• Koppenhaver SL, Weaver AM, Randall TL, Hollins RJ, Young BA, Hebert JJ, Proulx L, Fernández-de-Las-Peñas C. Effect of dry needling on lumbar muscle stiffness in patients with low back pain: A double blind, randomized controlled trial using shear wave elastography. The Journal of manual & manipulative therapy. 2021 Sep 16; 1-11.
• Powell VD, Rosenberg JM, Yaganti A, Garpestad C, Lagisetty P, Shannon C, Silveira MJ. Evaluation of Buprenorphine Rotation in Patients Receiving Long-term Opioids for Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review. JAMA Network Open. 2021 Sep 1; 4(9):e2124152.
• Bushey MA, Wu J, Outcalt SD, Krebs EE, Ang D, Kline M, Yu Z, Bair MJ. Opioid use as a predictor of pain outcomes in Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans with chronic pain: Analysis of a randomized controlled trial. Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.). 2021 Aug 19.
• Larochelle MR, Cruz R, Kosakowski S, Gourlay DL, Alford DP, Xuan Z, Krebs EE, Yan S, Lasser KE, Samet JH, Liebschutz JM. Do Urine Drug Tests Reveal Substance Misuse Among Patients Prescribed Opioids for Chronic Pain? Journal of general internal medicine. 2021 Aug 17.
• Senders A, Bauer SR, Chen Y, Oken B, Fink HA, Lane NE, Sajadi KP, Marshall LM, For The Osteoporotic Fractures In Men MrOS Study Group. Lower urinary tract symptoms are associated with musculoskeletal pain among older men: Preliminary evidence for central sensitization as a mechanism? Neurourology and Urodynamics. 2021 Aug 15.

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• Research Suggests Battlefield Acupuncture is Immediate but Short-Term Pain Management Tool
  This commentary summarizes work conducted to examine battlefield acupuncture’s (BFA’s) implementation and effectiveness within the VA healthcare system. Findings show that there is some evidence that BFA is a potentially effective, immediate, but short-term pain management tool that can be used in adjunct with other pain therapies. BFA produced a minimal clinically important improvement in pain fo...
  
  Date: March 26, 2021
• JGIM Supplement Features VA Research on Improving Opioid Safety among Veterans with Chronic Pain and Addiction
  In the fall of 2019, HSR&D convened a state-of-the-art (SOTA) conference – “Effective Management of Pain and Addiction: Strategies to Improve Opioid Safety” – to develop research priorities for advancing the science and clinical practice of opioid safety, including both the use of opioid analgesics and managing opioid use disorder (OUD). A group of researchers and VA clinical stakeholders defined ...
  
  Date: December 1, 2020
• Low-Value Diagnostic Testing for Back Pain, Sinusitis, Headache, and Syncope Is Common and Varies Across VA Medical Centers
  This study sought to determine the frequency and degree of variation in low-value diagnostic testing for four common conditions across 127 VAMCs. Findings showed that low-value diagnostic testing for four conditions was common; it affected 5-21% of Veterans, varied 2-to-5 fold across VAMCs, and was significantly correlated at the VAMC level. Applying sensitive criteria, the overall and VAMC-level ...
  
  Date: September 22, 2020
• VA Patients Have Fewer Potentially Avoidable Hospitalizations Post-Chemotherapy than Medicare Patients
  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a new quality measure to reduce potentially avoidable hospital admissions among patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy. In this study, investigators used this CMS measure to compare the quality of care received by chemotherapy patients treated through traditional Fee-for-Service Medicare versus VA, using a cohort of dually-enrolled ...
  
  Date: July 15, 2020
• Veterans Reveal Positive Aspects of Routine VA Pain Screening
  Using data from a study that evaluated a strategy to improve the use of the “5th Vital Sign” of pain in primary care, investigators identified 36 Veterans from five primary care clinics and three VA healthcare systems who were interviewed about pain screening. Generally, Veterans believed that routine pain screening is positive. Findings revealed five themes that summarize Veterans’ experience and...
  
  Date: March 6, 2020

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• Evidence Brief: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for Chronic Pain, PTSD, TBI, Opioid Addiction, and Sexual Trauma - Supplementary Materials

  Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for Chronic Pain, PTSD, TBI, Opioid Addiction, and Sexual...Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for Chronic Pain, PTSD, TBI, Opioid Addiction, and Sexual...Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for Chronic Pain, PTSD, TBI, Opioid Addiction, and Sexual

• Chronic Pain in Veterans and Servicemembers with a History of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review

  Chronic Pain in Veterans and Servicemembers with a History of Mild Traumatic...Chronic Pain in Veterans and Servicemembers with a History of Mild Traumatic...Kansagara, MD, MCR, Director Chronic Pain in Veterans and Servicemembers with

• Examining Pain and Pain Care in the VA || In Progress

  ...help VA provide safe and effective pain management for all Veterans....Treatment of Pain among Veterans » Table of Contents Examining Pain and Pain Care in...the development and persistence of pain, pain management variability-associated

• FORUM, Spring 2016: Chronic pain, opioids

  ...importance of pain research in VHA has never been higher. Defining pain as a public...Integrative Health Approaches to Addressing Pain Stephanie L. Taylor, PhD, HSR&D Center...half of Veterans experience chronic pain, making it the most common condition

• FORUM, Spring 2016: Chronic pain, opioids

  ...importance of pain research in VHA has never been higher. Defining pain as a public...Commentary Chronification of Pain and the Science of Pain Management Rollin M. Gallagher...Director for Pain Management, Veterans Health Administration Pain hurts. Without

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Videos

• Using Service Connected Disability Hearings as a Gateway to Pain Management 01/08/18

Podcasts

• Painful Conversations: Pain Management SCAN-ECHO Improves Provider Conversations with Patients about Pain Care 12/20/2018
• Pain Management and Opioid Safety 05/04/2018
• Clinical Dashboard Elements to Improve Chronic Pain Care 07/19/2017

Other Resources

• Learn more about the HSR&D Center of Innovation on Pain Research, Informatics, Multi-morbidities, and Education (PRIME) in West Haven, CT.
• Visit the pain topic page at the VA Office of Research & Development website to learn more about additional pain research in VA.
• Learn more about the NIH-DoD-VA Pain Management Collaboratory.