Drugs

Long-Term Use of Muscle Relaxants for Chronic Pain

October 02, 2024 JAMA Network Open TAKE-HOME MESSAGE This systematic review of 44 studies assessed the efficacy of long-term use of skeletal muscle relaxants for chronic pain. Skeletal muscle relaxants were effective for neck pain, cramping pain, and trigeminal neuralgia. The effectiveness of skeletal muscle relaxants for fibromyalgia and low back pain was comparable to […]

Chiropractic Care Reduces Opioid Prescriptions for Lower Back Pain by 68 Percent: Study

Recent research highlights how spinal adjustments can significantly reduce dependency on pain medication such as the often prescribed Tramadol. By Sheramy Tsai 6/6/2024 Updated: 6/30/2024 Could spinal adjustments replace pain pills? Recent research suggests that chiropractic adjustments can significantly alleviate lower back pain and reduce the need for tramadol, offering a nondrug option for managing […]

Topical Diclofenac vs Oral Ibuprofen for Acute Low Back Pain

March 21, 2024 Annals of Emergency Medicine TAKE-HOME MESSAGE This randomized placebo-controlled trial evaluated the use of diclofenac gel versus oral ibuprofen for acute low back pain in the emergency department and found that topical diclofenac gel was significantly less effective in relieving pain and improving function 2 days after prescription compared with oral ibuprofen 400 […]

Use of Acid-Suppression Therapy Linked to Migraine, Severe Headache

April 29, 2024 Adjusted odds ratios of 1.70, 1.40, and 1.30 seen for proton pump inhibitors, H2 receptor antagonists, and generic antacids, respectively FRIDAY, April 26, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Use of acid-suppression therapy is associated with higher odds of migraine or severe headache, according to a study published online April 24 in Neurology: Clinical Practice. […]

Effectiveness of Long-Term Opioid Therapy for Chronic Low Back Pain

April 02, 2024 Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine: JABFM TAKE-HOME MESSAGE This propensity score–matched retrospective cohort study evaluated the effectiveness of long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) for up to 12 months in treating individuals with chronic low back pain. No difference was observed between the LTOT and control groups with regard to mean […]

Prenatal Acetaminophen Use Linked to Poorer Early Language Development

Primary Care News · January 08, 2024 Prenatal Acetaminophen Use Linked to Poorer Early Language Development Third-trimester use linked to poorer language outcomes among male children FRIDAY, Jan. 5, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Prenatal acetaminophen use during pregnancy is associated with poorer early language development, especially among male offspring, according to a study published online […]

The Role of Systemic Steroids in Sciatica Due to Herniated Lumbar Disc

A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Vale, João MDa; Rocha, Eduardo MDb; Lemos, Carolina MD, PhDc,d; Valente, Cristina PhDe,f; Andrade, Renato BSce,f,g; Espregueira-Mendes, João MD, PhDe,f,h,i,,j; Rodrigues-Pinto, Ricardo MD, PhD, FEBOTa,c,k Spine 48(23):p E391-E400, December 1, 2023. | DOI: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000004801 Abstract Study Design. Systematic review and meta-analysis. Objective. Evaluate the role of systemic steroids in treating […]

For Tension Headache, Combo Rx Tops Acetaminophen

December 1, 2014 Alisa G. Woods, PhD Pain relief is better with a triple combination medication that includes acetaminophen than with acetaminophen by itself, researchers found, suggesting a new therapeutic option. A triple combination medication for tension headache that includes acetaminophen is more effective for pain relief than acetaminophen by itself, an international group of […]

Cannabis Use Disorder Tied to Incident Cardiovascular Disease Events

October 14, 2023 Higher risk for incident events seen over seven years of follow-up THURSDAY, Oct. 12, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Adults with cannabis use disorder (CUD) have a higher risk for incident adverse cardiovascular disease (CVD) events when compared with matched adults without CUD, according to a study published online Sept. 27 in Addiction. […]

Safety, Efficacy, and Tolerability of the Modified Atkins Diet in Persons With Drug-Resistant Epilepsy

April 06, 2023 TAKE-HOME MESSAGE This randomized controlled trial compared the efficacy of the modified Atkins diet (a more liberal ketogenic diet that is presumed to have greater adherence rates) plus standard drug therapy with that of standard drug therapy alone in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. Although the study included only 160 patients, the dietary […]

