Chronic Pain

Published on: November 25, 2020

New Drug Promises Relief for Chronic Lower Back Pain

A new drug that works in a different way to treat chronic lower back pain is welcome news for thousands of Georgians who struggle with chronic pain. A recent study found that Tanezumab, a nonopioid pain medication, works by inhibiting the nerve growth factor, a protein that can exacerbate back pain.

This is welcome news because other treatment options such as opioids and nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs are risky. These have typically been the only options for treating chronic low back pain. Opioids can be addictive. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are linked to gastrointestinal inflammation among other problems.

Tanezumab, however, works by lowering the sensitivity of the nervous system. This new approach to pain management appears to offer less critical side effects and perhaps a greater result. Chronic pain is one of the most frequent bases for Social Security disability benefits claims filed in Georgia and around the metro Atlanta region every year.

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Published on: November 24, 2020

More Middle-aged Americans are Living with Pain

By Lisa Siegel

Debilitating, chronic pain can be a basis for a claim for Social Security disability benefits. New studies show that more middle-aged Americans are living with chronic pain. According to a new study, pain in middle-aged Americans seems to surface much earlier in life. The study found that 32% of Americans born in 1955 reported experiencing pain starting at age 52.

Education appears to be a factor. Middle-aged Americans with lower education levels are much more likely to report pain when they enter their middle years. Lower education levels are associated with increased exposure to stress, both economic and occupational. Also lower education may indicate less access to quality healthcare. These middle-aged American are more likely to be working two or more jobs, resulting in physical stress. That person may be less likely to be able to benefit from exercise or rest. He or she is also more likely to struggle with financial insecurity, unstable jobs, and poor wages. All of these factors can increase mental stress and anxiety, which can exacerbate the experience of physical pain.

The research clearly suggests a link between socio- economic status and a higher predisposition to pain among Americans as they get older. Pain undermines the quality of life. Pain is a prominent factor in the opioid epidemic; it is implicated in suicide; and it is often the cause of alcohol or other substance abuse. As America attempts to understand the epidemic of suicides in middle-aged Americans who do not have a college level education, pain appears to be a key player.

Published on: August 8, 2017

Stem Cell Therapy Promises Benefits for Arthritis Sufferers

By Lisa Siegel

Research shows that stem cell therapy has many benefits for arthritis patients, especially those who suffer from advanced stages of the condition.

According to ongoing studies, stem cell therapy may not promise a complete cure for arthritis, but could trigger the production of healthy cells that can replace damaged cells. These stem cell transplants are now being used to replace damaged cartilage between joints.

Arthritis is a condition involving inflammation of the joints, swelling and pain. Over time, joints can become weak, and the pain chronic. There are several types of arthritis, the most common being osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 50 million Americans have been diagnosed with some form of arthritis.

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Published on: December 24, 2015

Social Security Disability Benefits with No Medical Diagnosis

By Lisa Siegel

Sometimes an individual does not have a medically verified diagnosis of their condition, but may suffer symptoms that impair their ability to work. If you suffer from chronic pain for instance, but have no medical evidence or diagnosis from a doctor about your condition, you will find it hard to qualify for Social Security disability benefits.

The Social security Administration (SSA) will require a medically verifiable condition, and will require that your application for benefits be accompanied by medical documentation and evidence of your condition. Even if you are suffering from symptoms like pain, fatigue, frequent dizzy spills or other issues that make it difficult for you to earn a living, you most likely will not qualify for benefits if you are unable to provide medical proof of these symptoms.

Conditions that involve frequent and chronic pain are a prime example of cases in which a person may find it hard to qualify because there is no medical evidence of the impairment. Apart from chronic pain and fatigue, you might also find it more challenging to claim benefits if you suffer from unexplained lower back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome or other types of repetitive stress injuries that may not show up on lab tests, CT scans, or MRI’s.

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Published on: September 22, 2014

Painkiller Injections May Not Benefit Patients with Spinal Stenosis

By Lisa Siegel

Spinal stenosis is a condition in which patients suffer severe bilateral pain that shoots through the legs and radiates to the buttocks. Many patients use painkilling steroid injections to help deal with the discomfort. However, recent studies have found that these steroid injections make minimal difference to the intensity of the pain.

In fact, according to a study that was published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine the difference is actually clinically irrelevant. The Journal also raises questions about the advantages of using steroid injections to treat patients with central spinal stenosis. The Journal also recommends that patients who have had injections of steroids to treat the pain avoid having repeat injections if they do not find any benefit from the first injection.

The report also cautions doctors about prescribing these injections for patients who suffer from spinal stenosis. In fact according to the researchers, the injections could actually have side effects. Overall, the injections have been found to be safe, but in some cases, there may be complications that may be serious enough to cause death. In many other countries, governments are actually pulling out funding for spinal injections because it is considered a waste of money.

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Published on: April 28, 2014

New Non-Surgical Treatment for Knee Arthritis Show Promising Signs

By Lisa Siegel

Knee osteoarthritis causes chronic pain, stiffness, and difficulty in walking, often making it challenging for individuals to perform routine activities. As a result, going back to work may not be an option for persons with this medical condition. Now, researchers have announced a new non-surgical technique to treat the pain and stiffness that accompanies knee osteoarthritis.

The technique has been developed by researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. According to researchers, they have experimented with a two-solution treatment, which involves a series of injections that are administered to the knee region. This therapy is called prolotherapy, and the results of the study were recently published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

Researchers reported substantial improvement in symptoms in a group of participants who were monitored over a one year period. During the testing time, participants received at least three of the two-solution injections. The researchers found that there was an improvement in symptoms varying from 19.5% to 42.9% compared to the person’s original status.

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Published on: April 7, 2014

Reconstructive Knee Surgery Linked to Higher Risk of Arthritis

By Lisa Siegel

Persons, who have undergone knee reconstruction surgery to repair knee ligaments are much more likely to develop arthritis in the affected knee. According to the results of a new study that was released by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, persons who have undergone knee reconstructive surgery are three times more likely to develop knee arthritis in the repaired knee, compared to the uninjured knee.

Knee arthritis is also referred to as osteoarthritis of the knee, a condition in which the cartilage on the bones begins to wear down. Earlier studies have also found that osteoarthritis is very often linked to knees that have undergone a reconstructive surgery, but the amount of risk was not determined.

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons estimates that approximately 200,000 anterior cruciate ligament injuries occur in the country every year. Very often, the surgeons treat injured knees by replacing the torn ligament with a replacement graft. Surgeons believe that between 10 and 15 years after the reconstruction is generally when patients begin to suffer symptoms of knee arthritis.

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Published on: March 24, 2014

Hormones May Provide Relief from Chronic Pain

By Lisa Siegel

Persons who suffer from chronic pain may find that their symptoms are so extreme that they are unable to perform normal, routine day-to-day activities. According to a small study conducted recently, a combination of two hormones could provide some relief to people who suffer from such chronic pain.

The study was conducted on nine patients, who were given doses of oxytocin and human chorionic gonadotropin. The researchers found that seven out of the 9 patients, reported a decrease in pain of up to 40% after using the hormone combination. In addition, the levels of painkillers that these patients needed in order to deal with the chronic pain also dropped by as much as 40%. The patients also reported that there was a much longer time period between flare-ups of pain, and much lower pain intensity.

This was a very small study of nine patients, and therefore the findings are not conclusive enough to actually confirm whether this combination of hormones could actually have a long-term positive effect in controlling chronic pain. Researchers say that their next step will be to study whether these hormones could act as an alternative treatment for chronic pain.

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