Latest news with #chronicPain
The Independent
3 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Struggling with lower back pain? This activity could help
A recent study suggests that spending time in nature can alleviate chronic lower back pain, which affects over a quarter of Americans and is the sixth-most costly condition in the U.S. Researchers at the University of Plymouth found that nature provides physical and mental benefits, including stress and anxiety reduction, for individuals with chronic lower back pain. The study, based on interviews with 10 participants experiencing chronic lower back pain for 5 to 38 years, highlighted the importance of natural features like fresh air and the sound of running water in promoting tranquility. Experts recommend that people with chronic back pain consider incorporating nature into their coping strategies, while taking precautions such as using proper hiking techniques and equipment. Researchers suggest making natural spaces more accessible through better paths, seating, and virtual reality innovations to ensure everyone can benefit from nature's therapeutic effects.
Associated Press
28-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
MIRA Pharmaceuticals to Participate in BIO 2025 in Boston and Highlights Ongoing Progress Across Clinical Program
The company will engage in BIO One-on-One Partnering™ meetings as it advances Phase 1 for Ketamir-2, prepares Phase IIa study in neuropathic pain, and finalizes filings for SKNY acquisition. MIAMI, FL / ACCESS Newswire / May 28, 2025 / MIRA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:MIRA) ('MIRA' or the 'Company'), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for neurologic, neuropsychiatric, and metabolic disorders, today announced that it will participate in the BIO International Convention 2025, taking place in Boston, MA from June 16-19, 2025. The Company has a full schedule of BIO One-on-One Partnering™ meetings planned as it explores potential licensing, strategic partnerships, and M&A opportunities. The Company's lead candidate, Ketamir-2, a next-generation oral ketamine analog, is currently undergoing a Phase 1 clinical trial. With the second dosing cohort completed, the Company is now preparing to initiate the third cohort. Building on this momentum, MIRA anticipates initiating a Phase IIa study in neuropathic pain before the end of the year, advancing the development of what the Company believes could be a safe, effective non-opioid alternative for chronic pain management. In addition, MIRA is advancing a series of preclinical studies with Ketamir-2, including models evaluating its potential in PTSD, as well as a topical formulation aimed at treating localized inflammatory pain. The Company is also finalizing regulatory filings related to its acquisition of SKNY Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ('SKNY'), with submission to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) expected in the coming weeks. SKNY-1, SKNY's primary pharmaceutical candidate, is being developed as an oral therapeutic targeting smoking cessation and obesity, with activity at CB1, CB2, and MAO-B receptors. 'Our pipeline is advancing on all fronts, and we are focused on turning this scientific momentum into long-term value for patients and shareholders,' said Erez Aminov, Chief Executive Officer of MIRA. 'As we move closer to initiating Phase IIa and completing the SKNY transaction, we're actively exploring strategic opportunities to accelerate growth, including licensing and partnerships-especially in areas like chronic pain where non-opioid alternatives like Ketamir-2 are urgently needed.' Dr. Angel, Chief Scientific Advisor at MIRA, added: 'We believe Ketamir-2 is paving the way for a new class of non-opioid therapies. The science is compelling, and the progress we have made is truly exciting. I look forward to sharing the depth of our work and the promising data we've generated with potential partners and investors.' Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release and the statements of MIRA's management related thereto contain 'forward-looking statements,' which are statements other than historical facts made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements may be identified by words such as 'aims,' 'anticipates,' 'believes,' 'could,' 'estimates,' 'expects,' 'forecasts,' 'goal,' 'intends,' 'may,' 'plans,' 'possible,' 'potential,' 'seeks,' 'will,' and variations of these words or similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any statements in this press release that are not historical facts may be deemed forward-looking. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on MIRA's current expectations, estimates, and projections only as of the date of this release and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties (many of which are beyond MIRA's control) that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements, including related to MIRA's potential merger with SKNY Pharmaceuticals, Inc. These and other risks concerning MIRA's programs and operations are described in additional detail in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and other SEC filings, which are on file with the SEC at and MIRA's website at MIRA explicitly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except to the extent required by law. Contact Information Helga Moya [email protected] (786) 432-9792 SOURCE: MIRA Pharmaceuticals press release
The Sun
23-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Kinky sex relieves the pain of a bad back or arthritis, research suggests
KINKY sex relieves the pain of a bad back or arthritis, research suggests. Those with a taste for whips and handcuffs in the bedroom reported health benefits as well as sexual enjoyment in the study. Many said they experienced short-term relief from chronic pain after a session with a Miss Whiplash. It is said to be down to the simultaneous release of stress hormones in response to the pain and the feelgood hormone dopamine during a bondage session — known as BDSM. Researcher Reni Forer said: 'Many BDSM practitioners experience benefits beyond sexual pleasure. Given the overlap in brain circuitry involved, BDSM could unknowingly result in pain relief for people with chronic pain.' Up to half of us are believed to live with long-term aches and pains from conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia or long-term injuries. The study, from the University of Michigan in the US, involved 525 people into BDSM, short for bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism. Four in ten of them also suffered from chronic pain, defined as lasting longer than three months. In the study, 35 per cent said they felt pain relief after a kinky romp. A similar proportion said it helped to increase their pain tolerance and their ability to talk about their condition or cope with it emotionally. Ms Forer said: 'Participation can also benefit other aspects of one's life, including trauma processing, decreased psychological distress and higher wellbeing.' A recent Australian study found nine out of ten back pain remedies were no good, with no proof there was any benefit from steroids, paracetamol, acupuncture, heat or massage.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Stoke-on-Trent MP Allison Gardner in tears over 'excruciating' chronic UTI