Recreational Cannabis Use a Negative for Adolescent Mental Health

— Even “subdiagnostic” use associated with adverse psychological events, study says by Elizabeth Short, Staff Writer, MedPage Today May 4, 2023 Cannabis use that doesn’t rise to the level of diagnosable substance abuse disorder was nonetheless associated with negative affects on mental health, national data showed. In the 2015 to 2019 National Surveys on Drug […]

Overprescribed Antibiotics for Colds Causes Patient Harm

April 30, 2023 Researchers identify hundreds of thousands of cases of resulting diarrhea, candidiasis, and Clostridium difficile infections needing medical attention THURSDAY, April 27, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Overprescribing of antibiotics for acute upper respiratory infections (aURIs) causes significant patient harm, according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of Internal […]

A Systematic Review of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Persons With Non-specific Low Back Pain With and Without Radiculopathy: Identification of Best Evidence for Rehabilitation to Develop the WHO’s Package of Interventions for Rehabilitation

Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2023 Mar 23;S0003-9993(23)00160-0. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2023.02.022. Fabio Zaina PMID: 36963709 DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2023.02.022 Abstract Objective: To Identify evidence-based rehabilitation interventions for persons with non-specific low back pain (LBP) with and without radiculopathy and to develop recommendations from high-quality clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) to inform the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Package of Interventions for […]

Docs’ Liking for Knee Injection Tied to Industry Payments

— Threefold rate for giving hyaluronic acid shots among those paid more than $100 by John Gever, Contributing Writer, MedPage Today March 20, 2023 Physicians accepting payments from drug and device companies administered significantly more hyaluronic acid (HA) injections to Medicare beneficiaries for knee osteoarthritis, researchers found. Those receiving more than $100 in cash or […]

Long-term, systemic antibiotic use for the treatment of adolescent acne can promote fat accumulation

Long-term, systemic antibiotic use for the treatment of adolescent acne can promote fat accumulation Published March 14, 2023 | Originally published on MedicalXpress Breaking News-and-Events A growing body of evidence is showing that the healthy gut microbiome—a community of microorganisms that live together in the gut—influences many aspects of human growth and development, especially during […]

Regular Use of Laxatives Linked to Risk for All-Cause Dementia

February 27, 2023 Risk for all-cause, vascular dementia was increased with number of regularly used laxative types THURSDAY, Feb. 23, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Regular use of laxatives, especially use of multiple laxative types, is associated with an increased risk for all-cause dementia, according to a study published online Feb. 22 in Neurology. Zhirong Yang, […]

Nonopioid pharmacological management of acute low back pain: A level I of evidence systematic review

Alice Baroncini, Nicola Maffulli, Hazim Al-Zyoud, Andreas Bell, Aleksandar Sevic, Filippo Migliorini First published: 22 February 2023 https://doi.org/10.1002/jor.25508 Abstract Acute low back pain (LBP) imposes a significant socioeconomical burden as it is the condition that, worldwide, cause the most disability. Nonetheless, the literature regarding the best pharmacological management of acute LBP is limited, and the […]

Effect of Statin Therapy on Muscle Symptoms

September 14, 2022 The Lancet TAKE-HOME MESSAGE This large meta-analysis investigated the effects of statins on muscle symptoms over time based on data from 154,664 participants in 23 double-blind trials. The relative increase of muscle pain or weakness was <10% (1 in 15 patients), mainly during the first year of statin use. It also confirmed […]

What is long-term cannabis use doing to our brains?

By Joe Hannan | Medically reviewed by Amanda Zeglis, DO, MBA | Published August 17, 2022 Key Takeaways A 2022 study found that long-term cannabis users had cognitive deficits and lower hippocampal volume at age 45 compared with non-users and users of other substances. Legalization and decriminalization efforts, coupled with medical marijuana programs, may be […]

Initial Choice of Spinal Manipulation Reduces Escalation of Care for Chronic Low Back Pain Among Older Medicare Beneficiaries

Whedon, James M. DC, MS SPINE: February 15, 2022 – Volume 47 – Issue 4 – p E142-E148 doi: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000004118 Study Design. We combined elements of cohort and crossover-cohort design. Objective. The objective of this study was to compare longterm outcomes for spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) and opioid analgesic therapy (OAT) regarding escalation of care […]