New therapies are being tried for chronic pain

Researchers are exploring pain treatments that include an agent derived from Moroccan plants, methadone and massage.

By Susan J. Landers, AMNews staff. Dec. 5, 2005.

Washington -- Pain and what to do about it is a major headache -- not to mention backache, stomachache and so forth. Usually it eventually goes away, but sometimes it doesn't. That's chronic pain -- and that's bad.

Pain is frequently the reason behind a physician visit, yet it is often underdiagnosed and undertreated, said Sean Mackey, MD, PhD, associate director of the Stanford University Pain Management Center in Stanford, Calif.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is one example of a painful, life-altering condition that affects nearly one-half of all diabetic patients, particularly those who have poor glycemic control, said Dr. Mackey, speaking at the AMA's 24th annual Science Reporters' Conference held Nov. 10 in Washington, D.C.

The pain often starts in the hands or feet and slowly extends up the arm or leg, he said. If left unchecked, the pain will continue to progress. Yet it, too, is frequently left untreated, he said.

Pain is often with us. It is estimated that about 50 million Americans are affected. It's the most common presenting symptom for hospital admission after fever. This problem also damages the nation's economy, costing $61 billion dollars a year in time lost from work.

"Chronic pain in general has a huge impact on people's lives," said Dr. Mackey. "It causes depression. It causes anxiety." It can even lead to suicide.

The need to pay heed to it and its many causes also has been a concern of the National Institutes of Health, which has established a pain consortium that stretches across its institutes and centers.