Michigan Head-Pain & Neurological Institute and Chelsea Community Hospital lead 'who's who' of pain experts at May 30 conference at The Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn, Mich. ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 28
ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Pain affects more Americans than
diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined. According to the National
Centers for Health Statistics, pain affects 76.2 million people. The latest
research into creating more effective treatment outcomes for people suffering
with pain focuses on gender differences, the detrimental impact of certain
medications, and nerve and magnetic stimulation.
These areas are among the focus of presentations planned for the Michigan
Head-Pain & Neurological Institute's (MHNI) 10th Annual Headache and Pain
Conference. Leading experts from across the United States will join MHNI
founder Joel R. Saper, M.D., to present their latest findings.
The Michigan Head-Pain & Neurological Institute and Chelsea Community
Hospital are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their partnership by
recruiting a "who's who" of headache and pain management experts for the
conference. Presenters include researchers from the Mayo Clinic, University
of Florida, The Center for Pain Management at the University of Pennsylvania,
the John R. Graham Headache Center in Boston, as well as the Medical
University of Ohio.
Information to be covered includes:
-- New brain science on how pain killers can cause more pain and more
headaches;
-- The role of childhood stress and abuse and the subsequent development
of adult chronic pain;
-- The role of estrogen in making women more vulnerable than men to
headaches;
-- Gender differences in the perception and experience of pain;
-- New treatment options for menstrual migraines;
-- Information that certain pain killers reduce male testosterone and
female ovarian hormones;
-- Current update on fibromyalgia, including discussion of medications in
research but not yet available;
-- Possible value of certain antibiotics in controlling headaches;
-- Potential new breakthrough therapies for headache and pain, including
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Subcutaneous Neurostimulation;
-- How even appropriate medications for headache can make headaches worse;
-- How certain pain killers, when given to younger patients, are more
likely to cause dependency and tolerance than when given to older
individuals;
-- A focus on the parts of the brain that are involved in the development
of headaches and other aspects of chronic pain;
-- That the neck and the head are part of a neural circuit that creates a
dual influence on pain, as well as an opportunity for interruption of
pain-maintaining systems;
-- New brain research showing the brain's emotional center's influence on
the triggering of pain and how physical pain can influence the function
of the emotional center;
-- What is "brain fog," and how is it relevant to patients who suffer from
fibromyalgia;
-- New drugs and medication combinations for pain and headache.
Dr. Saper said, "The information to be presented is authoritative and
uniquely applicable to the current state of headache and pain management.
Every day we learn more about this debilitating public health problem. The
more data and treatment strategies we can provide to the public and to medical
professionals, the better prepared they will be to address these major pain
issues."
Pain is a serious issue in the United States:
-- More than one-quarter of adult Americans report a problem with pain
that persisted for more than 24 hours in duration.
-- More women than men reported that they were in pain.
-- 42% of adults report pain that lasted longer than one year.
-- About 1.2 million Michigan adults experience ongoing chronic pain.
-- According to the National Institutes of Health, the annual cost of
chronic pain in the United States, including healthcare expenses, lost
income, and lost productivity, is estimated to be $100 billion.
-- According to the National Sleep Foundation, an estimated 20 percent of
American adults (42 million people) report that pain or physical
discomfort disrupts their sleep a few nights a week or more.
-- Low back pain is the most common (27 percent), followed by severe
headache or migraine pain (15 percent), neck pain (15 percent) and
facial ache or pain (4 percent).
The 10th Annual Update in Headache and Pain Management conference will
take place Friday, May 30 from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton in
Dearborn, Mich. The conference is for health professionals interested in pain
and pain management. For registration, call (734) 677-6000, ext. 146 or visit
www.MHNI.com.
About MHNI
Michigan Head-Pain & Neurological Institute, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., is
celebrating its 30th anniversary. Noted neurologist and pain medicine
specialist Dr. Joel R. Saper founded MHNI in 1978 to pioneer headache research
and treatment. MHNI is considered one of the world's premier centers for head
and neck pain management, providing comprehensive care to patients from around
the world suffering from headache and related painful disorders. MHNI
partners with Chelsea Community Hospital (CCH) where MHNI hospitalizes its
most severely painful patients in its specialized headache unit. Dr. Saper
and CCH developed the head pain treatment unit at CCH in 1978, forming the
first hospital specialty program of its kind in the world.
SOURCE Michigan Head-Pain & Neurological Institute
