Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0018681 (headache)
 56,091 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

There is a high prevalence of chronic pain disorders in the population and the individual and societal costs are large. Antidepressants have been used in the treatment of chronic pain and the pain-relieving effects are independent of the mood-elevating properties. We reviewed randomised-controlled trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses of antidepressants in the treatment of chronic pain disorders which were identified through searches of MEDLINE and EMBASE. Antidepressants have proved to be effective in the treatment of fibromyalgia, chronic low back pain, diabetic neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia and chronic headache, in particular tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). There is emerging evidence that newer dual-action antidepressants are equally efficacious. Antidepressants provide a viable option in the management of chronic pain disorders. Further research into novel antidepressants will aid the pain clinician in optimising treatment for patients.
 ...
PMID:Use of antidepressants in the treatment of chronic pain. 1995 20

Pregabalin is a gamma-amino-butyric acid analog shown to be effective in several models of neuropathic pain, incisional injury, and inflammatory injury. In this review, the role of pregabalin in acute postoperative pain and in chronic pain syndromes has been discussed. Multimodal perioperative analgesia with the use of gabapentinoids has become common. Based on available evidence from randomized controlled trials and meta-analysis, the perioperative administration of pregabalin reduces opioid consumption and opioid-related adverse effects in the first 24 h following surgery. Postoperative pain intensity is however not consistently reduced by pregabalin. Adverse effects like visual disturbance, sedation, dizziness, and headache are associated with higher doses. The advantage of the perioperative use of pregabalin is so far limited to laparoscopic, gynecological, and daycare surgeries which are not very painful. The role of the perioperative administration of pregabalin in preventing chronic pain following surgery, its efficacy in more painful surgeries and surgeries done under regional anesthesia, and the optimal dosage and duration of perioperative pregabalin need to be studied. The efficacy of pregabalin in chronic pain conditions like painful diabetic neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia, central neuropathic pain, and fibromyalgia has been demonstrated.
 ...
PMID:Pregabalin in acute and chronic pain. 2189 98

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is the most common type of neuralgia affecting facial region and is considered to be one of the most painful conditions. Treatment is often unsatisfactory. Newer treatment modalities are therefore being tried. Duloxetine is FDA approved drug for painful diabetic neuropathy and has been used in painful symptoms of depression as well. Safety and efficacy of duloxetine was evaluated in patients with trigeminal neuralgia; another chronically painful condition, in an open label manner. A total of 15 patients who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of International Headache Society for Trigeminal Neuralgia were administered duloxetine 40 mg daily. The efficacy of the drug was evaluated by face scale and Likert's numerical scale. Statistically significant pain relief was reported in 9 out of 15 patients of trigeminal neuralgia. The pain relief was reported as early as in one week and was maintained for 16 weeks. The drug was well tolerated and side-effects reported were mild and reversible. No adverse drug reaction requiring hospitalisation or drug discontinuation was reported in the present study. Duloxetine showed statistically significant pain relief in trigeminal neuralgia. Double-blind, placebo-controlled studies are needed to confirm findings at a large scale.
 ...
PMID:Efficacy, safety and tolerability of duloxetine in idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia. 2218 99

We here summarize five articles bringing new advances in our knowledge on neuropathic pain and put them into perspective with our current understanding. The first uses a mechanism-based approach with a capsaicin test to stratify patients suffering from painful diabetic neuropathy before starting a topical clonidine treatment. The second reviews disinhibition as a critical mechanism and a promising target for chronic pain. The third evokes neuroglial interactions and its implication regarding the interplay between injuries in childhood and hypersensitivity in adulthood. The last articles remind us that interventional therapies, not always very invasive, have a future potential in the therapy of frequent conditions such as head pain disorders.
 ...
PMID:[New concepts in the pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of neuropathic pain]. 2388 11

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of some of the important information related to safety and tolerability of duloxetine. Duloxetine, a potent reuptake inhibitor of serotonin and noradrenaline, is effective for the treatment of major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN). Duloxetine is safe and well-tolerated across indications, with few reported serious side effects. Common adverse events are consistent with the pharmacology of the molecule and are mainly referable to the gastrointestinal and the nervous systems. Duloxetine should not be used in combination with CYP 1A2 inhibitors or nonselective, irreversible monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Duloxetine has a generally favorable side effect profile and dosing is simple. Nausea is the most common side effect, but it occurs less frequently if treatment is initiated at 30 mg . day-1 and titrated after one week to 60 mg . day-1, an efficacious dosage at which pain relief can occur within one week. Clinical trials have demonstrated the analgesic efficacy of duloxetine for PDN and fibromyalgia in addition to improvements in quality-of-life measurements. Furthermore trials for osteoarthritis, headache, and the pain associated with Parkinson disease may provide insight into alternative uses for duloxetine.
 ...
PMID:[Duloxetine for chronic pain management: pharmacology and clinical use]. 2390 4

