CHRONIC PAIN
• PT as Good as Surgery for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Researchers found that physical therapy
-- particularly so-called manual therapy -- improved hand and wrist function
and reduced pain as effectively as a standard operation for the condition.
Moreover, after one month, physical therapy patients reported better results
than those who underwent surgery. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical
Therapy
• What Drugs Work Best for Diabetic Nerve Pain: A
review of106 studies on pain relief for diabetic neuropathy found
"moderate" evidence that the antidepressants duloxetine (Cymbalta)
and venlafaxine (Effexor) reduce diabetic nerve pain. However, they only found
"weak" evidence that botulinum toxin (Botox), the anti-seizure drugs
pregabalin (Lyrica) and oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), and drugs called tricyclic
antidepressants and atypical opioids (drugs such as Tramadol) may help reduce
pain. The researchers also noted that gabapentin (Neurontin, Gralise) works in
a similar manner to pregabalin, and the review found gabapentin no more
effective than a placebo. "Unfortunately, more research is still needed,
as the current treatments have substantial risk of side effects, and few
studies have been done on the long-term effects of these drugs." Neurology
• Injections of Platelet-Rich Plasma Improve Severe Knee Osteoarthritis: Injections of
platelet-rich plasma can provide significantly improved clinical status and
quality of life for patients with severe knee osteoarthritis, according to
results of a prospective study presented at the 2017 World Congress on
Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (WCO).
• Obese people have lower pain threshold: An extra layer of fat won’t
provide a cushion against pain – in fact, obese people are more sensitive to
pressure pain than those who are not overweight, and they are equally
susceptible to extremes of hot and cold. European Journal of Pain
• Healthier Weight May Mean Fewer Migraines: Those with migraine and [their] doctors
need to be aware that excessive weight and extreme weight loss are not good for
[migraine sufferers], and that maintaining a healthy weight can decrease the
risk of migraine.” Neurology
• Real-world
massage is effective treatment for low back pain: In the first
study of its kind, researchers found real-world massage therapy to be an
effective treatment for chronic low back pain. More than 50 percent of those
who participated in the study experienced clinically meaningful improvements in
their low back pain with disability. Pain Medicine
COMPLEMENTARY & ALTERNATIVE
MEDICINE
• Music therapy
reduces pain in spine surgery patients Music therapy has been found to
decrease pain in patients recovering from spine surgery, compared to a control
group of patients who received standard postoperative care alone. American
Journal of Orthopedics
• Stress a common seizure trigger in epilepsy: The relationship between stress
and seizures has been well documented over the last 50 years. A recent review
article looks at the stress-seizure relationship and how adopting stress
reduction techniques may provide benefit as a low risk form of treatment.
Seizure
• Yoga for Prostate Cancer Patients: New research suggests yoga may help men deal with
the side effects of prostate cancer therapy. Novice yoga practitioners had
renewed energy and fewer of the sexual and urinary symptoms tied to radiation
treatment, compared with men who didn't use the technique, the study found.
International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, and Physics
FDA ACTION
• Approved Bravencio for rare skin cancer
• Approved 23 and Me’s personal genetic test
for some diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and celiac disease.
• Approved Ingrezza (valbenazine), the first drug to
treat adults with the neurological disorder tardive dyskinesia
PREVENTION
• Lifestyle intervention leads to 10-point drop in systolic blood pressure: In the first randomized,
double-blinded trial of an online behavioral intervention for high blood
pressure, participants in web-based lifestyle counseling reduced their systolic
blood pressure (the higher number in a blood-pressure reading) by 10 mmHg,
compared with a 6 mmHg reduction for those taking part in a web-based control
intervention, a statistically significant difference. American College of
Cardiology
• Weight-bearing exercises promote bone formation in men: Human hormone, protein linked to
bone mass are impacted by 12 months of targeted exercise Osteoporosis affects
more than 200 million people worldwide and is a serious public health concern,
according to research. Now, newly published work is the first in men to show
that long-term, weight-bearing exercises decrease sclerostin, a protein made in
the bone, and increase IGF-1, a hormone associated with bone growth. These
changes promote bone formation, increasing bone density. Bone
• Exercise a Great Prescription to Help Older Hearts: Regular exercise is potent medicine for older
adults with heart disease, a new American Heart Association scientific
statement says. Daily walking and tackling more chores at home also can be
helpful. Resistance training and balance training can help prevent falls. Tai
chi and yoga employ strength, balance and aerobic features. Circulation
• Gum Disease, Tooth Loss May Increase Postmenopausal Women’s Risk of Death: Gum disease and tooth
loss may be associated with a higher risk of death in postmenopausal women but
not increased cardiovascular disease risk, according to a study published in
the Journal of the American Heart Association. Loss of all natural teeth also
was linked with an increased risk of death in postmenopausal women.
