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Meeting Highlights from The American Pain Society 30th Annual Scientific Meeting

Meeting Information

May 19-21, 2011
Austin Convention Center Austin, TX

The American Pain Society 30th Annual Scientific Meeting offered up-to-date information about diagnosing, treating, and managing acute pain, recurrent pain, and chronic cancer and non-cancer pain. Healthcare professionals who work in the multidisciplinary pain field came together to examine and evaluate current pain management models and to discuss their own research and clinical observations. They also learned about new trends and research in pain management. Here are 8 summaries of some of the research featured at the meeting.

From this Meeting:

Back Pain Linked to Falls Among Elderly Men
Two new studies on back pain among elderly men reveal five distinct patterns of back pain and an increased risk for falls. The findings are based on data from more than 5,600 men age 65 and older who enrolled in the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men study.
Chronic Pain after Breast Cancer Surgery Linked to Endogenous Pain Response
Chronic pain resulting from breast cancer surgery is common, occurring in nearly 50% of cases and may be linked to psychosocial factors and reduced endogenous inhibition of pain, according to a recent study.
Dextrose Injection Shows Efficacy in Sacroiliac Joint Pain
Sacroiliac joint denervation with hypertonic dextrose injections showed efficacy in 12 of 15 patients (80%) included in a recent study.
Hospice Caregivers’ Negative Attitudes Toward Opioids May Hinder Patient Care
Hospice caregivers’ knowledge and attitudes toward opioids and their ability to administer pain medicines should be assessed by health care providers as these factors can significantly affect patient outcomes and quality of life, according to new findings.
Insight into Pain Resulting from Motor Vehicle Accidents
New studies on pain occurring after motor vehicle accidents suggest that psychological traits may be a more powerful predictor of the extent of pain symptoms than collision-related factors and that fibromyalgia symptoms presenting after a collision commonly resolved within 6 months.
Many Generalists Lack Knowledge on Fibromyalgia Diagnosis and Treatment
A marked lack of confidence and knowledge on diagnosis and treatment of fibromyalgia was found in a survey of family and internal medicine practitioners. Nearly two-thirds of respondents requested more information on this topic.
Patients Undergoing Joint Replacement at Risk for Respiratory Events
A large percentage of patients undergoing joint replacement may have obstructive sleep apnea, suggesting the need for use of non-opioid analgesics in managing postoperative pain in this population.
Studies in Teens Examine Ways to Reduce Abdominal Pain and the Effect of Pain on Exercise
Two studies on adolescents shed light on treatment for abdominal pain and how pain and attitudes toward exercise affect physical activity levels.