The burden of pain
Janet Doyle takes an in-depth look at chronic pain, and the issues affecting people living with it “Educate GPs that I am not after medication just because I am asking …
Musculoskeletal health: MSK survey helps make the invisible visible
Many people are experiencing pain seven days a week affecting their ability to work and function, a musculoskeletal health survey finds.1 Living with a musculoskeletal condition is negatively effecting the …
Musculoskeletal health: Supportive shoes reduces knee pain in severe OA
Wearing stable, supportive footwear reduces knee pain significantly in patients with severe knee osteoarthritis, according to results of a randomised, controlled trial1 presented at the OARSI 2021 World Congress. Clinical …
Chronic pain and opioids: Pain program prompts practice change
An innovative opioid education program is helping pharmacists feel more confident to raise issues like opioid harm—as well as discuss alternative treatment options with their patients. The NPS Medicinewise program1 was …
Chronic pain and opioids: How to talk tapering
Knowing how to begin patient conversations about opioid tapering can be challenging so NPS MedicineWise offers some practice tips to get the conversation off on the right footing. Use the …
Chronic pain and opioids: Carers must be opioid aware
With opioid literacy an ongoing problem, Carers Australia is urging pharmacists to play a more active role in identifying carers of people relying on opioids for pain relief, and to …
Shingles needs a shake-up
A campaign aims to make Australians shingles-aware — and one group says pharmacists could help. A new campaign has been launched to raise awareness of the signs, symptoms and risk …
Headache and migraine: Make some headroom
Pharmacists can make a difference to the burden of headache and migraine, given research shows GPs aren’t adequately trained and 50% of patients haven’t even been properly diagnosed. The 2020-21 …
Psychology of pain: COVID makes life worse for chronic pain patients
Lockdown stress has hit chronic pain patients hard but those with more resilience, flexibility and acceptance have coped better, research finds. Chronic pain patients experienced increased pain, anxiety, depression and …
The state of play: A balancing act
With the number of people with chronic pain increasing and access to some pharmacological treatments reducing, pharmacists should be supported to offer services beyond medication supply. Despite regulatory changes aimed …
Children’s pain: Suffer little children
Despite its prevalence, children’s pain is poorly understood, often ignored and under-treated, say pain experts in a new report. Undertreated, unrecognised or poorly managed pain in childhood leads to important …
Musculoskeletal health: Back to basics
Low back pain is leading cause of disability in the world, yet common treatments like paracetamol are ineffective, a wide-ranging review of the evidence has found Pharmacists will be no …