Integrative Therapies to Help Manage Chronic Pain
With millions of people suffering from chronic pain in the country, more attention is being put on what can be done to help manage it. While pharmaceuticals may have once been center stage, many people are seeking other ways they can help find pain relief, with the...
Does Pain in Childhood Predict Pain in Mid-Life?
When it comes to chronic pain, the focus is often put on adults, but some children suffer from it as well. In fact, according to research published in the March 2021 issue of JAMA, it is estimated that between one-quarter and one-third of children may experience...
What Is Central Sensitization (CS)?
Central sensitization is an amplification of neural signaling within the central nervous system that elicits pain hypersensitivity. (Woolf, 2011). It is a pathological phenomenon that represents both structural and functional changes in the CNS and leads to increased...
The Blinking Eye
Blepharospasm [aka, blinking eye] is a focal dystonia involving the orbicularis muscle causing repeated and abnormal movements of the eyelids. Patients with blepharospasm may be characterized by various types of involuntary activation of periocular muscles, and not...
Alpha-Lipoic Acid: Nature’s Relief for Burning Mouth Syndrome Sufferers
For those of you fortunate enough not to have heard of Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS), let me introduce you to this debilitating pain condition. BMS is characterized by a burning sensation in the tongue and/or other oral mucosal areas. It is often associated with dry...
How to Conduct an Intraoral Dental Screening
An intraoral dental screening should be a routine part of any dental assessment: checking and recording the presence or absence of any abnormalities. The importance of regular dental examinations has been emphasized by the many studies which show positive outcomes for...
What is “Cheerleaders’ Syndrome”?
Idiopathic Condylar Resorption (ICR), aka, “cheerleaders’ syndrome", is an uncommon aggressive degenerative joint disease that most frequently occurs in teenage girls during the pubertal growth spurt. In patients with ICR, a decrease in the mandibular ramus height...
What is Herpes Zoster?
Herpes zoster is a neurocutaneous disease that is caused by the reactivation of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) from a latent infection of dorsal sensory or cranial nerve ganglia following primary infection with VZV earlier in life. (Schmader et al 2007). Major risk...
Masseter Muscle Hypertrophy: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment Options
Though the masseter muscle doesn’t have the same claim to fame as say biceps, it plays an important role in our ability to function on a daily basis. Humans have two masseter muscles, one on each side of our face. The masseter muscles are a set of powerful muscles...
A Glimpse into Occipital Neuralgia
If the patient experiences a sharp pain in the back of the neck, close to the nuchal line, and it radiates to the parietal and frontal areas, the clinician should consider the possibility of occipital neuralgia. Occipital neuralgia (ON) is a primary headache disorder...
Can Quitting Smoking After Cancer Diagnoses Help You Avoid Severe Pain?
Millions of people smoke and some are diagnosed with cancer each year. Regardless of the type of cancer they are diagnosed with, researchers wondered if quitting smoking following the diagnoses would help lead to the person experiencing less severe pain. They...
Artificial Intelligence May Be the Future of Chronic Pain Management
Artificial intelligence is becoming more common in many areas of our society. One area that we may start to see more of it is in the medical community, including when it comes to the management of chronic pain. Researchers recently put artificial intelligence to the...
The Fatty Acid that May Help Reduce Chronic Pain
When it comes to managing chronic pain, most people don't look to the end of their fork for help. Despite this, recent research suggests that maybe it's time to do just that. There are certain things we eat that can help our body naturally address chronic pain. Some...
The Role Music Can Play in Pain Management
Many people listen to music as a way of relaxing and improving their mood, among other motives. With that in mind, researchers have put music to the test to see if it can help with pain relief for those who experience chronic pain as well as acute pain. The results of...
Neurological Consequences of COVID-19
The knowledge and understanding of COVID-19 and its consequences is progressing, giving better insight into the heterogeneous nature of its acute and long-term effects. The available evidence on the pulmonary, cardiovascular, neurological, hematological, multisystem...
Anti-Diabetic Drug May Help Those with Musculoskeletal Pain
Numerous studies have shown that the popularly-prescribed drug for type 2 diabetes, metformin, can help improve other conditions. In a recent study, researchers have found that it may also be beneficial for those who suffer from musculoskeletal pain. The study informs...
Can a Health Coach Help With Chronic Pain?
The job of a health coach is to help identify ways that the people they work with can make changes that will help the person reach their goals. They also play an important role in keeping the person motivated and listening to and addressing their perceived fears...
Do Sleep Patterns Increase Chronic Pain?
Many people who live with chronic pain experience difficulty sleeping. Their sleep patterns may be irregular, with them getting sleep when and if they can. We know how important getting quality sleep is on a regular basis, but we are also learning that not having...
Dry Cupping With An Acupuncturist May Help With Chronic Back Pain
Chronic back pain can be debilitating for many people. It keeps millions of people from being able to do what they want. Those with chronic back pain have often tried many different things in search of relief, but one thing they may not have tried yet is ear...
How Anesthesia May Impact Chronic Pain
Each year, millions of people have surgery for a variety of reasons. Whether or not they are related to a chronic pain condition, the surgery itself may impact the chronic pain one experiences. Researchers are beginning to see the connection between the gut microbiome...
The Psychosocial Factors that Impact Chronic Low Back Pain
Millions of people suffer from chronic low back pain. It’s a common condition that can have a negative impact on one’s quality of life, as it keeps them from participating in activities they may have once loved. But how much of what they are experiencing is being made...
Using Interdisciplinary Treatment in the Management of Chronic Headache Pain
Millions of people suffer from chronic headache pain around the country. It can be debilitating, often keeping people from engaging in their everyday activities. The good news is that there are numerous treatments that people can use to help find some relief. One...
Can Dietary Changes Help with Endometriosis Pain?
For the women who experience endometriosis, they know all too well how painful it can be. The chronic pain brought on by the condition can be life-impacting. As researchers continue to look for ways to help bring pain relief to those who suffer from the disease, they...
Visual Changes With Migraines
Most of us have either heard of migraines, known someone who has had migraines, or better yet, has had the misfortune of being stricken by migraines ourselves. Migraines are a type of debilitating headache that doesn’t get much press. Everyone has heard of it, but no...