• Fitness, Not Fat, Is Key to Post-Stroke Recovery: People who were active and exercised
regularly before their stroke were less likely to face disability after the
attack, researchers say. But the amount of body fat a person had did not seem
to be tied to post-stroke disability, the study found. Neurology
• Good Sleep Gets Tougher With Age: Most people see their sleep habits shift as they age, but
a new review suggests that some seniors lose the ability to get deep,
restorative rest. And that can come with health consequences. Sleep "fragmentation"
has been linked to a number of medical conditions, including depression and
dementia. People with fragmented sleep wake up multiple times during the night,
and miss out on the deep stages of sleep. Neuron
• Exercisers May Have Better Shot of Surviving Heart Attack: Researchers compared
exercise levels among 1,664 heart attack patients in Denmark, including 425 who
died immediately. Those who had been physically active were less likely to die,
and the risk of death decreased as exercise levels rose. Patients who had light
or moderate/high physical activity levels were 32 percent and 47 percent less
likely to die from their heart attack, respectively, than the sedentary
patients. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology
NUTRITION/SUPPLEMENTS/VITAMINS
• Daily consumption of tea protects the elderly from cognitive decline: Tea drinking reduces
the risk of cognitive impairment in older persons by 50 per cent and as much as
86 per cent for those who are genetically at risk of Alzheimer’s, new research
concludes. The research team also discovered that the neuroprotective role of
tea consumption on cognitive function is not limited to a particular type of
tea -- so long as the tea is brewed from tea leaves, such as green, black or
oolong tea. The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging
• Daily Glass of Beer, Wine Might be Good for the Heart: Researchers tracked more than 1.9
million healthy British adults and found that having the occasional drink was
tied to reductions in the risk of heart attack, sudden heart death, heart
failure and stroke, compared to non-drinkers. In the study,
"moderate" drinking was defined as 7 pints of regular beer or 1.5
bottles of wine in one week. British Medical Journal
• Probiotics benefit tin Schizophrenia shaped by yeast infections: In a small pilot study of men
with schizophrenia, researchers say they have evidence that adding probiotics
-- microorganisms, such as bacteria found in yogurts -- to the patients' diets
may help treat yeast infections and ease bowel problems. Probiotics may also
decrease delusions and hallucinations, but in the study, these psychiatric
benefits mostly affected those without a history of yeast infections. Brain,
Behavior, and Immunity
• High Dose Vitamin D Failed to Curb Heart Disease in Study: Taking high doses of vitamin D once a month
won't lower your risk for heart disease, new research indicates. But, even
though the vitamin came up short in this study of more than 5,000 adults, the researchers
aren't ready to scrap hopes for vitamin D supplementation altogether. "Our
study only rules out monthly dosing," said study lead author Dr. Robert
Scragg. His team did not explore whether daily vitamin D supplementation might
prove more protective of heart health. JAMA Cardiology
• Yo Yo Dieting Does No favors to the Heart: People who experience regular weight
fluctuations of 8 to 10 pounds are much more likely to suffer from heart
disease, heart attack, stroke and other heart-related maladies than people who
only experienced shifts of 2 pounds or less. NEJM
• Trans Fat Bans May Have Cut Heart Attack, Stroke Rate: A new study that found lower rates
of heart attack and stroke in communities that restrict trans fats in foods.
