2004

• Acupuncture Relieves Pain and Improves Function in Knee Osteoarthritis
  Acupuncture provides pain relief and improves function for people with osteoarthritis of the knee and serves as an effective complement to standard care. This landmark study was funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), both components of the National Institutes of Health.
  National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• New Study to Show How Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Rate Improvement Change
  A new clinical study to determine how people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) evaluate improvements in disease symptoms will be carried out by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), part of the Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health. The study will examine how much of an improvement in pain, stiffness, function and other symptoms is needed before patients consider the change important....
  National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
• Animal Studies Show Promise Treating Severe Chronic Pain
  Researchers may be on the trail of a new and more targeted treatment for severe chronic pain. In the current issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, a team of scientists established in a series of animal studies...
  National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
• Enrollment Begins for Osteoarthritis Initiative
  Recruitment has begun for the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI), a public-private partnership between the National Institutes of Health and industry that funds a multisite contract to create a resource to hasten discovery of...
  National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
• Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT)
  The study will test whether glucosamine and chondroitin used separately or in combination are effective in reducing pain and improving functional ability in patients with knee osteoarthritis. ..
  National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Scientists Find Gene Variant That Increases Susceptibility to Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
  A genetic variation within the interleukin-6 (IL-6) gene increases susceptibility to systemic juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, according to researchers funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin...
  National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• Study Shows Reduced Disability for People With Rheumatoid Arthritis
  Have disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and newer treatment strategies improved the long-term disability outlook for patients with rheumatoid arthritis? Scientists supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and...
  National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
• Vocational Rehabilitation Improves Job Retention for People with Rheumatic Diseases
  Vocational rehabilitation improves job retention for patients with rheumatic diseases who are at risk for job loss, according to a team of scientists from Boston University School of Medicine...
  National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

2003

• New Compound That Acts on Peripheral Receptors May be Promising Treatment for Some Nerve Pain
  Results of a new study in mice and rats show that a compound which acts on a specific type of cell receptor found only outside the central nervous system decreases the animals' pain responses. But the researchers caution...
  National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Study Links Chronic Pain to Signals in the Brain
  A new study shows that opioid drugs taken orally could provide relief for some of the more than 2 million Americans suffering with chronic pain resulting from damage to the nervous system...
  National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• Brain Pathway Shows Potential Therapy for Chronic Pain
  IA pain-signaling pathway in the brain, modulated by the neurotransmitter GABAB, could be the source of a potential therapy for controlling chronic pain, according to a recent study partly funded by the National Institute...
  National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
• Pain Research: Past, Present, and Future
  Dr. Ronald Dubner has a long and distinguished career in pain research. He is credited with establishing the first interdisciplinary pain research team at the NIDCR during the early 1970s, and his studies have helped to lay...
  National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
• Alcohol Researchers Identify a Genetic Basis of Pain Response
  A common genetic variant influences individual responses and adaptation to pain and other stressful stimuli and may underlie vulnerability to many psychiatric and other complex diseases, reports David Goldman, M.D....
  National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
• Pain of Juvenile Arthritis May Reduce School and Social Activity
  Scientists studying children with juvenile arthritis have found that increased pain and fatigue are linked to reduced participation in school and social activity. In addition, the researchers, led by Laura E. Schanberg, M.D., of...
  National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
• Self-Management Program Lessens Back Pain Symptoms for Inner City Patients
  Participation in a self-management program decreases symptoms associated with low back pain and increases confidence in managing low back pain symptoms for inner city patients, according to a recent study funded by....
  National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
• NCCAM Makes the First Two Awards to Create Centers of Excellence for Research on Complementary and Alternative Medicine
  The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) has made the first two awards in a new program to establish Centers of Excellence for Research on complementary and alternative medicine...
  National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• NCCAM Funds Two Awards Inaugurating Developmental Centers for Research on Complementary and Alternative Medicine
  The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is forging new partnerships between complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) institutions and major research universities in an innovative...
  National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Vulvodynia Workshop Highlights Prevalence of Disorder
  Many women have it, but few talk about it. Some will seek out doctor after doctor — typically, about five — before getting a diagnosis. Vulvodynia is a condition characterized by burning, stinging, irritation, or rawness of the...
  National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• Interstitial Cystitis Study Finds Limited Benefit in Two Oral Drugs
  An 18-month pilot study of two commonly available treatments has shown no significant benefit in patients with interstitial cystitis (IC). The results are reported in the September issue of the Journal of Urology. The first in...
  National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
  
