The medical management of chronic (long-term) or acute (short-term) pain is an important priority for VA, as some 77% of Veterans report pain control as among their top three priorities in primary care.* Important issues being studied include whether computer-aided screening will increase pain diagnosis, and what techniques will best support Veterans in self-managing their pain.
* Mitchinson AR, Kerr EA, Krein SL. "Management of chronic noncancer pain by VA primary care providers: when is pain control a priority?' Am J Manag Care. 2008 Feb;14(2):77-84.
Search results were generated based on the search term "Pain". Results are updated weekly, as new data are available.
Henry SG, Matthias MS. Patient-Clinician Communication About Pain: A Conceptual Model and Narrative Review. Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.). 2018 Nov 1; 19(11):2154-2165.
(5 of more than 72 PAIN focused publication briefs)
Veterans Receiving Prescriptions Through Both VA and Medicare Are More Likely to Be Taking Opioids and Benzodiazepines This study sought to assess the association between receiving medications from both VA and Medicare Part D (dual use) and the receipt of overlapping opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions. Findings showed that receiving prescription medications from both VA and Medicare Part D was associated with a 27% increased risk of overlapping opioids and benzodiazepines – and more than twice the risk of ove...
Date: October 9, 2018
Battlefield Acupuncture Proves Highly Effective in Treating Chronic Pain among Veterans Battlefield acupuncture (BFA) involves a small needle inserted into parts of the ear that have a “central effect” on the nervous system and an area of the brain that processes pain. This study examined the use and effectiveness of BFA for pain in group and individual sessions at a large VA medical center. Findings showed that BFA was highly efficacious in immediately reducing pain for a significan...
Date: September 5, 2018
Women Veterans with Pain More Likely to Use Complementary and Integrative Therapies This study sought to examine complementary and integrative health (CIH) therapy use by gender among Veterans with chronic musculoskeletal pain, and variations in gender differences by race/ethnicity and age. Findings showed that of Veterans with chronic musculoskeletal pain, more women than men used CIH therapies (36% vs. 26%). Black women, regardless of age, were least likely to use CIH therapies...
Date: September 1, 2018
Pain Medicine Supplement Features Articles by VA Researchers This Pain Medicine Supplement highlights health services research conducted by HSR&D investigators at the Pain Research, Informatics, Multimorbidities and Education (PRIME) Center of Innovation in West Haven, CT, as well as other pain researchers. Serving as the only federally funded national pain center, PRIME played a leadership role in the HSR&D-sponsored state-of-the-art conference “Non-pharma...
Date: September 1, 2018
Pain Intensity Following Discontinuation of Long-Term Opioid Therapy Does Not, on Average, Worsen for Patients This study sought to characterize pain intensity over 12 months following opioid discontinuation. Findings showed that average pain intensity did not significantly worsen in the 12 months after Veterans discontinued opioid therapy; for some patients, pain intensity improved. Mean estimated pain at the time of opioid discontinuation was 4.9 on a scale from 0-10. Changes in pain following discontinu...
FORUM, Spring 2016: Chronic pain, opioids
...Pain and the Science of Pain Management by Rollin M. Gallagher, MD, MPH, National Director for Pain Management, Veterans Health Administration...
FORUM, Spring 2016: Chronic pain, opioids
...FORUM, Spring 2016: Chronic pain, opioids HSR&D Home Spring 2016 » Back to Table of Contents Research Highlight Opioids and Dual Healthcare System...
FORUM, Spring 2016: Chronic pain, opioids
...with these recommendations, VA s investment in research related to pain and pain management is substantial and continues to grow. 3 This growth...
