health & pain news for the past couple weeks. We’ll be back next week with a special TMJ disorder only news edition!
Ohm… researchers at the Wake Forest Baptist Center find that clearing your mind can help to reduce pain. A sampling of 15 men and women were taught breathing techniques to help them clear their minds and relax. MRI results confirmed the flurry of activity present in the brain’s pain center prior to the training essentially disappeared. Our take… it is a bit premature to discard the proven benefits western medicine has to offer, and there were only 15 participants in this study, but it never hurts to add something new to your pain relief toolkit! Source
In a recent post by chronic migraine patient Diana Lee on KevinMD.com’s blog, “How to Sabotage a Doctor’s Appointment”, we are reminded that we learned the basics before we hit 1st grade. Be punctual, be prepared and be present. It matters. Source.
Safer morphine on the horizon? – Morphine is the gold standard in treating pain, but it can also cause unwanted side effects, including sensitivity (that actually ends up causing more pain..it’s called ‘hyper-analgesia’.). A new medication originally used to treat HIV has been found to interrupt the signals which cause the sensitivity and increased pain. This could make morphine safer in the long run by requiring less dose increases and causing less unwanted side effects like constipation and itching. Source.
Kids May Mimic How Adults Handle Pain – A study published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine found that children are effected by how their parents deal with pain. Families may actually develop a “specific cognitive style of dealing with pain.” The researchers think that it’s possible for children to observe the way their parents manage their pain, and address their own pain in a similar way. Our take? We’ve always felt that it was important to deal with your pain and illness in a healthy way, and seek the advice of a professional in doing so, but this makes it even more important. Even if you aren’t sure that seeing a professional can help you, it may help the way you deal with your pain, which in turn can have positive effects on your family. Source.
Gene Therapy Provides Substantial Pain Relief in First Ever Clinical Trial – The first clinical trial for gene therapy for intractable pain management is currently underway. Researchers report that the therapy has been successful at substantially decreasing symptoms for the pain patients. Phase II trials are already underway. Source.
Do you have any news to share? If so, leave a comment – we’d love to hear it!
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