In this series, “Easy Exercises to Combat Chronic Pain,” occupational therapist Kevin Shelley focuses on common issues associated with chronic pain and simple exercises to strengthen weak muscles and enhance joint mobility, with the goal of helping you become pain-free. Summary of Key Facts A recent study found that the incidence of chronic pain in the…

Scientists have warned many antidepressants given to UK chronic pain patients are being prescribed without adequate evidence of their effectiveness. A major investigation into medications has found that despite hundreds of thousands of people being given recommended drugs to manage long-term pain, there is “no reliable evidence” for their long-term safety or reliability. The two-year…

It is estimated that approximately 20 percent of adults worldwide suffer from some sort of pain disorder. Many patients are unable to recover after seeking medical treatment repeatedly, and sometimes the cause of pain cannot be fully diagnosed. Dr. Tse See-li, Hong Kong-registered traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioner said that long-term pain is mostly caused…

Excerpts from our conversation with Dr. Williams, associate director of the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center at the University of Michigan NIHNiH: Your team does research into using types of talk therapy to help people manage chronic pain. How do people tend to feel when a psychological therapy is suggested for their pain?  Williams: People have grown…

In Brief: Challenging previous notions about inflammation and pain, scientists found that a robust initial inflammatory response appears to protect against chronic pain rather than contribute to it. The findings suggest that suppressing inflammation to treat acute musculoskeletal pain may be counterproductive for long-term pain relief. Many of us have felt the ache of a thrown-out…

For people with a type of chronic pain called trigeminal neuralgia, touch from everyday activities like face-washing, eating, or tooth-brushing can cause agonizing pain that can be hard to treat. Trigeminal neuralgia is a type of neuropathic pain, which is caused by damaged or irritated nerves. In this case, pain arises from insults to the…

An international team of scientists has identified the neural mechanisms through which sound blunts pain in mice. The findings, which could inform the development of safer methods to treat pain, were published in the journal, Science. The study was led by researchers at NIDCR; the University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei; and Anhui…

In Brief: Using an imaging technique to visualize pain signals in facial nerves, NIDCR researchers identified a protein that enhances neurons’ responses to painful stimuli. Blocking the protein in mice blunted pain signaling; the results could inform the development of safer, non-opioid pain therapies. From a throbbing tooth or aching jaw to a pounding migraine,…

Researchers from the UK’s University of Oxford have identified a gene they say is involved in chronic pain levels in humans. The gene, NCX3, regulates pain sensitization by amplifying pain signals within the spinal cord, researchers said in a statement. The researchers said that NCX3 was identified as being involved in chronic pain through tests on mice….

A federally funded study reviewing research on cannabis has found very little concrete evidence on its benefits as a chronic pain reliever, despite popular media and academic coverage of its medicinal potential. “With so much buzz around cannabis-related products, and the easy availability of recreational and medical marijuana in many states, consumers and patients might…