With large numbers of people across the community looking for effective and lasting ways to treat pain, our researchers at the Kolling Institute are driving nationally significant projects to reduce a reliance on opioid medication and promote proven alternative options. The research by our team from the Pain Management Research Centre follows the latest figures which indicate around 20 per cent of .....
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A team from the Kolling Institute led by Professor Sarah Hilmer has helped develop a valuable, new national program to reduce the adverse impacts of taking multiple medicines. Medicines with an anticholinergic effect can successfully treat many conditions such as depression, dementia and chronic non-cancer pain. Cumulatively however, they can cause serious adverse effects such as falls, confusion, .....
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An important new partnership has been formed to dramatically improve care for musculoskeletal conditions by speeding up the translation of research to clinical practice. The Northern Sydney Local Health District has joined with the University of Sydney and Sydney Local Health District to create Sydney Musculoskeletal Health which will link researchers from across the University with clinicians, con.....
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To mark World Spine Day on October 16, the Back Pain Research team at the Kolling Institute is urging those who experience the condition to adopt the latest advice and keep moving. Spinal pain is extremely common, affecting around 800 million people globally. The condition compromises social, family and work activities, and is the main reason Australians retire involuntarily. The lower back and nec.....
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While the COVID-19 pandemic is interrupting access to some healthcare services, an innovative approach may hold the key to support for those with low back pain. Researchers at the University of Sydney and the Kolling Institute have launched a study to measure the effectiveness of a mobile health program which offers self-management strategies via text messages. Study lead Professor Manuela Ferreira.....
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There are calls for a carefully-considered, tailored approach to the prescription of multiple medicines with new research finding a person’s age and sex influence the impact of multiple medications. More than half of older Australians take five or more regular medications, with the higher number of medications directly linked to a higher chance of adverse reactions, like falls, confusion and frailt.....
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Kolling researcher Professor David Hunter will lead one of the world’s largest clinical trials into the effectiveness of stem cell therapy for those with knee osteoarthritis. More than 400 participants will be recruited for the SCUlpTOR study which will see trial sites established at Royal North Shore Hospital and the Menzies Institute in Hobart. Professor Hunter, the Florance and Cope Chair of Rh.....
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The base of our thumb may just be a small part of our hand, but osteoarthritis in that area can have a significant impact, making the simplest tasks difficult. The condition especially affects post-menopausal women, with figures indicating up to a third of women over 70 have this type of osteoarthritis. Increasing numbers of people are experiencing the condition, and yet current treatments still l.....
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A team of researchers led by the Kolling’s Professor Sarah Hilmer has developed a valuable resource to identify frail and vulnerable people in hospital, in an important step towards optimising their care. Frail older adults have a higher risk of experiencing adverse outcomes in hospital such as falls, confusion and malnutrition, and many have longer hospital stays. Professor Hilmer said more than 2.....
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Some of the nation’s leading pain experts are set to embark on research which they believe will change the way chronic pain is managed. The program of research will be carried out by the team from the Pain Management Research Institute after generous funding from the Ernest Heine Family Foundation. Located within the Kolling Institute and Royal North Shore Hospital, the Pain Management Research Ins.....
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