FRIDAY, Dec. 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Recovery from heart surgery can bring some pain. But a new study suggests patients don’t need potentially addictive prescription opioids to control that post-op discomfort. “This study shows that discharge without opioid pain medicine after cardiac surgery is extremely well tolerated by someContinue Reading

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 15, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Couples struggling to conceive a child through in vitro fertilization (IVF) sometimes are offered an often-painful procedure known as “scratching the womb” as a desperate last hope to get pregnant. As many as one-third of IVF clinics offer the practice in Australia, NewContinue Reading

TUESDAY, Dec. 14, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Pandemic lockdowns may have led fewer Americans to seek pain treatment last year, but folks who did seek help had higher-than-usual odds of receiving dangerous opioid painkillers, a new study says. And that could lead to a worsening of the opioid epidemic, researchersContinue Reading

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 1, 2021 (HealthDay News) — People who are prescribed opioid painkillers after receiving a heart pacemaker or defibrillator may be at risk for opioid abuse — and the higher the initial dose, the greater the risk, according to a new study. “The significance of this study is toContinue Reading

TUESDAY, Nov. 30, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The often debilitating condition known as chronic fatigue syndrome appears to be common among COVID-19 long-haulers. That’s the key takeaway from a fresh look at patients who continue to struggle with severe fatigue, poor sleep, brain fog, muscle aches and pains long afterContinue Reading

TUESDAY, Nov 23, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Addictive opioid painkillers aren’t the only option for patients seeking relief following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee reconstruction, researchers say. As the United States wrestles with skyrocketing rates of opioid abuse and drug overdose deaths, the findings may come as good news. AfterContinue Reading

MONDAY, Nov. 22, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Most prescriptions for the medication gabapentin are for unapproved uses — and many patients end up taking it along with drugs that create potentially dangerous interactions. That’s the conclusion of a new study that looked at “off-label” use of gabapentin. In the UnitedContinue Reading

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) — A 3-D virtual reality system to treat back pain was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday. The EaseVRx system is a prescription device for at-home use that combines cognitive behavioral therapy and other behavioral methods to treat patients 18Continue Reading

FRIDAY, Nov. 12, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Arm and shoulder pain are common for women after breast cancer surgery, and beginning a supervised exercise program soon afterwards can go a long way to easing the discomfort, new research suggests. As the team of British investigators explained, restricted shoulder movement andContinue Reading

TUESDAY, Nov. 9, 2021 (HealthDay News) — More than two-thirds of Americans would be willing to try alternatives to prescription opioids to control pain after surgery, a new survey shows. The United States is grappling with an opioid addiction crisis, and it’s common for addiction to begin when patients getContinue Reading

MONDAY, Nov. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) — When it comes to a COVID-19 shot, fear might be a self-fulfilling prophecy. A new study found that folks who worried about possible side effects after vaccination were more likely to actually experience those side effects. Along with explaining why some people feelContinue Reading