A small implant that calms nerves within the body could eliminate postoperative discomfort.
After an operation, the gadget is put close to the surgical site, where it cools the nerves from around 37°C to 10°C.
The theory is that this prevents them from delivering pain signals to the brain, similar to how applying ice to an injury helps dull the agony.
After a few weeks, when the patient has healed and no longer requires pain medication, the implant — which resembles a long strip of soft plastic approximately 5 mm long and no thicker than a sheet of paper — harmlessly degrades within the body and is excreted as waste.
The device was developed by scientists from Northwestern University in the United States, who expect it would minimize the usage of potent and possibly addictive opioid medicines by patients recovering from major surgery, such as back procedures.
These medications, which include morphine, oxycodone, and tramadol, are highly effective in alleviating acute pain and are frequently prescribed following major surgical or medical procedures.
The medications induce the release of endorphins, which are the brain’s feel-good chemicals. If they are taken for more than a few weeks, there is a danger the patient will grow reliant on them.
Some studies indicate that up to 53 percent of opioids prescribed in the United Kingdom for chronic pain (lasting more than 12 weeks) are needless, as patients are unlikely to improve and may develop an addiction.
One end of the implant is wrapped around adjacent nerves that carry pain signals to the brain when it is implanted at the surgical site.
The opposite end of the strip protrudes slightly through the surgical incision and is connected to a small hand-held pump that the patient uses to modify the level of pain relief.
At the press of a button on the pump, a cooling liquid called perfluorobutane is forced via a narrow channel that goes from the pump end of the strip to the nerve-wrapping end. A gas called dry nitrogen is pumped in the same manner through a second tube that runs parallel to the first.
When the two react in a chamber at the nerve end of the strip, the coolant evaporates.
As it does so, it chills the nerve to as low as 10 degrees Celsius. This method of nerve cooling interrupts the passage of pain signals to the brain.
The coolant is flushed out of the body without producing any harm or permanent consequences when the implant degrades.
The implant has only been tested on mice thus far. However, the results, which were published in the journal Science earlier this month, indicated that it greatly reduced pain symptoms when mice were subjected to a minor injury in their paws, compared to when the implant was not utilized.
Before conducting human trials, scientists intend to test the device on a variety of pain-related diseases, not just post-surgical discomfort, in animals.
Dr. Michael Platt, a retired consultant in pain medicine from London’s St. Mary’s Hospital, deemed the implant to be a “great idea.”
Although it chills the nerve, it does not damage it like other techniques of cooling pain management, such as cryotherapy (which utilizes liquid nitrogen to freeze the nerves).
According to a study, numbing the skin with an ice cube for two minutes before a local anesthetic injection reduces pain.
Researchers from Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in Iran selected 108 A&E patients with arm wounds requiring local anesthesia.
The other half did not have an ice cube held to their skin beforehand.
Due to the numbing of neurons that convey pain signals to the brain, the pain scores of ice-cube patients were nearly half of those of the non-ice group, as reported in the Archives of Academic Emergency Medicine.
So this explains why exercising helps prevent dementia.
Scientists may have uncovered the exact reason why exercise is beneficial for the brain, particularly in elderly individuals.
Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco analyzed the brains of 400 elderly individuals after their deaths and discovered that those who were more physically active had higher concentrations of certain proteins known to improve the connections between brain cells.
According to a study published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, these elevated protein levels were detected in multiple regions of the brain, including the memory-related hippocampus.
A regularly administered steroid may aid in the fight against obesity. The anti-inflammatory and anti-allergy medication Prednisone decreased blood sugar levels and boosted muscle strength in obese mice, according to researchers at Northwestern University in the United States. Even though high doses of steroids are typically connected with weight gain, they hope it will work.
A low-carb diet may alleviate MS symptoms
Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who consume a high-fat, extremely low-carbohydrate diet, also known as the ketogenic diet, experience a reduction in their symptoms, according to a study.
The disease, which affects the brain and spinal cord cells, causes spasms, weariness, and depression.
After six months on the diet, 65 MS patients reported decreased fatigue and despair, as well as enhanced mobility. Researchers from the University of Virginia stated that it is unclear why the diet is beneficial.
In the past, it has been hypothesized that a ketogenic diet increases the performance of mitochondria, the ‘batteries’ within all cells that keep them running properly.
Deciphering scientific terminology Currently: Ectopic
The word is believed to have originated from the Greek ektopos, which means “out of place.” It is used in a medical setting to denote an aberrant location or timing of a physical component or function.
In an ectopic pregnancy, for instance, the embryo develops in a fallopian tube instead of the uterus.
In the meanwhile, an ectopic heartbeat is an irregular contraction of the heart muscle.
These ectopic beats are mostly harmless and can occur in otherwise healthy hearts. They are frequently caused by stimulants like caffeine and alcohol.
However, multiple ectopic beats can result in palpitations — the sense of feeling your heartbeat — in which case you should consult a physician.
