This week's Daily Download is the fibromyalgia “packet” we give to our patients once they have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia.

A nationwide, cross-sectional study of men aged 30–50 years (n=1385) examined the relationship between weight and back pain over time.

A meta-analysis of 30 placebo-controlled trials evaluated epidural corticosteroid injections for radiculopathy, and 8 trials were done for spinal stenosis.

Sleep disruption is a core feature of fibromyalgia. People with fibromyalgia exhibit sleep brain wave patterns often disrupted by brain waves that correspond to wakefulness. 

Using statistics gathered by the NIH in 2012, the National Health Interview Survey of 8781 adults showed self-reported chronic pain affects 25.3 million adults, or 11.2% of the populatoin.

An estimated 250 people have filed lawsuits against Lilly claiming the company failed to warn users of Cymbalta that they may suffer withdrawal symptoms if the drug was stopped abruptly, including suicidal thoughts and electric shock-like sensations.

Researchers have determined that adults aged 50 and above were more likely to acquire pain relievers through more than one doctor, whereas younger individuals were more likely to acquire them from friends, relatives or drug dealers.

An Israeli crossover trial analyzed the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in 60 patients with fibromyalgia.

A survey of internists and family practitioners shows that half of physicians are unaware of how opioids are abused.

The FDA has issued public warnings that 4 over-the-counter products promoted for pain relief contain potentially harmful, undeclared dexamethasone. The supplements are Asihuri Plus Forte, Ginseng She Lian Wan, Jianbu Huqian Wan, and Saurean Fong Sep Lin.

EULAR 2015 started the afternoon of Wednesday June 10th.

Fibromyalgia is a noninflammatory disorder. However, there are patients with prolonged morning stiffness, subjective joint swelling and many with modest-to-moderate elevations of acute-phase reactants.

Nearly 20% Americans have chronic back pain, but 5-6% have inflammatory back pain. These numbers were derived from the 2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey that showed the USA prevalence of axial spondyloarthritis to be 1-1.4% and ankylosing spondylitis to be 0.5%.

Fibromyalgia is a highly prevalent disorder with different studies and populations showing a prevalence of 2.1% to 6.4% in the general population.  A retrospective review from Olmstead county revealed that among 1

Between 1999 and 2013 opiate-related deaths nearly quadrupled, with the death rate rising from 1.4 to 5.1 deaths per 100,000. These alarming statistics have lead to greater regulation and oversight to opiate use.