Raise awareness about chronic illnesses by understanding their impact, symptoms, and the importance of support and education.
It has long been a common recommendation that chronic patients maintain a pain diary. The idea behind a pain diary is simple. Using either an electronic device or a paper journal, pain patients keep track of: The theory behind the recommendation is that doctors and patients can gain a better understanding of certain chronic pain syndromes than they might with simple patient reporting at a visit. Keeping track of pain levels allows a patient to…
Pain’s basic purpose is as a warning message for the body: that hurts, so stop it. When pain becomes chronic, though, it can seem utterly senseless, plaguing people for extended periods for no apparent reason. Researchers are constantly studying pain in hopes that a deeper understanding might lead to more effective prevention and treatment of pain. Research examines pain responses in infants Until recently, it was believed that babies didn’t experience pain in the same way…
The term “fibromyalgia” may be relatively new, but the condition itself has been around for quite a while. After several name changes, a definite set of diagnostic parameters are finally established for fibromyalgia. History of fibromyalgia The first known mention of fibromyalgia was in the 1800s, but at the time it was simply called “muscular rheumatism.” When “muscular rheumatism” was first written about, doctors noted that it caused stiffness, aches, pains, tiredness, and difficulty speaking.…
Pain management is difficult, and if you’ve got a chronic pain condition, it can sometimes feel impossible to find just the right balance of medications to control your pain. Sometimes, though, pain management isn’t about treating your pain at all. Things like getting a good night’s rest, finding stress relief, and treating mental illnesses may not technically be pain management, but they still might be able to provide you with a lot of relief. This…
In the fight against lower back pain, many people and their doctors reach for the same weapons: common over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications. New research on commonly recommended and prescribed lower back pain medications has found that many may actually be virtually ineffective for treating lower back pain and that medication for lower back pain may actually do more harm than good. Over-the-counter medication for lower back pain Nsaids are a standard go-to medication for lower back pain,…
It’s been about a year since we became Pain Doctor and began sharing information with you about everything pain- and health-related. In that time, we’ve covered a lot of information, but we’ve tried to make sure that all of it is centered around the topics that you, as a health–conscious pain patient, might care about the most. It was tough, but we narrowed down a year’s worth of information into our top ten favorite posts…
If you’re wondering how to prevent knee pain in old age, the answer often comes down to taking steps today to reduce your risk. By reducing your risk for the nine most common causes and risk factors for knee pain, you can prevent a large possibility of knee pain in your future. How does anatomy prevent knee pain, and cause it? The knee is a joint made of four bones: the femur, tibia, fibula and patella.…
Chronic pain is usually defined as pain that’s lasted for more than three months. This may not seem like a terribly long time–unless you’re the one in pain. When something hurts for so long, it can easily eat away at every aspect of a person’s life, from mood to friendships. The loss of a social life can have significant negative effects on a person’s chronic pain and general health. Not only can constant pain affect…
To most people, pain is usually nothing more than an annoyance–a twinge of back pain or a prickle of pain from a hangnail. For those who suffer from a chronic pain condition, however, it’s much more than an annoyance. When traditional treatment methods have failed and the pain persists, it might beg the question: why do we feel pain? Pain is an extremely important genetic adaptation. At its core, pain is a survival mechanism. It’s…
Almost everyone will experience a painful leg spasm at some point. These spasms, sometimes called “Charley horses,” are a painful contraction that can last from a few seconds to several minutes. Residual pain can linger for days. Spasms most often occur during intense activity, such as while running, or when a person is just dozing off or waking up. The muscles of the hands, arms, abdomen, or along the rib cage are all prone to spasms,…