• Gene Enhances Prefrontal Function at a Price
  Studies of a gene that affects how efficiently the brain's frontal lobes process information are revealing some untidy consequences of a tiny variation in its molecular structure and how it may increase susceptibility to...
  National Institute of Mental Health
• NIH Panel Confirms Effectiveness of Total Knee Replacement
  A panel charged with reviewing all of the available evidence on total knee replacement (TKR) today found that for persons suffering from intractable and persistent knee pain and disability, TKR surgery is a safe and cost...
  NIH Office of the Director

2002

• Panel Calls for Greater Attention to Cancer Patients' Pain, Depression, and Fatigue
  Health care professionals, caregivers, and patients all have an important role in symptom management throughout the course of cancer. Evidence suggests that pain is often undertreated, despite the availability...
  National Cancer Institute
• Relief for Patients with Spinal Disorder
  The drug etanercept alleviates the pain and stiffness associated with ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory spinal condition, according to results of a clinical trial supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and...
  National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
• Chinese Thunder God Vine Gives Relief from Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms
  The roots of Thunder God Vine, a plant whose leaves and flowers are highly toxic, have been used medicinally in China for over 400 years. A root extract of this plant was shown to safely and effectively reduce pain and...
  National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
• Women with Endometriosis Have Higher Rates of Some Diseases
  Women who have endometriosis are more likely than other women to have disorders in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissues, according to researchers at the National Institute of Child Health...
  National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• Electroacupuncture Trial Is NCCAM's First Intramural Study
  The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) has launched a clinical trial of electroacupuncture to determine if it reduces the delayed nausea experienced by cancer patients following...
  National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• New Drug Studies Show Promise for Reducing Joint Damage in Rheumatoid Arthritis
  Two new research studies in the November 30 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine reflect a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) research effort moving at a breathtaking pace, according to experts in the field...
  National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

2001

• Natural Compound May Offer New Treatment for Chronic Pain
  NIDA-supported researchers Drs. George Wilcox and Carolyn Fairbanks at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and Dr. Robert Yezierski at the University of Miami have demonstrated that a recently discovered...
  National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Study Gives Glimpse of Human Brain's Natural Painkiller System in Action
  A unique study that looked at chemical activity in the brains of human volunteers while they experienced sustained pain and reported how they felt is providing new insights into the importance of the body's natural...
  National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
• Public-Private Partnership Launches Osteoarthritis Initiative
  For the first time, a public-private partnership will bring together new resources and commitment to help find biological markers for the progression of osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease that is a major cause of...
  National Institute on Aging
• Major Review Reveals That Osteoarthritis is a Complex Disease with New Solutions
  A multidisciplinary group of scientists has declared that osteoarthritis (OA), the most common form of arthritis, is "surprisingly complex," but has outlined a number of new approaches to its understanding, prevention and...
  National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
• Popular Pain Analgesics Found to Affect Central Nervous System
  Widely prescribed pain killers that provide relief with minimal side effects may have more pain-relieving properties than previously identified. A new study funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders...
  National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• Drugs and Stress Management Together Best Manage Chronic Tension Headache: Clinical Trial Proves Benefit of Combined Therapies
  Stress management techniques such as relaxation and biofeedback can help treat chronic tension headaches, especially in combination with medicine, according to research funded by the National Institute of Neurological...
  National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• Epidural Pain Relief During Labor Does Not Increase Chance of C-Section
  Contrary to what had previously been reported, epidural analgesia, used to relieve women's pain during labor, does not appear to increase a woman's chances of having a Cesarean section, according to an analysis of...
  National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• Enzyme Therapy Shown Effective and Safe for Fabry Disease
  Enzyme replacement therapy effectively and safely reduces neuropathic pain in patients with Fabry disease, results of a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial show. The therapy also corrects the underlying...
  National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• Radiofrequency Energy Sizzles Tumors Without Surgery
  Research conducted at the Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows that by using radiofrequency energy, doctors can now "cook" tumors without actually removing them...
  Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center
• Damping the Flames: Inflammation Control Mechanism Determined
  After a decade of research, Michail Sitkovsky, Ph.D., and his coworkers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), may have answered one of the most perplexing questions in immunology: how...
  National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
• New Research Registry to Examine Rheumatoid Arthritis in African Americans
  Four major academic medical centers in the southeast United States will soon be gathering data for investigators interested in the genetics of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in African Americans, with support from the National...
  National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
• Sharp Drop In Stress Hormones May Set Stage For Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis After Pregnancy
  A sharp drop in stress hormones after giving birth to a child may predispose some women to develop certain conditions in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissues, according to researchers at the...
  National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• Clinical Trial Tests BCG for Interstitial Cystitis
  Ten centers in the United States and Canada seek 260 patients to try a promising therapy for interstitial cystitis (IC), a chronic and painful bladder condition that mostly targets women. The IC Clinical Trials Group study...
  National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

