Tag Archives: #painrelief

Vertex Study Finds PreOp JOURNAVX Can Deliver Effective Pain Relief and Reduce Need for Opioids

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PainRelief.com Interview with:
Vertex Spokesperson

PainRelief.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Effective management of acute postoperative pain remains an ongoing challenge, with opioids continuing to serve as a mainstay despite their well-known risks, including nausea, constipation and the potential for misuse or addiction. Suzetrigine, brand name JOURNAVX, is a novel, selective NaV1.8 inhibitor that provides effective pain relief without engaging the brain’s reward system, meaning it has no addiction potential. JOURNAVX was approved earlier this year in the U.S. for the treatment of moderate-to-severe acute pain in adults.

Previous randomized, controlled studies demonstrated that JOURNAVX provided statistically significant postoperative pain relief compared to placebo and efficacy similar to a moderate-strength opioid. This study was designed to evaluate the real-world effectiveness and opioid-sparing potential of JOURNAVX when initiated preoperatively and used as part of multimodal therapy across a variety of aesthetic and reconstructive procedures.

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Neuropathy: New Nano-Formulated CBD May Enhance Pain Relief

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PainRelief.com Interview with:
Kuan Hong Wang, PhD
Professor of Neuroscience
 Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester
Senior author of the study

Dr. Wang

Jingyu Feng, PhD
Staff scientist
Wang Lab
First author of the study

Dr. Veng.

PainRelief.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Neuropathic pain is one of the most difficult chronic pain conditions to treat. Current medications such as gabapentin and opioids often provide limited relief and cause unwanted side effects. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive compound derived from cannabis, has shown promise for pain relief, but its poor water solubility and limited ability to reach the brain have constrained its effectiveness. To overcome this challenge, our team developed a new nano-formulated version of CBD, called CBD-IN, designed to make CBD more soluble and efficient at reaching the brain.

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Caesarean section associated with higher odds of sleep disorder after delivery

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PainRelief.com Interview with:
Moe Takenoshita, M.B.B.Ch.
Postdoctoral scholar, Stanford University

PainRelief.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Sleep is a key component of postpartum recovery.1 It is linked to maternal mental, physical and social wellbeing, as well as maternal-infant bonding and infant outcomes.2–5 Several factors have been associated with impaired postpartum sleep, including maternal and infant clinical factors, socioeconomic and environmental factors.6,7 However, few studies have looked at the impact of delivery mode on postpartum sleep. This is significant because 32% of deliveries in the United States are caesarean delivery, and caesarean delivery rates are rising globally.8

We designed this study to look at how postpartum sleep experiences and the incidence of sleep disorders differ between caesarean and vaginal delivery. We also aimed to explore the relationship between delivery mode, pain and sleep.

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Swedish Study Examines Risks of ASD/ADHD After Prescribed Opioids During Pregnancy

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PainRelief.com Interview with:

Emma N. Cleary (she/her)
Clinical Psychology PhD Candidate
Developmental Psychopathology Lab
Indiana University Bloomington

PainRelief.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Pain is common during pregnancy and one of the options for managing it is with prescribed opioid pain medications. When pregnant patients and their physicians try to make decisions about using these medications, there are often concerns about impacts on fetal development given that these medications cross the placenta.

Previous studies have identified associations between prenatal exposure to opioids pain medications and increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders like autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and  attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but it is unclear whether this is causal.

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Potent Synthetic Opioids Driving Current Overdose Crisis

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PainRelief.com Interview with:
Shravani Durbhakula, MD, MPH, MBA
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, 
Division of Pain Medicine 
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine 
Medical Director, Comprehensive Pain Service 
Vanderbilt University Medical Center 

Shravani Durbhakula, MD, MPH, MBA Associate Professor of Anesthesiology,  Division of Pain Medicine  Vanderbilt University School of Medicine  Medical Director, Comprehensive Pain Service  Vanderbilt University Medical Center 
Dr. Durbhakula

PainRelief.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Our study highlights the rapid rise of nitazenes—extremely potent and dangerous synthetic opioids—silently driving the current overdose crisis. Developed in the 1950s by a pharmaceutical company and never approved for clinical use, nitazenes are up to 20 times more potent than fentanyl and are undetectable with standard drug tests available in emergency rooms.

