New hope for treating chronic pain without opioids scienceblog.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from scienceblog.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Researchers report that patients injured in the facial bones by high-speed fire and operated on approximately 2-4 weeks after the injury suffered fewer post-operative complications compared to those wounded who underwent immediate surgical treatment. They hypothesize that this is due to a critical period of time before surgery, which facilitates healing and formation of new blood vessels in the area of the injury and, subsequently, an improvement in the blood and oxygen supply.
Date Time
New hope for treating chronic pain without opioids
According to some estimates, chronic pain affects up to 40% of Americans, and treating it frustrates both clinicians and patients–a frustration that’s often compounded by a hesitation to prescribe opioids for pain.
A new study from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry confirms that a low dose of a drug called naltrexone is a good option for patients with orofacial and chronic pain, without the risk of addiction, said first author Elizabeth Hatfield, a clinical lecturer in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Hospital Dentistry.
Naltrexone is a semisynthetic opioid first developed in 1963 as an oral alternative to naloxone, the nasal spray used to reverse opioid drug overdoses. When prescribed at doses of 50 to 100 milligrams, naltrexone blocks the effects of alcohol and opioids.
E-Mail
NYU College of Dentistry clinician-scientists Seiichi Yamano and Brian Schmidt have set out to develop a new class of medicines using gene therapy to effectively and safely treat oral cancer pain. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded the researchers a five-year, $2.9 million grant (R01DE029694) to test whether nonviral co-delivery of DNA and RNA will safely alleviate oral cancer pain.
Patients with oral cancer often suffer from severe pain. These patients may find it difficult to eat, drink, or even talk. The opioid medications used to treat oral cancer pain become less effective as patients develop drug tolerance, and cause numerous debilitating side effects.
Share this article
Share this article
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Dec. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ Today, Dr. Roland Hernandez Chief of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Broward Health Medical Center and Memorial Regional Hospital have announced a collaborative effort to help Jacob Beneby remove a debilitating tumor (the size of two tennis balls laid side by side) from his face.
Dr. Roland Hernandez will be helping Jacob Beneby Smile again.
Jacob has been living with this tumor for the past 3 decades and after multiple failed surgeries, it continues to grow. The tumor has him in critical pain and unable to function normally. It is estimated that this tumor weighs 10 pounds. Jacob and his wife were flown to Florida to meet with Dr. Roland Hernandez and upon reviewing his case, it was found that the tumor was growing from the inside and outside of his jaw and a series of surgeries would be needed to bring him back to health. Jaw replacement would be the only way to full