An MP has described the "debilitating and excruciating" experience of living with a chronic urinary tract infection (UTI).Allison Gardner, the Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent South, made an emotional speech in a Westminster Hall debate on the condition, which she said had at one point led her to consider having her bladder through tears, Gardner called for better recognition of and treatment for chronic UTIs."I do believe that this is yet another case in point of how women's medical conditions continue to be misunderstood, under-researched and underfunded," she said. UTIs are bacterial infections which can affect the bladder, urethra or said she had frequently relied on bags of frozen peas to relieve the pain but said some women at the debate had described pouring scalding water on their legs to distract themselves."It's really unpleasant," Gardner told the BBC. "You get burning, stinging when you urinate." Gardner said while most people knew what a UTI was, severe and chronic infections made sufferers feel like they were "on fire"."There's something strange about the pain because it also gets to you mentally," she explained. "You just can't think and it becomes all-consuming."It gets to you that badly that you think you can't carry on."The MP has suffered from menopause-induced UTIs for more than a decade but said the "dipstick" test usually used to diagnose an infection was not sensitive when someone has a "raging" UTI, she said, was action taken and, even then, the antibiotics prescribed were not enough to fully clear it."So you're in this loop of infections, where eventually it becomes embedded and chronic," she added. 'Medical misogyny' Gardner herself was not diagnosed as a chronic sufferer until one point she thought she would not longer be able to work, or even have a relationship - because UTIs made sex said the lack of understanding around the condition in women was an example of medical misogyny - with male patients often prescribed longer courses of antibiotics."You would never say to a man who has erectile dysfunction: 'Well, you'll just have to give up sex.'. Yet this is what happens with women all the time," she a cocktail of medication now keeps her infections - mostly - at bay, Gardner still suffers from daily life is still affected she added as she can no longer enjoy tomatoes, grapes, wine, whisky or even baths because they might trigger an is now hoping to launch a cross-party parliamentary group to look at chronic UTIs. She is also calling on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to recognise them."If I can get NICE to provide guidance, that is a huge win," she said. "That would be phenomenal."A spokesperson for NICE said it had updated its guidance on prescriptions for recurrent UTIs in December."We regularly review and update our guidelines, particularly if there are any significant changes to the evidence base," they added. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Medscape
20-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Mixed Results for BC's Opioid Standard for Noncancer Pain
An opioid prescribing practice standard for chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) was associated with accelerated declines in opioid doses and high-dose prescribing in British Columbia (BC) but also with more aggressive and inappropriate dose tapering, a new analysis showed. In addition, the standard resulted in restricted access to opioids for patients who may have benefited from them. For some individuals, this restriction continues today, despite a subsequent update, experts said. Shifting Standards and Guidelines The practice standard 'Safe Prescribing of Drugs with Potential for Misuse/Diversion' was released by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia in 2016, then revised in 2018 to clarify that clinicians should not use aggressive tapering or reduce access to opioids for patients with cancer or those receiving palliative care, according to the new analysis, which was published on May 12 in CMAJ. The 2016 standard, which was legally enforceable, was associated with the acceleration of preexisting declines in opioid prescriptions to patients with CNCP, as well as declines in high-dose prescribing. However, it also 'reflected the most worrisome recommendation by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guideline,' which was published earlier [and has since been updated], Jason Busse, MD, professor of anesthesia at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, told Medscape Medical News. Jason Busse, MD The 2016 standard recommended against increasing the dose of opioids to 90 morphine milligram equivalents or more per day for patients with CNCP but failed to clarify whether the recommendation pertained to new or legacy patients, said Busse. The result was that patients already on high doses risked being tapered aggressively to meet the new dose requirements. In addition, the standard 'seems to have limited access for populations that have historically benefited from opioids, including patients with cancer or those receiving palliative care,' study author Dimitra Panagiotoglou, MD, associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health at McGill University in Montreal, told Medscape Medical News. Dimitra Panagiotoglou, MD The study's findings 'demonstrate the ability of practice standards to modify physician behavior but also highlight how misinterpretation can harm patients,' Panagiotoglou added. In 2017, between the publication of the original practice standard and its subsequent update, the Canadian government released the 'Guideline for Opioids for Chronic Noncancer Pain.' The 