June 2014 – BACK PAIN BLOG UK…

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The National Transplant Week takes place from 7th – 13th July to raise awareness to organ donation.

The long term organ transplant benefits are invaluable as not only can you give someone a second chance, but it is less expensive than having to keep paying for medication that you could need.

Take a look for fundraising ideas on the National Transplant Week website or join now to save someone’s life.

The National Transplant Week Campaign details are –

‘This year’s National Transplant Week will take place from 7 – 13 July.

We’ll be updating http://www.transplantweek.co.uk with news and information about the Week as plans develop so make sure you keep an eye on it. All the downloadable materials you’ll need to help raise awareness of organ donation will soon be available there too.

You can still watch the remarkable films made for last year’s campaign by Homeland’s David Harewood, Richard Branson, Sky News presenter Kay Burley and Emmerdale’s Wil Johnson here and be inspired by their intimate and relaxed approach to having that all-imporant organ donation conversation. From the site you can also watch the winning and shortlisted films in last year’s ‘Organ Donation Through a Lens’ competition.

And don’t forget you can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter’…

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THE HIGHER LEVEL OF OPIOID TAKEN BEFORE SPINAL SURGERY CAN EFFECT THE SUCCESS OF YOUR SURGERY…

June 19, 2014 barmac5

pills

According to an article in Medical News Today A new study appearing in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) links the use of opioid pain relievers to less improvement and higher levels of dissatisfaction following spine surgery.

Between 1999 and 2010, a greater focus on pain management resulted in a four-fold increase in opioids sold to hospitals, pharmacies and doctors’ offices, and a related and ongoing increase in opioid-related complications, including opioid dependence, impaired cognition and poor treatment outcomes. Previous studies have found a link between opioid use and diminished spine surgery outcomes; however, the studies did not account for differences in opioid consumption among patients.

Patients reported –
Increased preoperative opioid use was a significant predictor of worse health outcomes at 3 and 12 months following surgical treatment, as measured in 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) and EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) scores.

Every 10 milligram increase in the daily morphine equivalent amount taken preoperatively was associated with a decrease in mental and physical health and disability scores: a .03 decrease in the SF-12 physical and mental health summary scores, a .01 decrease in the EQ-5D score, and a .5 increase in the Oswestry Disability Index assessment.

Opioid consumption seems to occur frequently in those with psychiatric comorbidities such as depression and anxiety, which may lead to increased opioid use.

“We have demonstrated that increasing amounts of preoperative opioid consumption may have a harmful effect on patient reported outcomes in those undergoing spinal surgery,” said lead study author Clinton J. Devin, MD, assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery and neurosurgery at the Vanderbilt Spine Center.

“Our work highlights the importance of careful preoperative counseling with patients on high doses of preoperative opioids, pointing out the potential impact on long term outcome and working toward narcotic reduction prior to undergoing surgery,” said Dr. Devin.

Hmmm a very interesting read. It is a worry if you have to have any type of surgery not necessarily spinal surgery if you are already on opioids before the surgery takes place.

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CELEBRITIES WITH FIBROMYALGIA…

June 17, 2014 barmac5

Fibromyalgia

Yes, Fibro sufferers we are not alone…

Some celebrities (mainly American) also suffer from Fibro and are quite happy to acknowledge that fact.

Frances Winfield Bremer (American author) Ms. Bremer is the wife of Ambassador L. Paul Bremer, III who was appointed Presidential Envoy to Iraq in 2003. In 2007, she was designated as a spokeswoman for the National Fibromyalgia Association. She and her husband have made many public appearances advocating for fibromyalgia around the world.

Susan Flannery (American actress) Ms. Flannery is best known as one of the original and current cast members on the popular TV soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. She made headlines in 2007 when she asked the show for medical leave so she could attempt to treat her fibromyalgia.

Morgan Freeman (American actor, director and narrator) An extremely popular film actor, Mr. Freeman, has starred in numerous movies, such as The Shawshank Redemption and Driving Miss Daisy. In a 2012 interview in Esquire magazine, Freeman revealed that he has fibromyalgia.

Janeane Garofalo (American actress and comedian) Ms. Garofalo, an outspoken lady with an acerbic wit, has a long list of credits for her work in both films and TV. She often pokes fun at herself. A Boston Globe review of her standup routine said, A doctor prescribed an antidepressant to treat her fibromyalgia, and she likes the effect: ‘I had no idea I was chronically dissatisfied,’ she said.

Jo Guest (English actress and TV host) Ms. Guest began her career modeling and has appeared in several adult magazines. In January 2008, she was a guest on the British TV show This Morning where she discussed a mystery illness which left her unable to work. Three months later, she returned to the show and reported that she had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia as a direct result of help from viewers who had seen her previous appearance.

Rosie Hamlin (American singer) Lead singer of the ’60s band Rosie and the Originals, Ms. Hamlin is best known for her song Angie Baby. In a 1969 interview with Life magazine, John Lennon named her as one of his favorite singers. She appeared on the cover of Fibromyalgia Aware Magazine in 2004 where she discussed her battle with FM.

Michael James Hastings (American actor) Mr. Hastings is best known for his recurring role as Captain Mike on the TV series The West Wing. He is a passionate and active FM advocate with his own Website dedicated to fighting fibromyalgia. In 2013, Hastings was featured in an article by Dr. Oz about men with FM and is currently working on a film about fibromyalgia.

A.J. Langer (American actress) Ms. Langer may be best known for her role as Rayanne on the popular, albeit short-lived, 1994 TV drama series My So-Called Life. Her FM symptoms began in childhood, although she wasn’t diagnosed until she was 21. Langer was featured on the cover of the very first issue of Fibromyalgia Aware Magazine in 2002.

Mary McDonough (American actress) Most of us would recognize Ms. McDonough as Erin Walton from the long-running hit TV drama series The Waltons. She suffered with pain, fatigue and numerous other symptoms for 10 years before finally being diagnosed. In addition to fibromyalgia, Ms. McDonough has also been diagnosed with lupus and Sjogrens syndrome.

Sinead O’Connor (Irish singer and songwriter) Ms. O’Connor rose to fame in 1987 with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra for which she received a gold record and a Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. In 2003, she revealed that she was suffering from fibromyalgia, which caused her to put her career on hold for several years.

All the above taken from the website ProHealth

Florence Nightingale – A pioneer in health during the Victorian period. She also wrote about health conditions and dietary information based on notes about patients shed treated during her time in the Ottoman Empire. Her first book, published in 1858, was called Notes on Matters Affecting the Health, Efficiency and Hospital Administration of the British Army. Her fibromyalgia was triggered by an infection, and she was finally bedridden in 1896. After years of struggling with this disorder, she died in her sleep at the age of 90.

Wikipedia Entry – See more at My Fibromyalgia

I am quite sure there are many more, but contrary to what everyone says there is still a stigma attached to this disease which I am sure is the reason why more celebrities don’t let us know they suffer from it.