Scientists say the implant cools the nerves, making post-surgery recovery less painful:

A small implant that cools the nerves in the body can relieve post-operative pain.

The device is placed near the surgical site at the end of a procedure where it cools the nerves from 37°C to 10°C from normal body temperature.

The idea is that just as applying ice to a wound can relieve discomfort, it stops them from sending pain signals to the brain.

After a few weeks, when the patient has recovered and the pain reliever is no longer needed, the implant, which looks like a long strip of soft plastic about 5 mm long and no thicker than a piece of paper, dissolves very harmlessly into the body and is disposed of as waste.

Scientists at Northwestern University in the United States – who developed the implant – predict that patients recovering from major surgery such as surgery, back surgery will help reduce the use of potent and addictive opioid pain relievers.

These drugs, including morphine, oxycodone, and tramadol, are very effective in relieving acute pain and are often prescribed after major surgical or medical procedures.

But if taken for more than a few weeks, the patient is likely to become addicted to them, because the drugs trigger the release of endorphins, which are feel-good chemicals in the brain.

Some studies suggest that up to 53% of opioids dispensed for chronic pain (over 12 weeks) in the UK are unnecessary because they are unlikely to help patients recover and become addicted.

When the implant is placed at the surgical site, one end is wrapped around nearby nerves that will transmit pain signals to the brain.

The other end of the strip protrudes slightly from the surgical area and is connected to a small hand pump that the patient will use to adjust the level of pain relief.

With the push of a button on the pump, a refrigerant called perfluoropentane is pumped through a small channel that runs from one end of the pump to the other, where it is wrapped around the nerves. A gas called dry nitrogen is similarly pumped through a second channel parallel to the first.

When the two meet in a compartment at the nerve end of the strip, a reaction occurs that causes the refrigerant to evaporate.

In doing so, it cools the nerve up to 10C. Cooling the nerves in this way stops the transmission of pain messages to the brain.

If the implant eventually breaks, the coolant is expelled from the body without causing any harmful or lasting effects.

So far, the implant has only been tested on mice. But the findings, published earlier this month in the journal Science, suggested that when the mice suffered a minor injury to their paws, the cooling implant significantly reduced symptoms of pain compared to when the cooling implant was not used.

The scientists plan to test the device for a range of pain-related conditions, not just post-operative pain, in further animal studies before trying human trials.

Dr. Michael Platt, a retired pain medicine consultant at St Mary’s Hospital in London, said the implant was a “great idea”.

“It’s potentially very exciting because while it cools the nerve, it doesn’t destroy it the way other pain-cooling methods like cryotherapy (which uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the nerve) do.”

One study shows that cooling the skin with an ice cube two minutes beforehand can relieve the pain of an injection of local anesthetic.

Researchers at the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in Iran recruited 108 emergency room patients who required local anesthesia to treat cuts on their arms.

First he smeared an ice cube on the skin of half, the rest did not.

Results in the Academic Archives of Emergency Medicine showed that pain scores in patients with ice cubes were about half that recorded in the no-ice group due to numbness in the nerves that transmit pain signals to the brain.

Therefore, exercise helps prevent dementia.

Scientists may have discovered exactly why exercise is good for the brain, especially in older people.

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco examined the brains of 400 elderly people after their deaths and found that those who were more physically active had higher levels of specific proteins known to improve connections between brain cells.

According to a report published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, these high protein levels were found in various regions of the brain, including the hippocampus, the region responsible for memory.

Scientists may have discovered exactly why exercise is good for the brain, especially in older people.

A commonly prescribed steroid drug may help combat obesity. Researchers from Northwestern University in the United States reported that prednisone, used to treat arthritis and allergies, lowered blood sugar levels and improved muscle strength in overweight mice. Although high doses of steroids are often associated with weight gain, they hope it will work.

A low-carb diet may ease MS symptoms

Eating foods high in fat and very low in carbohydrates, known as the ketogenic diet, improves symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to one study.

The condition, which affects cells in the brain and spinal cord, causes spasms, fatigue, and depression.

After six months of dieting, 65 MS patients reported less fatigue and depression, and better mobility. Scientists at the University of Virginia who conducted the study said it wasn’t clear why the diet helped.

An earlier suggestion was that a ketogenic diet somehow improves the performance of mitochondria, the “power packs” that keep them working properly in all cells.

destructive slang

Scientific terms were deciphered. This week: ectopic

The word is thought to derive from the Greek ectopos, meaning “out of place”. It is used in a medical context to describe a body structure that is in an abnormal position or a function that occurs at the wrong time.

For example, in an ectopic pregnancy, the embryo develops in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus.

Meanwhile, an ectopic heartbeat is a contraction of the heart muscle with an abnormal rhythm.

These ectopic beats are usually harmless and can occur even if your heart is healthy. They are often triggered by stimulants such as caffeine and alcohol.

However, multiple ectopic beats can cause palpitations – the sensation of hearing your heartbeat – and you should see a doctor if this is the case.

Do this

Be realistic about your health: According to a study published in the Journal of the Economics of Aging, older people who are very confident in their health are less likely to see a doctor, and this can have serious consequences. But researchers at the University of Vienna found, based on data from more than 80,000 Europeans aged 50 and older, that people who think they’re sicker than they are are more likely to see their family doctor.

in your genes

Surprising things about your genetic makeup. This week: Severe Covid infection

Two genes are linked to more serious cases of Covid, according to a recent study.

The role of TYK2 and IFNAR2 was determined by scientists from the University of Edinburgh, who compared data from more than 2,700 critically ill Covid patients with healthy people.

Principal investigator Dr. Kenneth Baillie said that TYK2 plays an important role in the immune system, but increased gene activity causes the system to overspeed, increasing pneumonia.

Less activity of IFNAR2, which protects cells from viruses, may be associated with high fever. These effects can be treated with medications such as the anti-inflammatory baricitinib used for rheumatoid arthritis, the researchers said. However, a larger study is needed before clinical practice changes.