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In a provocative new study, scientists at the University of Colorado in Boulder reported a breakthrough in pain management by "seeing" pain on brain scans and measure its intensity as well as whether a drug was relieving the pain. In its initial study, it applies only to pain felt through the skin when heat was applied to an arm. This does not include more common kinds of pain such as headaches, bad backs, and pain from disease
One in five people worldwide suffers from daily chronic pain, according to a 2004 report. A 2011 paper from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) showed that one in three U.S. adults is affected by this condition. The University of Utahs Eric Garland said his teams technique not only helps relieve pain, but can also decrease prescription opioid misuse among chronic pain patients. A variety of therapies are used to treat chronic pain including over-the-counter pain relievers, exercise and diet, alternative medical therapies such as acupuncture, and prescription opiate-based pain medications, which can have serious side effects and lead to dependency.
Garland calls his new intervention technique Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) and said it is designed to train people to react differently to pain, stress and opioid-related cues. Mental interventions can address physical problems, like pain, on both psychological and biological levels because the mind and body are interconnected, Garland said. Anything that happens in the brain happens in the bodyso by changing brain functioning, you alter the functioning of the body.
Millions around the world live with pain every day.
In a study published online in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Garland said the new treatment method led to a 63- percent reduction in the misuse of opioids, as compared to a 32-percent decrease among those who took part in a conventional support group. Patients who were a part of the new treatment group also reported a 22 percent drop in pain-related impairment, something that the researchers said continued for three months after the end of their treatment period. According to Garland, the MORE technique zeroes in on the basic processes involved in both chronic pain and the abuse of opioids, by combining three therapeutic components; mindfulness training, reappraisal and savoring.
The mindfulness training component consists of training the patients mind to increase its awareness, gain control over their attention, and learn to control automatic habits. The reappraisal module is the process of taking the meaning of a stressful or negative experience and turning it around in such a way that it is seen as something positive and promotes growth. Savoring is a method of learning that teaches patients to center their attention on positive events in their lives, heightening their sensitivity to naturally occurring positive experiences, such as enjoying a beautiful sunset or the special feeling of closeness with a loved one.
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Depends on the disease. *sigh*Neat. I worry though about pain management in general. Pain's supposed to be there when something's wrong, the extreme example being that 1 in a billion genetic syndrome where a person can't feel pain at all resulting in wetting themselves, chewing off their tongues as infants, etc. Am reluctant to take pain relievers if I don't know the source of the pain, because not having the pain anymore means ya might further exacerbate whatever the problem is. And research into 'super soldiers' where they feel no pain is worrisome since that kind of stuff always trickles down into civilian applications. If we become a society that can shut off pain completely how might that effect us overall or sociologically? We already ignore other people's suffering being able to feel pain ourselves. If we someday can 'opt out' of feeling pain completely wouldn't that just make it worse?
Doctors can 'see' and measure pain by using brain scan
In a provocative new study, scientists at the University of Colorado in Boulder reported a breakthrough in pain management by "seeing" pain on brain scans and measure its intensity as well as whether a drug was relieving the pain. In its initial study, it applies only to pain felt through the skin when heat was applied to an arm. This does not include more common kinds of pain such as headaches, bad backs, and pain from disease
This breakthrough, though, could open the door for other kinds of pain, according to the msn report.
Doctors can 'see' and measure pain by using brain scan
My other concern being treating the pain is just more of how western medicine seems to work: instead of curing and preventing things, we only ever seem to work at alleviating the symptoms and suffering. So instead of putting research money into curing a disease, or repairing broken bones, we work at removing the pain.
I don't like pain, and am a big ol' baby about it, but I recognize it as the evolutionary safeguard it is. Pain let's us know when something's wrong. Some pain suppression is good, but trying to eliminate it completely is worrisome. We evolved with it for a reason.
I don't know, Spoonman. People won't know it's the highest tax ever imposed on human beings until they come home with a paycheck that is the reverse of inflation and could double their bill-paying problems. With a houseful of tadpoles, that could get squishy for a lot of younger American families.Doctors can 'see' and measure pain by using brain scan
This breakthrough, though, could open the door for other kinds of pain, according to the msn report.In a provocative new study, scientists at the University of Colorado in Boulder reported a breakthrough in pain management by "seeing" pain on brain scans and measure its intensity as well as whether a drug was relieving the pain. In its initial study, it applies only to pain felt through the skin when heat was applied to an arm. This does not include more common kinds of pain such as headaches, bad backs, and pain from disease
Doctors can 'see' and measure pain by using brain scan
i wonder if this technology could detect the pain someone is feeling who just signed up for obamacare?
With my disease, which goes by the name of fibromyalgia, the pain was overwhelming until I went out of the medical box I'd been in for 5 years and found a remedy. Unfortunately, when the "cure" is removed, the pain returns with as much vengeance as ever. When we moved, I got a new doctor by writing available doctors names down on folded slips and picking one at random. She was an osteopath, and located another problem, two bad parathyroids showing up on a cat scan. It took another doctor six months to agree with her. By then, I was not able to walk without two canes. After the surgery, I threw away the canes, had alleviated pain, but still residual aches and severe CFS. I just get by now. I had monumental pain until that time, and still get episodes of it I can only refer to as screaming out loud pain, and it's only if I forget to take a muscle relaxant which without, I'd be back at square one.My other concern being treating the pain is just more of how western medicine seems to work: instead of curing and preventing things, we only ever seem to work at alleviating the symptoms and suffering. So instead of putting research money into curing a disease, or repairing broken bones, we work at removing the pain.
I don't like pain, and am a big ol' baby about it, but I recognize it as the evolutionary safeguard it is. Pain let's us know when something's wrong. Some pain suppression is good, but trying to eliminate it completely is worrisome. We evolved with it for a reason.
