Chronic Pain Expert Karen Lee Richards shares Chronic Pain management news and commentary at ChronicPainConnection.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949 http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949 http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/103168/promising-rsd Mon, 08 Feb 2010 02:45:00 -0500 Karen Lee Richards As anyone with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (formerly called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy or causalgia) knows, it's very difficult to find any kind of treatment that is effective in relieving the intense pain.  However, a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine may have unlocked a key to reducing the pain of CRPS and possibly even other chronic pain conditions.  Researchers at the University of Liverpool noted evidence... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/103168/promising-rsd http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/102527/jump-research Sun, 31 Jan 2010 23:42:00 -0500 Karen Lee Richards Yes, there was a real research study done to determine which type of flea jumped higher.  Not only that, the study is recorded in the U.S. National Library of Medicine.  You're probably wondering why I'm telling you about flea research.  I came across this little tidbit when I was looking for a title for this post about three recent research projects that, in my opinion, were virtually useless.  Every day I get notices of the... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/102527/jump-research http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/102508/debate-nasty Sun, 31 Jan 2010 17:23:00 -0500 Karen Lee Richards In early October, the news came out that the XMRV retrovirus had been linked to ME/CFS (aka chronic fatigue syndrome).  While most patients found the news exciting and hopeful, a few – along with some medical professionals – were understandably skeptical.  And so the debate began.Then the debate took a nasty turn following the publication of a study at Imperial College London claiming that out of 186 patients tested, they... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/102508/debate-nasty http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/102361/oral-solution Sat, 30 Jan 2010 01:55:11 -0500 Karen Lee Richards Last April, the FDA ordered pharmaceutical manufacturers to stop making unapproved painkillers.  These were drugs that were developed long before FDA approval was required and included morphine sulfate immediate release tablets and oral solutions, hydromorphone and oxycodone.  You can read more about that here:  FDA Orders Halt to Production of Unapproved Painkillers – Gives One a ReprieveThis week the first of these drugs... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/102361/oral-solution http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/101849/addiction Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:51:49 -0500 Karen Lee Richards A new review supports what those of us who have worked in the area of chronic pain have long known – people who take opioids for real chronic pain problems rarely become addicted to them.  Meredith Noble, a senior research analyst at ECRI Institute, one of 14 evidence-based Practice Centers in the country under the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and her colleagues reviewed the findings of 26 clinical studies... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/101849/addiction http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/101835/information Sun, 24 Jan 2010 18:04:00 -0500 Karen Lee Richards Now you can look up the side effects of a medication while you're waiting for the pharmacist to fill your prescription.  Or look up the symptoms of the flu if you're out running errands when your child's school calls to tell you he's not feeling well.The National Library of Medicine has launched Mobile MedlinePlus to meet the health information needs of an on-the-go public.  The original MedlinePlus Internet service has long been... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/101835/information http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/101338/emergencies Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:51:12 -0500 Karen Lee Richards A new SharePost today entitled Reflecting on the Hatian Disaster, by our ChronicPainConnection site producer, CRegal, asked several very good questions about how prepared we are to make sure our chronic pain needs are met in case we should find ourselves in the midst of a disaster or an emergency situation.  His post got me to thinking, so I'd like to share some tips that may be helpful if you want to make plans “just in... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/101338/emergencies http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/100700/prescription Wed, 13 Jan 2010 01:18:00 -0500 Karen Lee Richards We're all too aware of the fact that chronic pain is being significantly under-treated because many physicians either have inadequate training, personal biases or are afraid of prescription drug abuse.  Surveys show that at least 30 percent of patients with moderate chronic pain and more than 50 percent of those with severe chronic pain do not get adequate pain relief.Now someone is speaking out about the problem.  Kathryn Hahn, a... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/100700/prescription http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/100602/fibromyalgia Tue, 12 Jan 2010 06:16:00 -0500 Karen Lee Richards Fibromyalgia awareness has come a long way.  Thanks in large part to Pfizer's Lyrica commercials, anyone who watches TV now has at least a vague knowledge of what fibromyalgia is.  But that doesn't stop people from making insensitive comments.  There's still a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding about this painful illness.  Below are the top 10 things that should NOT be said to someone with fibromyalgia, but which we... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/100602/fibromyalgia http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/99562/fibromyalgia Thu, 31 Dec 2009 08:41:00 -0500 Karen Lee Richards It's hard to believe it's already been a full decade since we ushered in the new millenium; 10 years since we all somewhat nervously waited to see if the Y2K hype would become a reality.  Thankfully the Y2K disasters predicted by some never happened.  But it has been quite a decade of changes nonetheless.  While I could write pages about all of the changes on the national and world fronts, since this is a chronic pain site, I'll... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/99562/fibromyalgia