Monthly Archives: November 2011

Medtronic, Inc. today announced the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approval of its AdaptiveStim(TM) with RestoreSensor(TM) neurostimulation system, the first chronic pain treatment of its kind. This new technology functions much like neurostimulation devices of the past, but their shortfall was that when the patient changed positions they would have to manually adjust the amount of stimulation because the distance between the device and their spine would change. The new AdaptiveStim device utilizes the same motion sensor technology found in video games and smartphones to automatically adjust to position changes, increasing the patients quality of life. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/medtronic-receives-fda-approval-of-adaptivestimtm-with-restoresensortm-for-the-management-of-chronic-pain-2011-11-17

The cervical spine, or the neck, has some of the most important bones in the body. Neck pain can be debilitating, and for some patients it will not go away. The most common chronic problems affecting the cervical spine are disk herniation and spondylosis, both leading to damage at the joint that cushions the bones of the cervical spine, which can push on nerves causing symptoms like pain and numbness. Many patients can manage their pain with medications, exercises, and a healthy lifestyle (because smoking is very bad for the spine) but surgery for the problem is becoming safer and more [...]

Scientists have long known that once the DNA of a cell becomes damaged in any way, it typically becomes "senescent," meaning it stops functioning and multiplying. The immune system has mechanisms to clear these cells out of the body, but as we age a weaker immune system can no longer remove the bulk of them. It was unclear what effect this build-up of zombie-like cells had on the body until researchers at Mayo Clinic exposed mice to an agent that kills senescent cells, and reported that symptoms of aging such as muscle weakness and cataracts were delayed. They wish to continue [...]