By Rich Haridy December 30, 2020 A VR system has been shown to enhance the pain-relieving effect of a therapy called spinal cord simulation A compelling new study, published in the journal Pain, has found integrating an immersive virtual reality system into a chronic pain treatment can significantly enhance a patient’s pain-relief outcome. The research suggests...
by Bobbi Nodell, University of Washington Credit: CC0 Public Domain A broken heart is often harder to heal than a broken leg. Now researchers say that a broken heart can contribute to lasting chronic pain. In a reflections column published Dec. 21 in the Annals of Family Medicine, pain experts Mark Sullivan and Jane Ballantyne at the University of Washington School...
WOLTERS KLUWER HEALTH December 23, 2020 – For patients receiving spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for chronic pain, integration with an immersive virtual reality (VR) system – allowing patients to see as well as feel the effects of electrical stimulation on a virtual image of their own body – can enhance the pain-relieving effectiveness of SCS, reports a...
Either a sincere smile or grimace can reduce the pain of a needle injection by as much as 40%, according to a new study. A genuine, or Duchenne, smile—one that elevates the corners of the mouth and creates crow’s feet around the eyes—can also significantly blunt the stressful, needle-related physiological response by lowering the heart...
A genuine, or Duchenne, smile—one that elevates the corners of the mouth and creates crow’s feet around the eyes—can also significantly blunt the stressful, needle-related physiological response by lowering the heart rate. “When facing distress or pleasure, humans make remarkably similar facial expressions that involve activation of the eye muscles, lifting of the cheeks, and...
by University of California, Irvine Chopsticks were used in the study to help subjects hold one of four facial expressions: A. neutral, B. non-Duchenne smile, C. Duchenne smile and D. grimace. Credit: Katherine V. Hammond / University of Oregon The coming of winter means cooler temperatures, shorter days and flu shots. While no one looks forward...
by Kyushu University Marked as concentrated yellow here, a unique population of astrocytes in the dorsal horn of the mouse spinal cord have been found to play a role in controlling pain. Credit: Kyushu University Researchers in Japan have revealed a previously unknown mechanism for pain control involving a newly identified group of cells in...
RADIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA IMAGE: SUPRASCAPULAR NERVE COOLED RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION TARGETS. OAK BROOK, Ill. – A novel outpatient procedure offers lasting pain relief for patients suffering from moderate to severe arthritis in their hip and shoulder joints, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Researchers said...
Knee osteoarthritis is a condition when the natural cushioning between knee joints (cartilage) wears away. Although it is commonly known as wear-and-tear arthritis, young people can get it too and it may even be hereditary. Knee osteoarthritis causes pain, which is usually addressed with paracetamol and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Now scientists from the University of...
Mainstay Medical, an Irish firm, just won FDA approval to introduce its ReActiv8 neurostimulator that works to address the underlying causes of back pain. Most existing pain reducing implants work to simply mask the pain by delivering electrical signals to the relevant nerves. The ReActiv8 instead stimulates the multifidus muscle, that lies next to the...
