Pain Management / Anesthesia Medical Library Stories & Articles

If you've tried all the pain medicines, the heat packs, and you still have aching knees, there's new evidence that acupuncture might help with your osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of joint disease, and the most common... ( Read more about Acupuncture for Knee Osteoarthritis)

Antidepressants, commonly prescribed to relieve low back pain, don’t relieve it at all, according to a recent analysis of several studies.
   
The medications are routinely prescribed by almost a quarter of... ( Read more about Antidepressants Found Ineffective Against Back Pain)

Eight years have seen a huge increase in spending on back-pain problems in America. Ironically, however, the proportion of Americans suffering from spine problems has actually increased, too, according to a recent study.

The... ( Read more about As Back-Pain Spending Rises, Results Worsen)

They’re the guys on the baseball diamond that get the brunt of the bangup: catcher’s get run over, they destroy their knees by crouching all day long. And now, there’s evidence that they suffer significant hand trauma, perhaps, because their... ( Read more about Catcher's Mitts Cushioning)

Among patients who need heavy-duty pain medication, those with low levels of vitamin D in their blood need nearly twice the dosage of narcotic drugs to manage their chronic pain, a recent study discovered.
   
On... ( Read more about Chronic-Pain Patients With Low Vitamin D Need More Narcotics)

Here in America, the medications which your doctor prescribes, and which your pharmacist dispenses are carefully studied: going through not one, not two, but three phases of clinical trials usually at multiple medical centers. The process... ( Read more about FDA Drug Approval Conflicts of Interest)

A new study finds that habitual snoring in women is strongly tied to body mass index—a marker of fatness-- and age. Overall, 7.6 percent of women snore. The frequency of snoring reaches its peak in women ages 50 to 59. Frequent snoring was... ( Read more about Health Wrap:Snoring, Fetuses and Pain)

According to new research out of the American Heart Association, exposure to secondhand smoke results in a disproportionate rise in markers that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Rather than relying on participants’ self-reporting of... ( Read more about Healthwrap Second Hand Smokers)

It's common knowledge that people often eat food to feel better, but researchers have now found that eating chocolate or drinking water can blunt pain, reducing a rat's response to a hot stimulus. Researchers believe this natural form of pain... ( Read more about Ingesting Food Can Function As Pain Relief)

A pencil-thin, roughly 2-foot-long muscle running from the base to the top of the spine is composed of a novel "scaffolding" of fibers that strengthen and support the back, a recent research study has shown. "The multifidus muscle was formerly... ( Read more about Long, Skinny Muscle Found Crucial to Healthy Spine)

While the common cold claims the most sick days among U.S. workers under age 45, lower back pain comes in a strong second, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. In addition, it says, some 80 percent of adults are expected to... ( Read more about Myths and Facts About Back Pain)

A non-surgical, radiologically guided injection of oxygen and ozone into bulging or herniated discs results in just as much pain relief and restoration of function as back surgery but with fewer complications and shorter recovery time, two... ( Read more about Ozone Injections Relieve Pain of Herniated Discs)

What are Hip Fractures?

Hip Fracture is a fracture or a crack or break in the proximal end of the femur near where the bone meets the hip. The term Hip fracture is used to describe... ( Read more about Precautions for the elderly: Hip Fracture)

A Review in The Lancet reveals the importance of healthy lifestyle choices to reduce stressors related to cardiovascular risk factors. Researchers from John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore examined records between 1990 to 2006. They observed how... ( Read more about Reducing Stress Lowers Risk of Cardiovascular Problems)

Spinal Decompression provides an alternative to surgery in many cases of lower back pain caused by herniated discs. A herniated disc is a condition of the disc. The disc a jelly-like material between two bones in your spine. There is a middle... ( Read more about Spinal Decompression for Lower Back Pain)

What is Sciatica?

The sciatic nerves are the longest nerves in the body. They start in the lower spine, pass behind the hip joint and go down the buttock, down the back of the leg... ( Read more about Understanding Sciatica)

What is TMJ?

10 million suffer from TMJ or temperal-mandibular joint disorder. TMJ is often used to describe dysfunctions of the jaw and associated joints. TMJ may develop due to... ( Read more about What are the causes of TMJ Disorder and how does it present?)

How the Body Ages:

The nucleus of every cell has 23 pairs of... ( Read more about Why and How Does the Body Age?)

A recent report by health provider BUPA has found that people's worries are damaging their health by causing sleepless nights, loss of sex drive, and erratic eating habits. The 2007 Worry Report demonstrates that almost one in five people... ( Read more about Worried Sick? There Might Be Some Truth There)