August 2008
“Investigating the effect of attentional training combined with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), on the maintenance of Chronic Pain”.
A research study entitled “Investigating the effect of attentional training combined with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), on the maintenance of Chronic Pain” is being conducted by the Psychology Department of the University of Sydney.
The objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of a new experimental computer-based training package and whether this task will improve the effectiveness of existing Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) protocols for managing chronic pain. CBT is a well-established and effective treatment for managing chronic pain that results in improvements in people's level of disability, pain and psychosocial functioning. We are recruiting people with chronic pain or recurrent pain, either as a result of a chronic pain condition or some form of arthritis. All participants in this research project will receive eight sessions of CBT free of charge.
For more information about this study please contact Melissa Mondello on 9351 8591 or click here to view the flyer.
July 2008 - Women With Disability Study: Seeking Participants
WWDA member Marge Charlesworth, is undertaking a research study as part of her Honours Degree and is looking for women with disabilities to participate.
The study is titled “Emotion, Women and Disability”. It explores the ways that as women with disabilities we are frequently required to express certain emotions or suppress others in order to ‘fit in’ with society’s expectations. The study is open to Australian women who were either born with, or acquired their disability before three years of age. It has been developed so that you can participate online - that way, you can complete the questionnaire in your own time and return to Margie’s student e-mail.
For further information please contact Marge Charlesworth at eigram22@adsl.on.net
June 2008 - FOSTAR (Fish oil in osteoarthritis) Study
Summary (in lay language):Knee osteoarthritis (OA) affects about 30% of Australians over the age of 65, but also at younger ages. It causes joint pain and stiffness, especially on exercise. The cause is unknown but it results in loss of joint cartilage. There are few treatments available to stop the progression of osteoarthritis, which can finally result in need for an artificial joint. Most treatments such as paracetamol and non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduce pain but have no effect on cartilage. NSAIDs can have serious side effects such as stomach ulcers and increased cardiovascular events (such as heart attacks). Fish oil has possible benefits in OA as it decreases pain and inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA, another type of arthritis with joint inflammation and swelling), less use of NSAID in patients with RA, and in laboratory experiments may reduce cartilage breakdown in OA. It is likely that fish oil will have few side effects and decrease blood cholesterol. Many people with OA are already taking fish oil, however, there is no studies to know if it is effective in OA. If fish oil is shown to reduce pain and disability and cartilage loss in OA, it will provide Australians with OA an alternative treatment that is low in side effects with positive effects on cardiovascular disease. For more information click here.
September 2007 - Do you have symptomatic knee osteoarthritis and live in the Sydney area?
The George Institute, a research organisation affiliated with the University of Sydney, has commenced recruitment of people with painful knee(s) living in the Sydney region to a research project. The study, investigating the benefit of glucosamine, with or without chondroitin, is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia. If you are aged between 45 and 75 and have painful knee(s) due to chronic osteoarthritis, you may be interested in participating in this landmark study.
For further study information and contact details, please click here (www.thegeorgeinstitute.org/LEGS) and follow the link ‘For Participants’.
August
2007 - Novartis Pharmaceuticals Australia has
complied with the decision of the TGA to withdraw all
doses of Prexige, a Cox-2 inhibitor for the treatment
of osteoarthritis and acute
pain, with immediate effect. Click
here to read Media Release from Novartis. Click
here to read
the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) media
statement.
August 2007 - Ask your Pharmacist Week
The theme for Ask you Pharmacist Week is "Ask your Pharmacist for a Consumer Medicines Information sheet" (CMI)
for your medicine. Click on the website to find out more about your medications. www.medicines.org.au
June 2007 - Arthritis - Advances in treatment. Arthritis is the main cause of pain and disability in Australia with as many as 1 in 6 people affected. Latest advice from an international rheumatology meeting is that early diagnosis is the key to improved quality of life and achieving remission is now a reality.
Click here to go to ABC Radio National - The Health Report
March
2007 - Beware the hype if going alternative. Australia’s
drugs regulators are under fire over the freer
rein given to the advertising
of alternative products. Click here to read more
December 2006 - Osteoporosis
Australia welcomes Government’s landmark
decision to provide subsidised testing and treatment
for fracture prevention. Click
here to read more (PDF file opens in new
window)
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