Is Massage Therapy the Missing Link in Pain Management?

As unpleasant as it is, pain is good because it protects us. The human brain has neurons or nerve cells, which “carry messages” that tell us if something is painful or pleasurable. If you couldn’t feel the sensation of being burned, this could be deadly so pain is actually a lifesaver.

Is it Worth Taking Opioids for Pain Relief?

As human beings, it is difficult to be patient when we have acute or chronic pain. It is a sensation we desperately try to avoid, and if it hits we do what we can to limit the experience. Julius Caesar said, “[i]t is easier to find men who will volunteer to die, than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience.”

Massage therapy: A necessary luxury?

Massage therapy involves the rubbing and kneading of muscles and other soft tissues. The practice dates back thousands of years. There are references to massage found in ancient writings from China, Japan, Egypt and India. It’s no surprise it’s been around for so long. Many people use massage to soothe sore muscles, reduce stress and improve blood flow. While the average person may see massage therapy as a luxurious indulgence, your massage therapist may disagree and recommend you regularly visit for ongoing wellness!

When easing the pain turns fatal: Fentanyl took Prince from us and continues to gain popularity

In April 2016, the world learned about the untimely death of a legend known as Prince. He died of an accidental fentanyl overdose, the autopsy showed. However, the pills found at his Paisley Park home were mislabeled, according to reports, highlighting an ongoing issue: opioid deaths. Despite efforts to rein in opioid-related deaths in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that death rates continue to rise.

When easing the pain turns fatal: The big problem with opioids and anti-anxiety drugs

You may or may not have heard that opioid painkiller use has skyrocketed into epidemic proportions, with deadly overdoses on the rise. For example, The Washington Post reported that between 1999 and 2014, deadly opioid overdoses among middle-aged white women shot up 400 percent. But it’s not just opioid use we have to worry about. In fact, anti-anxiety drugs called benzodiazepines contributed to many of those deaths, even as much as a third of them in recent years.

What are the “benefits” of acupuncture and does it really work?

Based in traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture involves having thin needles placed in your skin. Practitioners say they choose specific areas of the body to modify the flow of energy in order to relieve physical or emotional ailments. They say that when an acupuncture needle is inserted into the body, the body releases endorphins that decrease sensations of pain and trigger the immune system to kick in.

A natural pain reliever after a tooth extraction

Often, dentists send their patients home with pain medicine after a procedure. You may have been given ibuprofen for pain and inflammation. But what you may not know is that ibuprofen carries risks, including ulcers, gastritis, kidney problems and high blood pressure. Most of these side effects won’t occur with just one dose, but you may consume enough ibuprofen over the course of your entire recovery to be cause for concern.

Inaccurate beliefs about black patients’ biology can lead to inaccurate treatment recommendations

Are some doctors letting skin color affect their clinical decisions? A new study published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that medical students’ false beliefs about biological differences between black and white patients may affect how they perceive a patient’s pain. Researchers collected survey results from 222 white medical students at the University of Virginia.

Why genetic testing may be the future for better pain relief

A man was in an auto accident that left his right leg shattered. Over the next 4+ years, he faced relentless leg and back pain. Despite taking strong pain killers and increasing the dosages, his pain was still bad enough to rate it a 10 on a 10-point scale. It got to the point where the dosage could only be increased so much, and trying various other medications proved futile. That’s when doctors suggested genetic testing. What they found changed everything.

Over-prescribing opioids: Where does this problem stem from?

We’ve recently reported on the tremendous overuse of prescription painkiller drugs in this country. Almost everyone knows someone on Vicodin, Percocet, or Norco. Some patients have trouble getting off the drugs, and part of the problem is over-prescribing. So, where is this over-prescribing coming from?

Painkillers may be increasing your heart attack and stroke risk, FDA warns

Reaching into the medicine cabinet for pain relief from your headache, backache or arthritis? The FDA is now strengthening an existing warning for prescription and over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The FDA is also warning people who regularly use NSAIDs to be careful about using other products that might contain an NSAID, such as a multi-symptom cold product.

Coping with back pain?

Low back pain is among the top 10 medical conditions causing disease burden globally. The lifetime risk for having back pain for one month is around 80 percent. The pain intensity can vary from low to excruciating, and can significantly impair even simple life activities. In 10 percent of cases, it may lead to permanent disability. According to the World Health Organization, back pain is estimated to cost 149 million lost work days in the U.S., costing between $100-200 billion per year (two-thirds of the sum coming from lost wages and lower productivity).