Music eases circumcision pain

October 14th, 2009 LONDON - When calves are slaughtered according to Jewish and Muslim religious law, they really do feel the pain, that's what a new study suggests. "I think our work is the best evidence yet that it's painful," New Scientist quoted Craig Johnson, who led the study at Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand, as saying.

September 12th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The world's first patient to have been implanted with the smallest ever neurostimulator for chronic pain is celebrating the one-year anniversary of his procedure today. One year ago, former U.S.

August 14th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The idea of medical use of marijuana for pain relief has been thrown into doubt after researchers from University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have found that active ingredients in marijuana can instead spread and prolong pain. The team has found that a group of compounds in marijuana called the cannabinoids prolong pain rather than damping it down.

July 27th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Money can alleviate physical pain as well as ease the sting of social rejection, according to a new study. Since money can affect pain, the researchers theorised that it may offer clues as to how the brain evolved to process social interactions.

June 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - While it is known that chronic pain and depression go hand in hand, a new study has shown that the link between pain and depression is strongest in middle-age women. For the study, researchers at Wayne State University examined 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.

June 7th, 2009 LONDON - From now onwards it will be possible to feel someone's pain, literally - thanks to the efforts of scientists who have for the first time discovered a way to measure the true depth of a person's suffering. Up till now, the only major way of assessing pain is to ask people what they are feeling.

May 28th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Playing music to babies can help reduce pain and encourage better oral feeding, a new study suggests. The research, published ahead of print in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, claimed that increasing numbers of neonatal units are using music as a method to help improve behavioural and physiological outcomes or to manage pain during common procedures such as circumcision.

May 1st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Lily Allen has taken a vow of celibacy to focus on work and improve her music. The 'Not Big' hitmaker, who is known for using her personal life as an inspiration for making hits, admitted that she has imposed a sex ban on herself to focus on her music.

April 16th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Mandy Moore has said that she doesn't like hearing her early music, as she was a "pop puppet" at the time who was allowed to record only those tracks that were authorised by music bosses. The crooner shot to fame at the age of 15 after the 1999 release of her debut 'So Real'.

April 3rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Singer Lily Allen has revealed that she's considering quitting the music industry. The 23-year-old popstar is working on a top-secret project, which may lure her away from singing.

March 31st, 2009 WASHINGTON - A commonly used painkiller has been found to be effective against treating the acute pain of shingles, an illness that often causes severe pain along with a rash. The painkiller oxycodone can help in treating acute pain of shingles, which is caused by reactivation of the varicella zoster virus, a bug that causes chicken pox.

March 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Vitamin D deficiency might worsen the condition of people suffering from chronic pain, according to a new study. The research from Mayo Clinic has found a link between inadequate vitamin D levels and the amount of narcotic medication taken by patients who have chronic pain.

March 20th, 2009 WASHINGTON - People unfamiliar with western music can pick up happy, sad or fearful emotions when they hear it for the first time, a new study has found. The result shows that the expression of those three basic emotions in music can be universally recognised, said researchers who carried out the study.

March 12th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Michael Jackson is releasing new music before making his return to the stage. Last week, the 'Thriller' star had announced plans to return to stage with a series of live shows at London's O2 Arena in July.

March 12th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Tom Hanks' son Colin is directing a new documentary about bankrupt music retailer Tower Records. The company was formed in Hanks' native Sacramento, California back in 1960.