2017 guideline was not legally enforceable and was more open to interpretation than the 2016 practice standard, however, and so the effects of the guideline on physician prescribing in BC 'appear to be small, if present at all,' the study authors noted. The 2018 practice standard update is legally enforceable. But because appropriate access to opioid medications remains limited even now, clinicians on Panagiotoglou's team and patients they've spoken with have 'mixed feelings' about the updated standard and the 2017 prescribing guideline. Furthermore, Busse said, 'There are now several recent guidelines for opioids and chronic pain that make different recommendations. Some recommend against use of opioids for CNCP under any circumstances, while others do not. Research is needed to understand why these discrepancies have arisen and to provide guidance on which recommendations are most trustworthy.' One step in that direction is an update to the 2017 guideline, he noted. A quick reference summary of the update is available now, and full recommendations are expected to be published next winter. 'Unlearning' the Past Why did BC health officials decide to address opioid prescribing in 2016? 'Today, there is an overall understanding that overprescribing can lead to opioid use disorder, but for a long time, that wasn't the case,' said Monty Ghosh, MD, an addiction physician and researcher and assistant professor at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, and the University of Calgary, Calgary. Monty Ghosh, MD 'The previous philosophy was that pain was the fifth vital sign, that we should be prescribing opioids freely for all types of pain, and that they didn't have addictive potential,' he told Medscape Medical News . 'That is all being undone right now.' In 2016, health officials saw higher than normal rates of drug poisonings and overdoses, spurring the declaration of an opioid 'crisis' in BC as well as in Alberta, Ghosh said. 'An alert went out to ensure that physicians were not fueling the crisis because at points in time, we were. That is when we started to see the gears change in terms of prescribing. Changes started trickling in before but really ramped up in 2017 to 2018.' Nevertheless, he noted, 'It's much harder to unlearn than it is to learn, and the standards and the guideline increased awareness of the potential harms.' Prescribing changed due to other practice modifications as well, he said. For example, in Alberta, prescribers now receive quarterly memos showing the amount of opioids they've prescribed and where they fit in the spectrum of prescribers. The memos show, for example, whether the prescriber is in the top or bottom 5% of prescribers. 'Those memos link to information on how to properly prescribe for patients with CNCP that are pretty much in keeping with the guideline and standard,' said Ghosh. Nonopioid Options If the goal is to reduce inappropriate opioid prescribing, then it's important to take advantage of nonopioid options, Busse said. But although opioids are a 'treatment of last resort' for CNCP, several nonopioid options are inaccessible for many patients with chronic pain because services are unavailable where they reside, out-of-pocket costs are high, or waiting lists are long. One potentially more accessible option is remote, therapist-guided cognitive-behavioral therapy, which seemed to be as effective as in-person therapy for chronic pain in a recent study by Busse's team. 'In addition, some emerging therapies for chronic pain, such as pain-reprocessing therapy, suggest large effects, and further high-quality trials are needed to confirm findings,' he said. Evidence-based preventive strategies for CNCP also should be incorporated into clinical practice, he added. For example, a recent study showed that a program of education and progressive walking effectively reduces recurrence of low back pain. Ghosh advised using as many adjunct interventions as possible when treating patients with CNCP. These interventions include physical therapy, proper sleep habits, and, if needed, treatment of concomitant depression and anxiety that can worsen pain perception. Potentially helpful medications could include acetaminophen, gabapentin, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. 'We need to be maximizing those interventions before we start initiating, reducing, or tapering opioids,' he said. In a related commentary, Kiran Grant, MD, and colleagues at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, pointed out that evidence-based treatments for chronic pain are often inaccessible for many people with a concurrent diagnosis of opioid use disorder. They suggest integrating chronic pain management into the care for these patients to reduce overdose rates and improve outcomes. 'Prescribe Diligently' When an opioid prescription is appropriate, Ghosh said, 'We should be prescribing it and making sure we do it diligently and that we really deal with the patient's pain. Importantly, people who have a substance use disorder should not be prevented from accessing pain medications if they're in acute pain. In fact, they should be worked with to make sure we're not underprescribing for the acute pain because we're worried about feeding their substance use. 'We need to prescribe higher amounts of pain medications to treat their acute pain: For example, if they've pulled a muscle or if they've been in a motor vehicle accident and sustained a fractured rib,' he said. 'That prescribing should trend down over time as their pain resolves, and we wean them from the extra opioids.' 'We know that the evidence for chronic pain management for all patients is limited and that opioid use can be detrimental,' he said. 'So, when we decide to prescribe, we need to be careful, and we need to do it appropriately.' The study was supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Project grant. Panagiotoglou, who holds a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in the Economics of Harm Reduction, declared having no relevant financial relationships. Ghosh cofounded Canada's National Overdose Response Service, belongs to the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine, and reported having no relevant financial relationships. Busse holds government grants to study opioids and chronic pain, including for the update of the opioid guideline, and he is on a funded grant with Panagiotoglou to study the spillover effects of opioid guidelines but reported having no relevant financial relationships.
