All the top news about Pain.

An observer feels more empathy for someone in pain when that person is in the same social group, according to new research in the July 1 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.   The study shows that perceiving others in pain activates a part of the brain associated with empathy and emotion more if the observer and the observed are the same race. The findings may show that unconscious prejudices against outside groups exist at a basic level.   The study confirms an in-group bias in empathic feelings, something that has long been known but never before confirmed by neuroimaging…

A federal advisory panel voted narrowly on Tuesday to recommend a ban on Percocet and Vicodin, two of the most popular prescription painkillers in the world, because of their effects on the liver.The two drugs combine a narcotic with acetaminophen, the ingredient found in popular over-the-counter products like Tylenol and Excedrin. High doses of acetaminophen are a leading cause of liver damage, and the panel noted that patients who take Percocet and Vicodin for long periods often need higher and higher doses to achieve the same effect.Acetaminophen is combined with different narcotics in at…

A colleagueE of mine at The Times who is a triathlete had a question: Everyone tells you to listen to your body, but what are you supposed to listen to?Turns out it's not so obvious.Deena Kastor, the American record holder for the marathon, interprets the advice selectively."Running isn't always comfortable," she said. "I remember running through a lot of discomfort and pain."And, Ms. Kastor added, she also runs when she does not feel like it."So many times the alarm goes off in the morning and you tell yourself you are too tired," she said. "There are times when you are unmotivated, you…

A gradual phase-out of co-proxamol led to 350 fewer suicides and accidental deaths in England and Wales, a study in the British Medical Journal reports.Regulators removed the drug's licence in 2007 after fears about the risk of overdose but the move proved unpopular with some patients and doctors.Arthritis Care says some patients now struggle to control their pain.The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency announced the withdrawal in 2005. GPs were encouraged to move patients to other painkillers before the drug's licence was revoked in 2007.After that time doctors could…

The association between chronic pain and clinical depression is well established; now, a new study shows the connection between pain and depression is strongest in middle-aged women and African-Americans.Researchers at Wayne State University studied a representative community sample of 1,100 Michigan residents and found that the incidence of chronic pain, defined as pain persisting for six months, was 22 percent. Approximately 35 percent of those with chronic pain said they had depression, but mood problems were not associated with a particular pain condition or pain site.Researchers…