Pain

Pain may be an ongoing problem even after successful treatment for cancer; effective pain management, however, may be overlooked.

Pain affects more Americans than diabetes, heart disease, and cancer combined. It may be a part of a disease, or it may be the disease itself. Here, test your knowledge of this troubling diagnostic challenge.

Headache and nausea have bothered this 28-year-old for 3 days. Over-the-counter analgesics do not help. She reports the headache lessens during the day. What more do you need to know?

There are no guidelines on how to differentiate iatrogenic opioid abuse triggered by treatment for legitimate pain from illicit use. And yet, theories abound.

Patients with pain respond strongly to both the positive and negative content we convey and may misinterpret our meaning. Their perceptions may have lasting impact on self-care, and it's not always positive.

Recent travel to the Caribbean is the key clue that led to the diagnosis of dengue fever, which caused maculopapular rash, fever, headaches, and body aches.

Here, 3 slide shows that were the most popular of our weekly offerings in 2013. Have a go at the quiz questions and see how well you do.

Injuries and overuse often are the cause of knee disorders, but chronic conditions also create problems. This week’s photo quiz offers several presentations to test your knowledge.

The use of vitamin D decreases pain in women who have type 2 diabetes mellitus and depression, according to a recent study, and more research is in the works.

The news is particularly auspicious for older patients who are at greater risk for NSAID-related events.

Pain has a wide variety of presentations, often making the diagnosis a significant challenge. Test your knowledge of signs and symptoms in this week's photo quiz.

The hydrocodone/acetaminophen combination is moved to Schedule II from III while single-agent extended-release hydrodocone is approved without a tamper-resistant mechanism.

A 46-year-old man with a history of HIV infection presents to the emergency department for left flank pain. A lateral x-ray film of the patient’s lumbar spine is shown. What is the diagnosis?

A 22-year-old young woman presents with complaints of severe pain in all the toes on both feet. She reported going hiking when the daytime temperature unexpectedly dropped. She describes persistent pain and mild pruritus in her toes. What is the diagnosis?   

The use of general anesthesia to speed opioid detox without the discomforts of withdrawal has no scientific support.

Chronic pain affects more Americans than diabetes mellitus, heart disease, and cancer combined. Here are some facts and figures about pain for you to consider.

Has this teen been abused? Cast your votes and see if you’ve answered this and the 4 other questions in this week’s quiz correctly.

New opioid labeling restricts the type of patient who should be prescribed long-acting/extended release formulations.

Rhabdomyolysis is linked to infection in up to 31% of cases. However, only 19 cases of rhabdomyolysis related to E coli infection have been reported.

Finger disorders may be caused by an injury or may result from another disorder, and it’s often hard to tell what happened. This week’s photo quiz tests your ability to recognize a variety of common problems.

Guideline recommendations are not only frequently being ignored, but the number of physicians not using them is growing.

Lortab is prescribed for a 58-year-old woman with low back pain that resulted from trauma. While at the pharmacy, she picked up a bottle of Tylenol® Cold. What is the problem?

This week’s questions cover a range of disorders-from infectious disease to GI problems, to HIV/AIDS. See how well you do . . .

An asymptomatic bump; IBD and celiac disease; a gradually expanding spot .... test your clinical skills on a range of disorders in this week's quiz.

The current study may help create new pathways for better understanding and developing more effective and more specific medications.

Rotating opioids can reduce the risk of developing tolerance to the analgesic effects of any single drug and of developing hyperalgesia.

The sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) has recently been the target of a novel treatment for patients with cluster headaches. A sham-controlled randomized study of an implantable stimulator of the SPG offers encouraging preliminary results.

The goal is better developing the necessary skills for evaluating and managing patients who have persistent pain.