The study found a 6 percent decline in hospitalizations for heart attack and
stroke in areas with trans fat restrictions compared to those without within
three years of implementing no trans fat policies. JAMA Cardiology
• High doses of vitamin C to improve cancer treatment passes human safety trial: Clinical
trials found that it is safe to regularly infuse brain and lung cancer patients
with 800-1,000 times the daily recommended amount of vitamin C as a potential
strategy to improve outcomes of standard cancer treatments. The researchers
also show pathways by which altered iron metabolism in cancer cells, and not
normal cells, lead to increased sensitivity to cancer cell killing caused by
high dose vitamin C. Cancer Cell
TREATMENT
• Current jellyfish sting recommendations can worsen stings: Researchers investigated
whether commonly recommended first aid actions such as rinsing with seawater or
scraping away tentacles lessen the severity of stings from two dangerous box
jellyfish species. Their results reveal that some of the most commonly
recommended practices actually worsen stings. Instead of rinsing with seawater
or scraping, the team found that rinsing with vinegar -- which irreversibly
prevents the stinging cells from firing -- or even simply plucking tentacles
off with tweezers led to less venom injection. And after the sting, applying
heat actively decreased venom activity. Toxins
• Surgery reverses
pseudoparalysis in patients with rotator cuff tears:Arthroscopic superior capsule reconstruction (SCR), a surgical approach to
treat irreparable rotator cuff tears, may eliminate pseudoparalysis and
significantly improve shoulder function, new research shows. American
Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Specialty Day
• Evolocumab significantly reduces risk of cardiovascular events: Evolocumab, one of the
new targeted PCSK9 inhibitor drugs that has been shown to dramatically lower
levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol, also significantly
lowers the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with existing heart or
vascular disease already on statin therapy, according to new research. NEJM
• Shingles Vaccine Cuts Chronic Pain, Hospitalizations: Vaccination greatly reduces the risk
of serious complications from shingles, a new study finds. Protection lasts
years after immunization, researchers found. The new study showed the vaccine
was 74 percent effective in preventing hospitalizations for shingles during the
three years after vaccination. That number dropped to 55 percent effective
after four or more years. Clinical Infectious Diseases
• Trial of new triple inhaler shows 20 percent reduction in COPD flare-ups: Flare-ups in chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease can be reduced by 20 percent by a combined triple
inhaler, according to the results of a trial of more than 2,000 people. As well
as reduced exacerbations, the trial also found that the new inhaler helped to
improve lung function more generally and resulted in fewer overall symptoms.
The trial is also the first study to prospectively study a biomarker for
individualising treatment better. The Lancet
• Prolonged Antibiotic Use Linked to Precancerous Colon Growths: Women who took
antibiotics for two weeks or more in their 20s through their 50s were more
likely to have colon lesions in their 60s than women who didn't take the drugs
for an extended period, researchers found. If not removed, these lesions --
called polyps or adenomas -- can lead to colon cancer. Gut
• Ditropan Link to Dementia Risk Over prescribed to Seniors: More than one-quarter of
patients with the urinary problem had been prescribed the drug oxybutynin
(Ditropan), an international team of investigators found. Yet, "oxybutynin
is a particularly poor drug for overactive bladder in elderly patients.” Prior
studies have linked the drug to thinking problems and increased risk of
dementia in older people, possibly because of the way it affects brain
chemicals. European Association of Urology conference
OTHER
• Drugs that Work in Mice Often Fail When Tried in People: Most potential new drugs fail when they're
tested in people. These failures are not only a major disappointment – they
sharply drive up the cost of developing new drugs. A major reason for these
failures is that most new drugs are first tested out in mice, rats or other
animals. Often those animal studies show great promise. But mice aren't simply
furry little people, so these studies often lead science astray. Some
scientists are now rethinking animal studies to make them more effective for
human health. NPR
