63% women complain of knee pain

More than half of middle-aged and mature women suffer from knee pain, a new study has revealed.

It found that 63per cent of women age 50 and older reported persistent, incident, or intermittent knee pain during a 12-year study period.

Predictors for persistent pain included higher body mass index (BMI), previous knee injury, and radiographic osteoarthritis (OA).

“Our study is the first community-based investigation of knee pain patterns using multiple assessment points over a 12-year period,” said lead author Nigel Arden, MSc, MD, a Professor of Rheumatology at the University of Oxford in the UK.

“Understanding the prevalence and predictors of knee pain is the first step in developing comprehensive pain assessment plans that could lead to more targeted treatment options for those burdened by OA,” he noted.
More than 1,000 women between the ages of 44 and 57 years (median age of 52 years) participated in the study.

At the end of the 12-year study, data relating to self-reported knee pain was analysed and used to classify the 489 remaining participants into four pain groups—asymptomatic, persistent, incident, and intermittent.

The team found a prevalence of 44 percent for “any days of pain” and 23 percent for “pain on most days of the previous month” in the cohort at the end of the study period.

Of those experiencing “any pain” versus “pain on most days,” 9 percent and 2 percent had persistent pain; 24 percent and 16 percent had incident pain; and 29 percent and 18 percent had intermittent pain, respectively.

Researchers determined that a higher BMI predicted persistent and incident pain patterns, while radiographic OA was a predictor of persistent pain. Those reporting knee injury were likely to have persistent or intermittent pain patterns.

The findings of the study appeared in Arthritis and Rheumatism, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

Now, a patch that eases your chronic pain

The plight of someone who experiences chronic pain is only imaginable! Though various therapies exist to alleviate the condition, the key is to find out which therapy suits you best.

There are many painkiller medicines available in the market today but not everything is best suited to tackle conditions such as Tennis elbow, Arthritis Deformans (chronic form of arthritis), Peritendinitis (swelling of tendons), Myalgia (muscle pain), Spondylitis (swelling of vertebrae) etc that are characterized by chronic pain.


However, now there’s a ray of hope for the sufferers of chronic pain, as now such people can look forward to what is called Transdermal patches, which serve as saviour when it comes to chronic pain.

Dr. Sushma Bhatnagar, Anaesthesiology Specialist, AIIMS explains, “A transdermal patch is a medicated adhesive patch which when placed on the skin, helps in effective management of chronic pain conditions. The first transdermal patch was approved by the USFDA way back in 1979. Since then, transdermal patches have come a long way. In India, however, there is not much awareness about these as of now.”

She further explains, “New-generation patches such as Fen-Touch Fentanyl Transdermal Patches are highly advanced and deliver timely response but only the specific dose of medication, that is required, should be consumed”.

These therapeutic patches comes in different capacities ranging from 1.25 mg to 10 mg, where the drugs reach the body system in a calibrated and controlled speed ranging from 12.5 to 100 micrograms of Fentanyl (painkiller medicine) per hour.

Some of the other advantages where transdermal drug delivery systems scores over oral medication are that when used for a longer duration, it results in a reduction in dosing frequency, it is a painless and simple application, it has less side effects and many more.

So, next time when that chronic pain pinches you, it’s time to beat it via transdermal patches. After all, a patch is better than a pill any day!

Mirror trick could ease arthritis pain

Arthritic pain can be eased by an optical illusion relying on mirrors to trick the brain.

A simple trick makes it seem as if the painful joints have been replaced by healthier ones, causing the brain to believe it is less stiff and painful.

The technique, which has also been used to help amputees overcome `phantom limb` pain, could help millions of sufferers relieve the symptoms of arthritis without the need for more drugs.

University of California researchers in San Diego helped patients reduce their pain by an average of one-and-a-half points on a 10-point scale after just a minute of treatment, the Telegraph reports.

Treating a patient with arthritis in their right hand, the researchers asked them to place it on a table and blocked it from view using an upright mirror.

A researcher standing behind the patient then put their left hand on the table in front of them, so that its reflection appeared where the patient`s right arm should be.

They then asked the patient to copy their movements as they opened and closed their hand, so that when they looked in the mirror they saw a supple and healthy hand performing the action in place of their own.

The illusion convinced the brain that the hand in the mirror was its own, and the patient felt less pain as a result, according to reports.

Laura Case, who led the research, said: "Our findings suggest that simple and inexpensive materials like mirrors could be used to reduce the pain and suffering caused by this common disease. Many patients reported a reduction in pain and stiffness during this illusion."

Eat chocolates to cure pain

Eating chocolate or drinking water can relieve aches and pains, a new study has shown. Chocolate

A team of researchers says the distraction of eating or drinking for pleasure acts as a natural painkiller. Although the findings come from studies on animals, the scientists believe the same effect takes place in people.

The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience by authors Peggy Mason, PhD, professor of neurobiology, and Hayley Foo, PhD, research associate professor of neurobiology at the University of Chicago, is the first to demonstrate that this powerful painkilling effect occurs while the animals are ingesting food or liquid even in the absence of appetite.

"It's a strong, strong effect, but it's not about hunger or appetite," Mason said. "If you have all this food in front of you that's easily available to reach out and get, you're not going to stop eating, for basically almost any reason,” the expert added.

In the experiments, rats were given either a chocolate chip to eat or had sugar water or regular water infused directly into their mouth. As the rat swallowed the chocolate or fluid, a light-bulb beneath the cage was switched on, providing a heat stimulus that normally caused the animal to lift its paw off the floor.

Mason and Foo found that rats were much slower to raise their paw while eating or drinking, compared to tests conducted while they were awake, but not eating.

