Effective options to treat patients with chronic pain are limited.

Researchers at the University of Toronto reviewed lots of different forms of cannabis. (more…)

Neuropathic pain is a complex, chronic pain state that usually is accompanied by tissue injury.

Researchers at McGill University, in Montreal, Quebec, report that inhaled medical marijuana is better than no treatment… but not by much. (more…)

Tai chi is safe and effective in people with peripheral neuropathy, according to Louisiana State University, in Baton Rouge. (more…)

Prof. Ernst has reviewed the evidence. (more…)

It was reportedly effective when used in addition to pain treatment in patients with medically refractory pain due to HIV.

But as Paul Harvey said, “Now, the rest of the story.” (more…)

Last year, Prof. Ernst reviewed CAM for neuropathic and neurologic pain and reported that topically applied capsaicin was more effective than placebo.

Now, study results presented during the American Academy of Pain Medicine meeting support its safety during long-term use for post-herpetic neuralgia and HIV-related neuropathy. (more…)

GW Pharmaceuticals has announced that its major study of Sativex in 339 patients with central neuropathic pain due to multiple sclerosis (MS) failed to provide adequate pain relieve in patients who had failed conventional therapy previously. (more…)

A few years ago, a review of 30 studies of healing touch concluded, “no generalizable results were found.” In plain English that means there was no disease nor any group of patients with a disease where healing touch was a reliable treatment alternative.

A new study of healing touch in 12 veterans with neuropathic pain and the associated psychological distress from post spinal cord injury comes to the same conclusion.

(more…)

Neuropathic pain occurs when damaged or dysfunctional nerve fibers send incorrect signals to pain centers leading to feelings of tingling, numbness, and shooting and burning pain. It’s very discomforting to the patient and difficult to treat.

Here’s a study where cannabis showed benefit. (more…)

My thought about this study is that considering the academic and research “pedigree” of the authors (ie, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine [NCCAM], National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research, and Columbia University), why did they settle for such a rudimentary study design?

When you get to the end of this post, consider if this study advanced the state of our knowledge on this topic. (more…)

Exercise and diet can reduce neuropathic pain and help regenerate nerve fibers in overweight patients with impaired glucose tolerance (“Prediabetes”), according to research that was presented at the 2006 American Academy of Neurology 58th Annual Meeting.

Details of the study are reported here, and a review of the topic is presented here.

7/13/06 00:09 JR