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According to research presented this week at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting in Chicago, weight loss combined with exercise reduces pain and improves mobility in people with knee osteoarthritis. Study lead author, Stephen P. Messier, PHD, at Wake Forest University comments, “Long-term intensive diet and moderate exercise can improve mobility and reduce pain by as much as 50 percent.”

Chronic pain in adolescents is a risk factor for suicide ideation, according to new research reported in The Journal of Pain, published by American Pain Society. Researchers from the University of North Carolina, Duke University and Lehman College in New York analyzed data from the 9,970 person National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. They examined the link of chronic pain with increased risk for suicide ideation and suicide attempt, and also assessed the relationship of pain, comorbid depression and suicide ideation.

Yoga classes were found to be more effective than a self-care book for patients with chronic low back pain at reducing symptoms and improving function, but they were not more effective than stretching classes, according to a study published Online First by the Archives of Internal Medicine. The research was carried out by Karen J. Sherman, Ph.D., M.P.H., from Group Health Research Institute, Seattle, and colleagues.

Smokers are much more likely to report problems with persistent musculoskeletal pain than non-smokers, according to a new study reported in the Journal of Pain, published by the American Pain Society. Researchers from the University of Kentucky School of Public Health surveyed more than 6000 women participating in the Kentucky Women’s Health Registry, which regularly polls women on health-related issues to better understand the state’s disease burden. The study was intended to assess the association of smoking with the presence of different types of chronic musculoskeletal pain.

A new study by York University researchers finds that practicing yoga reduces the physical and psychological symptoms of chronic pain in women with fibromyalgia. The study is the first to look at the effects of yoga on cortisol levels in women with fibromyalgia. The condition, which predominantly affects women, is characterized by chronic pain and fatigue; common symptoms include muscle stiffness, sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal discomfort, anxiety, and depression.

A new type of therapy may help people with symptoms such as pain, weakness, or dizziness that cannot be explained by an underlying disease, according to a study published in the July 27, 2011, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. These symptoms, which can also include fatigue, tingling, and numbness, are also known as functional or psychogenic symptoms.

A new study by researchers at Drexel University’s School of Public Health suggests that abuse of prescription painkillers may be an important gateway to the use of injected drugs such as heroin, among people with a history of using both types of drugs. The study, published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, explores factors surrounding young injection drug users’ initiation into the misuse of opioid drugs.

How do you function when chronic pain is a part of your daily life? The UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness (UCSD CFM) at UC San Diego Health System offers a novel program to help people who are dealing with chronic pain “train their brains” to lessen their experience of discomfort and, in some cases, eliminate it. Called Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), this in-depth eight-week program helps participants learn to better manage their experience of pain through diverse techniques such as guided meditation, gentle yoga, and breathing exercises.