These opioids are often mixed into counterfeit pills or other street drugs, posing an unseen threat. Furthermore, nitazenes interact with opioid receptors in a unique way, increasing overdose risk, heightening respiratory depression, and accelerating tolerance development, which makes them even more dangerous for users.

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Adjusting Gait May Help Provide Pain Relief from Knee Osteoarthritis

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PainRelief.com Interview with:

Valentina Mazzoli, Ph.D
Assistant Professor
Department of Radiology-CBI
Translational Research Building
NYU Grossman School of Medicine

Dr. Mazzoli

PainRelief.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Knee osteoarthritis is a very common and painful condition that limits mobility and is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Unfortunately, there are no disease-modifying treatments available. Symptoms are usually managed with painkillers, and in the most severe cases, with knee replacement surgery?

In our study, we showed that subtly adjusting the angle of the foot during walking may be an easy, inexpensive way to reduce knee pain in people with early-stage osteoarthritis.

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ICAHN Mount Sinai Analysis Suggests Women Should Be Careful About Using Acetaminophen During Pregnancy

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PainRelief.com Interview with:
Diddier Prada, MD, Ph.D. 
Assistant Professor 
Institute for Health Equity Research
Department of Population Health Science and Policy 
Department of Environmental Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 
New York City, NY, USA
https://scholars.mssm.edu/en/persons/diddier-prada

PainRelief.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Earlier research has indicated that using acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) during pregnancy might increase the likelihood of children developing neurodevelopmental conditions like autism or ADHD.

Data shows that more than half of pregnant women rely on acetaminophen in some regions. Various well-conducted studies, including long-term group observations and case-comparison analyses, have identified a potential association, though some found no relationship, and a few even hinted at a possible protective effect. However, these studies often faced challenges, such as depending on mothers’ memory for usage data, failing to consider underlying reasons for taking the drug (e.g., illness or fever), or employing inconsistent approaches, which complicates drawing firm conclusions. By applying a transparent and consistent framework, the Navigation Guide methodology, to assess the studies’ quality, credibility, and evidence strength, we aimed to offer a more reliable overview than previous reviews.

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Study Finds Gabapentin for Chronic Low Back Pain Associated with Increased Risk of Dementia

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PainRelief.com Interview with:
Nafis B Eghrar,  MS4
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Cleveland, Ohio

Nafis B Eghrar,  MS4 Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Cleveland, Ohio

PainRelief.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Gabapentin has shown promise in treating nerve-related pain, and it has become a popular choice to treat chronic low back pain, despite limited evidence. Currently, there is a discrepancy on whether taking gabapentin increases a patient’s risk for developing dementia.

Our main findings were that gabapentin prescription was associated with an increased risk for dementia and mild cognitive impairment. This risk was pronounced in younger adults (age 18-64). Moreover, the incidence of dementia and mild cognitive impairment was higher in those prescribed gabapentin 12+ times compared to those prescribed gabapentin 3-11 times. 

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Walking More May Reduce Risk of Chronic Low Back Pain

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PainRelief.com Interview with:
Rayane Haddadj, PhD Candidate
Department of Public Health and Nursing
Norwegian University of Science and Technology

PainRelief.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide and accounts for the highest healthcare spending in the Unites States.

Given its widespread impact, identifying modifiable risk factors – those that can be addressed through public health policy and targeted interventions – is therefore of great importance for reducing the burden of this condition.

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Indiana University Study Finds Tylenol has Unexpected Effect on Endocannabinoids for Pain Relief

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PainRelief.com Interview with:
Alex Straiker Ph.D.
Associate Research Scientist, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Adjunct Instructor, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
Gill Institute for Neuroscience, Indiana University
Bloomington, IN 47405, USA

Alex Straiker

PainRelief.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Acetaminophen has been used to relieve pain since the late 19th century and became available around the world during the 1950s and 1960s. In the United States, it’s known as Tylenol (introduced in 1955), while in most other countries it’s referred to as paracetamol.

It is considered generally safe and remains one of the most widely used medications in the world. However, it still contributes to a significant number of deaths due to liver failure. In fact, in many countries, acetaminophen-related toxicity is the leading cause of acute liver failure.

What’s surprising is that, despite its long history and widespread use, we still don’t fully understand how acetaminophen works.

Scientists have proposed several mechanisms of action involving serotonin pathways and cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes.  Several lines of evidence point to the body’s natural cannabis-like chemicals, called endocannabinoids.

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