When a country is at war, it depends on its soldiers to deliver the goods. If the army is a volunteer force, morale is usually high and the soldiers make commitments above and beyond the call of duty. The usual expression is “walking wounded”. These are the soldiers who have sufficient mobility to carry on the fight despite the injuries. The U.S. has been engaged in military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for some time now. We are now well into the “surge” in Iraq and the commitment of troops to the NATO command in Afghanistan is being increased. Read the rest of this entry »

Although my knowledge of life in Canada is limited to the stereotypes of Mounties chasing bad guys and the people’s love of ice hockey, I did see that their Therapeutic Products Directorate (TPD) (the Canadian equivalent of the FDA) has given a nod of approval to expanding the use of the once-daily version of tramadol. To date, it has only been indicated for the treatment of moderate pain. Now the TPD has accepted new evidence of its appropriateness in the treatment of moderately severe pain. Read the rest of this entry »

Arthritis, at its core is simply an inflammation of the joints. However, there are a lot of diseases associated with arthritis; such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. They range from mildly painful to intensely painful. For some of the mild cases simply taking a few aspirin gives enough comfort. But more intense cases require stronger medication. That’s where Tramadol stands out in the crowd.

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The longer the pain lasts, the more difficult it is to treat. The research strongly suggests that a mixture of physical and psychological therapies offers the best chance for improving outcomes. One of the most common forms of pain affects the lower back. Yet it is often the case that there is no biological evidence of the cause of the pain. No apparent external injury. No x-ray or other scan image of internal injury. The most usual association is with changes in mood, variations in the levels of anxiety or stress, or social episodes which trigger the sensation of pain. In other words, the way you perceive pain cannot be divorced from you as a person and the collection of memories and experiences that define you as an individual. So if pain persists despite the standard medical treatments (including the use of drugs such as tramadol), it is time to expand the range of treatment to include therapy. Read the rest of this entry »

Almost everyone will have experienced acute, short-term pain at some point in their lives. You fall, have the misfortune to be involved in an accident, or have surgery. In most cases, you know you will get better - cuts, bruises, strains and fractures heal and you can resume life as though nothing had happened. The confidence that the pain will soon be gone makes it easier to bear. If you do find it too much, almost all the drugs on the market will give you relief while your body mends. Read the rest of this entry »

Talking only about pain from a benign and not a malignant source, the standard medical approach today expands beyond the use of a simple painkiller such as tramadol and includes a number of other options. The most common is the addition of an antidepressant both for musculoskeletal and neuropathic pain. In the choice of drug, the emphasis tends to be on the tricyclic antidepressants because of their sedative properties - which incidentally helps people to sleep even when the pain levels are quite high. For neuropathic pain, it may also be appropriate to add an anticonvulsant. Read the rest of this entry »

Low-back pain is very common. The lower area of the back is made up of several vertebrae, disks of soft cartilage, joints, muscles, ligaments and nerve tissue. Its function is to connect the upper area of the chest and arms to the lower area of the pelvis and legs, providing the power and strength to stand, walk and lift, and the mobility to bend, turn and twist. If the lower back is not functioning well, almost every daily activity is affected. Read the rest of this entry »