Stroke patients can experience a variety of pain. Many stroke patients have co-morbidities such as osteoporosis, arthritis or diabetes causing diabetic neuropathy. As well as pain from other long term conditions, stroke patients can experience central post-stroke pain, headaches, and musculoskeletal issues such as hypertonia, contractures, spasticity, and subluxations. These stroke patients can also have communication difficulties in the form of expressive dysphasia and/or global aphasia. Communication difficulties can result in these patients not expressing their pain and therefore not having it assessed, leading to inadequate pain relief that could impact their rehabilitation and recovery. By implementing an observational measurement of pain such as the Abbey pain scale, patients with communication difficulties can have their pain assessed and recorded. Initially 30% of patients on the acute stroke ward did not have their pain assessed and adequately recorded and 15% of patients had inadequate pain relief. The patient was assessed if they were in pain and therefore not receiving adequate pain relief by measuring their pain on the Abbey pain scale. After introducing the Abbey pain scale and creating a nurse advocate, an improvement was shown such that only 5% of patients did not have their pain recorded and all had adequate pain relief.
...
PMID:Improving pain assessment and managment in stroke patients. 2673 90

Pain management in the elderly has increasingly become problematic in the USA as the aged population grows. The proportion of the population over 65 continues to climb and may eclipse 20 % in the next decade. In order to effectively diagnosis and treat these patients, a proper history and physical exam remain essential; pain assessment scales such as the Verbal Descriptor Scales (VDS), the Numerical Rating Scales (NRS), and the Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) often but not always prove beneficial. The conditions most frequently afflicting this population include osteoarthritis, diabetic neuropathy, post-herpetic neuralgia, and lower back pain which include spondylosis and radiculopathies. While the normal aging process does not necessarily guarantee symptoms of chronic pain, elderly individuals are far more likely to develop these painful conditions than their younger counterparts. There are many effective treatment modalities available as potential therapeutic interventions for elderly patients, including but not limited to analgesics such as NSAIDs and opioids, as well as multiple interventional pain techniques. This review will discuss chronic pain in the elderly population, including epidemiology, diagnostic tools, the multitude of co-morbidities, and common treatment modalities currently available to physicians.
Curr Pain Headache Rep 2016 Apr
PMID:Pain in the Elderly. 2689 47

The treatment of chronic pain consumes a significant share of primary care. Community and family health team pharmacists frequently see patients with chronic pain, thus have the opportunity to improve their care. To assess the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of Ontario pharmacists, we invited 5,324 Ontario pharmacists, to participate in an online survey we developed using Qualtrics. The 31-question survey gathered demographic information, assessed pharmacists' knowledge of three chronic pain conditions; chronic lower back pain (CLBP, eight true/false statements); chronic headache disorder (CHD, eight true/false statements) and painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN, seven true/false statements), and their attitudes toward and perceptions of patients with these conditions, and knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of opioids in pain management. We received 688 responses (12.9%) and 392 pharmacists completed the survey. The mean age of respondents was 48.5 years and 48.5% were male. More than 50% of respondents were in practice for more than 20 years and 58.7% worked 25-40 hours per week. The mean knowledge scores were 4.5/8, 5.5/8, and 5.3/8 for CBLP, CHD, and PDN respectively. While 95% of respondents were aware of the increasing death rates due to opioid use, only half were familiar with the Canadian guideline for safe opioid prescribing for non-cancer use. Responses were compared based on gender, time in practice and location of practice. Pharmacists with more than ten years of experience scored significantly higher than those with less experience. Fewer differences were found in comparisons of gender and location of practice. Safe and effective care of chronic pain patients, particularly with opioids, will require additional pharmacist education.
...
PMID:Knowledge, Perceptions and Attitudes toward Chronic Pain and Its Management: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Frontline Pharmacists in Ontario, Canada. 2727 Jul 23

In terms of antinociceptive action, the main mode of action of magnesium involves its antagonist action at the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, which prevents central sensitization and attenuates preexisting pain hypersensitivity. Given the pivotal function of NMDA receptors in pain transduction, magnesium has been investigated in a variety of pain conditions. The oral and parenteral administration of magnesium via the intravenous, intrathecal, or epidural route may alleviate pain and perioperative anesthetic and analgesic requirements. These beneficial effects of magnesium therapy have also been reported in patients with neuropathic pain, such as malignancy-related neurologic symptoms, diabetic neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia, and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. In addition, magnesium treatment is reportedly able to alleviate fibromyalgia, dysmenorrhea, headaches, and acute migraine attacks. Although magnesium plays an evolving role in pain management, better understanding of the mechanism underlying its antinociceptive action and additional clinical studies is required to clarify its role as an adjuvant analgesic.
 ...
PMID:Magnesium and Pain. 3271 32


<< Previous 1 2 3