2000

• Animal Model Shows Pain and Tissue Injury in Newborns Alters Nerve Circuitry and Reaction to Pain Later in Life
  Newborns who experience tissue injury and pain during critical periods of development may undergo a permanent rewiring of their nervous system that increases their sensitivity to pain later in life. Working with an...
  National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
• Enbrel® Shown Safe, Effective in Children and Teenagers with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
  Enbrel® (etanercept) has been shown to be a safe and effective drug in the treatment of children and teenagers with polyarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), according to clinical trial results reported in the New...
  National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
• NIH Study Demonstrates Surprising Complication in HIV Infection
  Investigators at the National Institutes of Health have demonstrated that a disabling bone disorder, osteonecrosis of the hip, is surprisingly common among patients with HIV infection. The study results will be presented...
  Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center
  National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease
  
• Migraine Experts to Discuss Latest Advances in Research and Treatment
  To help improve the prevention and management of migraine headaches, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at the National Institutes of Health is sponsoring a conference of leading...
  National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

1999

• New Target Identified for Chronic Pain Pathway
  Scientists funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) may soon be able to reduce sensitivity to stimuli that are associated with chronic neuropathic and inflammatory pain by disabling...
  National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• Questions & Answers: NIH Study on Glucosamine/Chondroitin Sulfate for Knee Osteoarthritis
  The study is the first multicenter clinical trial in the United States to test the effects of the dietary supplements glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate for treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. The study will test whether...
  National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
• NIAMS Funds Multicenter Study of Surgical vs. Nonsurgical Treatment of Back Pain
  Surgical versus nonsurgical treatment of three back disorders will be studied in 1,450 patients at 11 medical centers with funds awarded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases...
  National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
• NIAMS Funds Multiple Research Grants in Fibromyalgia
  Eight new fibromyalgia research grants have been funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The grants, totaling...
  National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
• Gene Therapy for Pain
  NIH scientists are attacking chronic pain with a novel form of gene therapy that targets the spinal cord. Though still in the animal testing stage, this approach has overcome one of the major obstacles to gene therapy as a...
  National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
• Relaxation and Music Significantly Reduce Patients' Postoperative Pain
  New research has found that relaxation and music, separately or together, significantly reduce patients' pain following major abdominal surgery. The study, published in the May issue of Pain, found that these methods in...
  National Institute of Nursing Research
• Older, Disabled Women Have Trouble Managing Pain
  Nearly two-thirds of older, disabled women report significant pain in their back, knees, hips, and feet, and have considerable difficulty controlling it, according to new findings from the National Institute on Aging's (NIA)...
  National Institute on Aging
• Artificial Hips Relieve Pain and Renew Lives
  Are walking and bending over and other daily activities becoming too painful because of osteoarthritis in your hip? If so, then hip replacement might be something to consider. It is one of the most successful surgical...
  National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases