Pain Archives

OTC Pain Relievers May Have Side Effects, Just Like Prescription Drugs

Mar 23, 2022 · Dawn Bialy · Pain

You probably don’t think much about it when you take a couple of Advil or Tylenol to ease a headache, sore muscles, or arthritis pain. But if you take over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers frequently, you may be increasing your risk of a number of health problems. OTC pain relievers come … Read More

Be Cautious About Using Kratom for Pain Relief

Mar 23, 2022 · Kate Brophy · Pain

In recent years, use of the herbal supplement kratom has increased in the United States. The reasons for its use include pain relief (particularly as a substitute for opioids, which have been linked with potentially serious side effects). But a 2021 study (Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, August) suggests … Read More

Small Fiber Neuropathy Is on the Rise

Mar 23, 2022 · Kate Brophy · Pain

Put your hands in excessively hot water and you’ll realize the temperature is too high for comfort. That’s because the small nerve fibers in your hands form part of an information superhighway that sends messages to your brain about sensory inputs like touch, the pressure of clothing on your skin, … Read More

Can Your Diet Ease Chronic Pain?

Mar 23, 2022 · Denise Webb · Pain

The idiom, “you are what you eat,” is well accepted when it comes to increasing or decreasing your risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and some types of cancer. But it may come as a surprise that research increasingly suggests that what you put on your plate can … Read More

Ask Dr. Etingin: Acupuncture vs. acupressure; Causes of bad breath; Kyphoplasty

Feb 18, 2022 · Dawn Bialy · Pain

What’s the difference between acupuncture and acupressure? Is it true that acupuncture doesn’t hurt? Both of these treatment modalities are based on ancient practices that originated in China. In the traditional Chinese approach to health, all of the body’s systems are connected through a network of channels called meridians. Illness … Read More

Address Urinary Incontinence to Restore Your Quality of Life

Feb 18, 2022 · Dawn Bialy · Pain

Urinary incontinence (UI) is very common among postmenopausal women: According to a national poll, more than onethird of women in their 50s and early 60s had experienced urine leakage (incontinence), and more than half the women over age 65 sometimes had leakage. However, two-thirds of the women who had urine … Read More

Migraines vs. Headaches

Feb 18, 2022 · UHN Staff · Pain

You have a pounding headache, and it’s not the first time. You seek relief from over-the-counter medications, and they seem to do the trick. But why are these repeat headaches happening? Are they preventable, rather than just treatable after the fact? If you’ve been suffering from headaches for years or … Read More

Ask the Doctor – February 2022

Jan 20, 2022 · UHN Staff · Pain

I keep hearing processed meats are considered bad for health. Aren’t all meats “processed”? Technically, yes all meats are processed in some way to get them from the farm to the market. However, when it comes to health recommendations, the term “processed meats” refers to those that have been modified … Read More

Coping with Arthritis in Your Hands

Jan 20, 2022 · Kate Brophy · Pain

Arthritis can affect any joint in the body, but it is often most noticeable when it affects the hands and fingers. Not only does it cause stiffness, swelling, and pain, it also can affect your grip strength, making simple everyday tasks—such as opening jars and turning keys—extremely difficult. But while … Read More

Shield Yourself from Shingles with Two Simple Shots

Jan 20, 2022 · Kate Brophy · Pain

First, you notice a slight discomfort in the skin on one side of your torso. Before long, the feeling has worsened to become a tingling, burning sensation that makes even the light pressure of clothing almost unbearable. These are telltale signs of shingles, a painful, blistering rash that about one … Read More

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