Pain Management

What is sciatica? Sciatica is pain, tingling, or numbness produced by an irritation of the nerve roots that lead to the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is formed by the nerve roots coming out of the spinal cord into ...

Abdominal Pain (Pain Management)

Just about everybody at one point or another will experience abdominal pain. Most of the causes are not serious and can be readily diagnosed and treated. However, pain can also be a sign of a serious illness. It's important to be able to recognize sy...

Leg Pain (Pain Management)

If you're suffering from lower leg pain, you may wonder if it's serious or something you can treat at home. What follows is an overview of several causes and types of treatment for lower leg pain. Be sure to see your doctor if you have any question a...

Elbow Pain (Pain Management)

How is the elbow designed and what is its function? The elbow is the joint where three long bones meet in the middle portion of the arm. The bone of the upper arm (humerus) meets the inner bone of the forearm (ulna) and the outer bone of the for...

Knee Pain (Pain Management)

Introduction to Knee Pain Knee pain is the most common musculoskeletal complaint that brings people to their doctor. With today’s increasingly active society, the number of knee problems is increasing. Knee pain has a wide variety of s...

Pain Medicine Organizations (Pain Management)

Organizations National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke NIH Neurological Institute P.O. Box 5801 ...

Resources (Pain Management)

There are a wide variety of resources available to help you and your family meet the challenges of chronic pain. This list is by no means a complete one; it is designed as a starting point to help you identify sources of help. American...

Personal Stories (Pain Management)

Profile: Fibromyalgia: 1 Woman’s Story In high school, the terrible pain hit her -- but no one believed there was anything wrong. Click here to read her compelling story. Fibromyalgia: 1 Woman’s Story ...

Support (Pain Management)

Message Board: Chronic Pain Support Group Suffering from arthritis or joint pain? Share how you get by, day to day -- or get support here. Chronic Pain Support Group Message Board: Join...

Living and Coping (Pain Management)

Some people with chronic pain are seeking help from pain management specialists. By Dulce Zamora Feature Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD Donald feels like a new man. After years of enduring de...

Cancer Pain Control (Pain Management)

Can cancer pain be controlled? Cancer pain can be controlled in almost every case. This does not mean that you have no pain, but that it stays at a level that you can bear. Cancer and its treatments can be painful. A tumor t...

Your Pain Treatment Agreement (Pain Management)

What Is a Pain Treatment Agreement? As pain medication addiction is possible, doctors sometimes require that patients sign a pain treatment agreement as a condition of their receiving therapy for chronic pain. Such agreements are most commonly u...

Pain and Drug Addiction (Pain Management)

Most people who take pain medicines as prescribed by their doctor don't develop pain medicationaddiction. But some do become addicted. People more likely to become addicted to narcotics include those who have been addicted to other substances in t...

Palliative Care (Pain Management)

Palliative care is a special type of medical care that focuses on treatment of symptoms people may have when they are living with a chronic (long-standing) illness, such as cancer or heart failure. It is often compared to the hospice care that is ...

Chronic Pain and Lifestyle Changes (Pain Management)

The following ideas can help you manage your chronic pain. Take your medicines as prescribed. Participate in a physical therapy or exercise program that includes stretching several times a day. Kee...

Care (Pain Management)

Many people are uncomfortable with the idea of taking a pill regularly for pain relief. Here are some alternatives. By Dulce Zamora Feature Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD Merck & Co.'s decis...

Cancer, Elderly, and Pain Medications (Pain Management)

Older patients are at risk for under-treatment of pain because their sensitivity to pain may be underestimated, they may be expected to tolerate pain well, and misconceptions may exist about their ability to benefit from opioids. Issues in assessi...

Surgery and Pain (Pain Management)

Surgery is not often used to treat chronic pain. The decision to have surgery depends on your condition and the cause of your pain. Surgery is usually considered only after other treatments have failed or if it is considered medically necess...

Spinal Drug Delivery Systems (Pain Management)

Pain relief through spinal drug delivery systems, also called intrathecal drug delivery systems, involves implanting a small pump that delivers medication directly to the spinal cord, where pain signals travel. In many cases, spinal drug deliv...

Pain Medication Addiction (Pain Management)

Some medications used to treat pain can be addictive. Addiction is different from physical dependence or tolerance, however. In cases of physical dependence, withdrawal symptoms occur when a substance suddenly is stopped. Tolerance occurs when the in...

Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) Pump (Pain Management)

Patient controlled analgesia (PCA) is a method of pain control that gives the patient the power to control their pain. In PCA, a computerized pump called the patient controlled analgesia pump -- that contains a syringe of pain medication as prescribe...

Trigger Point Injections (Pain Management)

Trigger point injection (TPI) may be an option in treating pain for some patients. TPI is a procedure used to treat painful areas of muscle that contain trigger points, or knots of muscle that form when muscles do not relax. Many times, such knots...

Narcotic Pain Medications (Pain Management)

Most medications have a maximum dose. Usually, the maximum dose is one that you cannot exceed without suffering harm. In the case of most pain medications, taking more than the maximum dose will not increase the pain relief but may cause toxic side e...

Commonly Abused Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs

Drug AbuseDrug abuse isn't just about illicit drugs like marijuana or cocaine. Legal medicines with legitimate uses can be abused -- meaning they're taken by someone other than the patient or in a manner or dose other than what's recommended. Here yo...

Pain Medications: OTC and Prescription (Pain Management)

Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers include: Acetaminophen (Tylenol, Aspirin Free Excedrin) Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs; aspirin, Motrin, and Aleve) Topical ...

Pain and Alternative Therapy (Pain Management)

The term alternative therapy, in general, is used to describe any medical treatment or intervention that has not been sufficiently scientifically documented or identified as safe and effective for a specific condition. Alternative therapy encompasses...

Spine Pain and Treatments (Pain Management)

If osteoporosis has caused a spinal compression fracture, the treatment should address the pain, the fracture, and the underlying osteoporosis to prevent future fractures. All components of treatment have improved greatly in the last decade, say...

Cancer Pain: Myths and Misconceptions (Pain Management)

What you don't know about pain and pain relief can hurt you. Great strides have been made in the understanding of pain and its treatment in the last decade. Pain that was once considered hopeless is now manageable. Medical evidence proves that m...

What Is Chiropractic? (Pain Management)

What is chiropractic? Chiropractic is a hands-on therapy based on the theory that subluxations in the spine may cause many medical disorders (especially disorders of the nervous system). Chiropractic medicine originated in the ...

Natural Pain Relief (Pain Management)

In addition to medicine or surgery, other treatments can be helpful in reducing chronic pain. Other Treatment Choices Additional treatments for chronic pain may include: ...