Pain conditions can be challenging to differentiate. When is it a strain, when is it a ligament issue, when is it nerve-related, and when is it a matter of tissue damage? When is it a systemic issue or an immune problem? At what point does a long-term injury become a chronic problem? And what about psychosomatic pain?…

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It’s the holiday season, which often spells holiday stress. While there’s a lot to enjoy in the holidays, they can be difficult for people with chronic pain issues. The colder months, typical excesses, financial strain, and social expectations can make the holidays challenging, especially if you’re planning an elaborate get-together or a big traditional dinner. Here are…

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December is SAD awareness month, drawing attention to a condition with growing notoriety that, often compared to the winter blues, can be debilitating in its true nature and severity. SAD, or seasonal affective disorder, is a mood disorder related to other forms of depression, such as major depressive disorder (MDD), dysthymia, and bipolar disorder. However, while seasonal…

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Much like an interregional highway system, our nervous system consists of countless branching nerve complexes. Wherever these nerves intersect the most, they become a nerve plexus. The human body has five spinal nerve plexuses, from which nerve roots along the spinal cord connect to numerous muscles and other body parts. In addition, the body has…

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Pain signals come from the body, but the perception of pain originates in the head – and how our brain works can change how we feel and conceive pain. We already know that certain moods and mental states reduce or even aggravate pain sensitivity, weakening or strengthening a person’s threshold for pain. For example, being…

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Pain comes in many shapes and sizes – not just big, small, burning, or aching, but chronic, progressive, acute, waning, episodic, and constant. Pain can differ from person to person and from condition to condition. But that makes it difficult to tell what kind of pain a person is experiencing – and why. Understanding where…

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Chronic pain is more than mere discomfort. For millions of Americans, a chronic pain flare-up means hours and days of debilitating pain and disability, making even the simplest tasks feel insurmountable. Chronic pain is an obstacle to employment and general quality of life – to the point that it can spoil holidays and special occasions. Managing…

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This early November will feature National Stress Awareness Day, observed since 2018 as a means to destigmatize mental and physical stress sources and help spread awareness around stress-related conditions, the effects of stress on our daily lives, and much more. Yet one underexplored facet of stress is how it affects our ability to function and how…

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Over one in five Americans struggle with arthritis yearly, with symptoms ranging from severe joint pain and inflammation to organ damage. Medical treatment for arthritis pain is determined on a case-by-case basis – severe cases might require immediate attention through local injections or solid anti-inflammatory steroids. In contrast, milder cases can be managed through over-the-counter…

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When it comes to piriformis vs sciatica, while these two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, the conditions are not the same and differ in terms of causes, symptoms, and treatments. Understanding the differences between piriformis vs sciatica can give you a greater awareness of how your back pain and leg pain can intersect, how specific…

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