Surprisingly, the researchers found no difference in the delayed paw-lift response between when the rat was eating chocolate and when it was drinking water, despite previous research indicating that only sugary substances were protective against pain. "This really shows it has nothing to do with calories," Mason said. "Water has no calories, saccharine has no sugar, but both have the same effect as a chocolate chip. It's really shocking."

Mason and Foo then repeated the heat test as the rats were given quinine, a bitter drink that causes rats to make an expression called a gape that's akin to a child's expression of "yuck." During quinine administration, the rats reacted to heat as quickly as when not eating, suggesting that a non-pleasurable food or drink fails to trigger pain relief.

The context of ingesting was also important to whether eating or drinking blunted pain, the researchers found. When rats were made ill by a drug treatment, eating chocolate no longer delayed their response. However, drinking water still caused a reduced pain response, indicating that drinking water was considered a positive experience while ill.

By selectively inactivating a region in the brainstem called the raphe mangus – an area previously shown to blunt pain during sleep and urination – Mason and Foo were able to remove the effect of drinking water on the rat's pain response. The brainstem controls subconscious responses such as breathing and perspiration during exercise.

"You're essentially at the mercy of your brainstem, and the raphe magnus is part of that," Mason said. "It tells you, ''you're going to finish eating this, whether you like it or not,' just like you sweat while running whether you like it or not."

In the wild, Mason said, rats and other animals would not want to be distracted during the rare but important times that they were able to eat or drink. Therefore, the activation of the raphe magnus during eating or drinking would allow the rat to filter out distractions until their meal was completed. For obvious reasons, this natural pain relief would be activated when an animal is eating or drinking something pleasurable, but not when it tastes something that could be toxic or harmful.

70% Of Women Hesitate To Seek Medical Help For Vaginal Dryness, Pain

A new study has revealed that nearly 70 pct of postmenopausal women feel embarrassed to talk about vaginal dryness and pain, and hesitate to seek medical help.

The survey showed that nearly 39 pct of post-menopausal women experience these symptoms of vaginal atrophy and 40 percent agree that it interferes with their sex life.


Local symptoms such as painful intercourse, vaginal dryness, itching, burning, and soreness are caused, like other menopausal symptoms, by the gradual decline of oestrogen production in ovaries.

Seven out of ten said they were reluctant to talk about the problem with their physician.

As result a quarter would wait for over a year before finally contacting their physician. The survey showed only 30 percent of women considered talking to a gynaecologist, and only 29 percent considered talking to a GP.

"The results of this survey really highlight my experiences of treating menopausal women and in my practice in Italy it is even worse. I see many women who have vaginal dryness and pain post-menopause, and the most alarming aspect is that they wait for so long, with only 17 percent of surveyed women taking a treatment to counteract these symptoms." said Dr. Rossella Nappi, Director of the Gynecological Endocrinology and Menopause Unit at the Maugeri Foundation, University of Pavia, Italy.

"In addition to the physical pain that affects the women, there is an emotional impact on them and their partner as well.

Kids Belly Pain

You wake up in the middle of the night with stomach cramps, clutch a pillow and curl your body around it. That helps a little and you go back to sleep. But in the morning, the pain is still there. "Ouch, I have a stomachache!" you tell your mom or dad.

That's when the questions begin: Do you feel like you're going to throw up? Has it been hard for you to go to the bathroom lately? Did you have diarrhea in the night? Does it hurt anywhere else? Does it hurt so much you can't stand up? Are you worried about anything at school? Your mom or dad asks all these questions because lots of different things could cause pain in your belly or abdomen.

Keep reading to find out what belly pain is, what causes it, and what you can do to feel better.

All About the Abdomen

When you get a pain in your stomach, it might be an actual problem right in your stomach, but not necessarily. Your abdomen is more than your stomach. It's more than your intestines. It's the whole area between your chest and your pelvic (hip) bones.

Inside your abdomen, you have your stomach and your intestines, along with lots of other organs: bladder, kidneys, liver, spleen, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix, and adrenal glands. If you're a girl, your abdomen also includes your uterus and ovaries.

All of these organs aren't just bouncing around all over the place inside you — they're held together inside you by a bag-like membrane called your peritoneum (say: per-uh-tun-ee-um). This two-layered membrane also separates these organs from your outer abdominal muscles. Three layers of muscles — front, back, and side — support this "case" of organs and protect them.

Types of Tummy Troubles

A kid might feel belly pain many reasons, including:

• Constipation is one of the most common reasons for abdominal pain. If you haven't had a bowel movement (poop) for a while or if it hurts to go to the bathroom or your bowel movements are hard, you are probably constipated.
• Diarrhea is often caused by an infection that some people call "the stomach flu." Doctors call this type of diarrhea/infection gastroenteritis. When you have diarrhea — runny, watery bowel movements — you may also feel sick to your stomach.
• Vomiting. Feeling sick to your stomach and throwing up can also be linked to gastroenteritis. The pain is one way your body tells you to stay near a bathroom!
• An infection someplace else in your body may cause belly pain, too. A sore throat, pneumonia, an ear infection, or a cough can sometimes cause tummy trouble as well.
• Food. Some kids get abdominal pain because they ate too much of something, ate a food that was too spicy or greasy, ate a food they have an allergy to, or ate food that sat around in the fridge for too long and went bad. The pain is the body's way of telling you that your stomach and intestines are having a tough job breaking down or digesting this food. For example, some people have lactose intolerance, which means they have a tough time digesting lactose, a type of sugar found in milk and other dairy foods. Whatever the cause, funky foods can quickly make your tummy feel funky!