Recent Health News

Ex-Packer Craig Newsome fights pain, addiction
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Last year, he underwent surgery for a pain pump. The hockey puck-sized device is his source of back relief now..."The pain pump and coaching literally saved his life."

Combating Disc Originated Back Pain
CBS Sunday Morning
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CBS Sunday Morning reports on research and a procedure utilizing Fibrin to combat disc originated back pain.

Those Extra Pounds Could Harm Your Back
Everyday Health

"Overweight and obese adults are at significantly increased risk for lumbar spine disc degeneration, a potential cause of low back pain, researchers say."

Cancer Patients Suffer Unnecessary Pain
ABC News

"As many as one-third of cancer patients may be receiving inadequate treatment to control their pain, even though many medicines are available to help, new research suggests."

Yoga and Stretching Equally Effective for Back Pain
NY Times

"Weekly yoga classes relieve symptoms of low back pain about as well as intense, regular stretching sessions, a new study shows."

You Can Think Your Way Out of Pain
The Globe and Mail

"The results of a growing number of studies indicate that we can exert a surprising level of control over the intensity of our painful experiences using relatively simple mental strategies. They work by altering patterns of activation in these key pain-related brain regions..."

Scientists Hint at Why Laughter Feels So Good
New York Times

"Laughter is regularly promoted as a source of health and well being, but it has been hard to pin down exactly why laughing until it hurts feels so good...The results, when analyzed, showed that laughing increased pain resistance..."

Too few with arthritis are exercising, study finds
Chicago Tribune Health

"Numbers lower than expected even though research has shown that exercise can reduce pain."

Thinking Away the Pain
Wall Street Journal

"The larger lesson is that, for far too long, we've been treating pain as a purely physical problem, a sensation rooted in the breakdown of the flesh..."

Chronic pain affects 116 million Americans, says IOM report
By Marissa Cevallos, HealthKey
Chicago Tribune

"Pain is more than just a complaint -- it’s a public health issue. And the time has come to do something about it. So concludes a new report from the Institute of Medicine, written at the request of the Department of Health and Human Services."

Heartache or headache, pain process is similar, studies find
By Melissa Healy
Los Angeles Times

"The brain's shared pain network illustrates the link between body and mind, and it may help explain how emotional ups or downs affect health too."

Taking short breaks alleviates back pain
By Janice Lloyd
USA TODAY

"Preventing back pain might be as easy as getting up from your chair and walking every couple of hours..."

Do the sexes experience pain differently?
By Dr. Ted Robinson
Health & Fitness via theglobeandmail.com

"Question: Do men and women differ in their tolerance to pain? Answer: Recent research has shown that genetic and gender differences play a role in pain tolerance..."

Yoga May Combat Fibromyalgia Symptoms
By Jenifer Goodwin
HealthDay via usatoday.com

"Yoga that includes gentle stretches and meditation may help alleviate the symptoms of fibromyalgia, a small study finds."

The Gender Gap: Learning Why Men and Women Experience Pain Differently
The Boston Globe

"It’s one of the more puzzling observations in medicine: The vast majority of chronic pain patients..."

Small Study Suggests Electrical Stimulation of the Brain Can Ease Migraine Pain
Los Angeles Times

"A small pilot study suggests that electrical stimulation of the occipital nerve, which connects the spinal cord to the back of the brain, can ease chronic migraine in some patients for whom other forms of treatment are unsuccessful. If the results can be confirmed, the approach could provide another tool to fight what can be a severely debilitating disorder."

Tai Chi Reported to Ease Fibromyalgia
New York Times

"The ancient Chinese practice of tai chi may be effective as a therapy for fibromyalgia, according to a study published on Thursday in The New England Journal of Medicine."

Pushing Back on Back Surgery
By Janet Moore Star Tribune

"Insurers, and some physicians, are questioning the need for aggressive spinal surgery."

Can Foods Trigger Migraines?
New York Times Health

"Can allergies to certain foods trigger migraines? What about food additives like MSG? Dr. David Dodick of the Mayo Clinic responds to readers’ questions about migraines."

Where pain pills fail, electronic devices can deliver
Special to the Los Angeles Times

"Wires implanted in the spinal cord can deliver electronic pulses that eliminate pain in up to three-fourth of patients."

Movement Therapies May Reduce Chronic Pain
Los Angeles Times

"Yoga, tai chi, qigong and other exercises appear to help people suffering from cancer, arthritis, fybromyalgia, multiple sclerosis and other problems."

When Pain Becomes Chronic
Millions of Americans suffer from a hurting that doesn't go away.
Special to the Los Angeles Times

"Pain. It stabs. It burns. It aches. It throbs. It gnaws at you. It knocks you for a loop. But, sooner or later, it goes away. Unless it doesn't.

That's a nightmare come true for millions of Americans who spend every day in a world of hurt. And the problem will get only bigger. "As our demographics change, and we live longer, more people will experience chronic pain," says Dr. Lynn Webster, medical director of the Lifetree Clinical Research and Pain Clinic in Salt Lake City."

Not Everyone Hurts the Same Way
Factors such as age, gender and ethnicity can affect the way a person experiences pain.
Special to the Los Angeles Times

"Pain is private. Unlike blood pressure or temperature or other symptoms easily measured and defined, the physical reaction to unpleasant stimuli is hard to quantify or predict. It varies from person to person, with each individual describing pain — and its intensity — differently."

What's Causing Your Back Pain? Simple EMG Test Can Give Answers
Caring.com via Channel 12 News San Antonio, TX

"An EMG, or electromyogram, is a test that's been around for decades, but doctors have only recently started using it again on patients with back pain, thanks to new research showing its effectiveness as a diagnostic tool."

New Ways to Treat Chronic Pain - WSJ.com
The Wall Street Journal

"After suffering from neck and back pain so piercing that some days she would just sit in the office in agony, Leah Weinberg recently tried a radical new treatment: Her doctor implanted a small battery-operated generator in her lower back that sends a weak electrical current to the nerves near her spine. It tricks the brain, replacing her pain signals with what she describes as a tingling sensation."

Downward-Facing Dog's Life
The New York Times

"If you've missed a connection or experience other travel-related stress, yoga can restore calm."

Can’t Stand to Sit Too Long? There’s a Desk for That 
The New York Times

"Medical researchers have found that people who stand at work tend to be much healthier than those who sit, and there’s a large online subculture of stand-up fanatics who swear that getting rid of your chair will change your life."

Survey: Breakthrough Pain Significant For Many Cancer Patients
Pain Medicine News

“Breakthrough pain exacts a heavy toll on the quality of life of cancer patients and cancer survivors, an online survey commissioned by the American Pain Foundation reports.”

Smoking Ban Linked to Drop in Hospital Admissions
http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/Smoking/19500
MedPage Today

“Hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory conditions declined by 30% to 40% following implementation of a smoking ban in Toronto-area restaurants, data from a Canadian study showed.”