April 9, 2020

Pain Is a Growing Threat to the Nation's Surgeons, New Research Reveals

WEDNESDAY, April 1, 2020 -- Many surgeons have neck and back pain after performing operations, a small new study finds.

It included 53 surgeons (34 men and 19 women) who did 116 operations at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix. They wore devices that measured neck, back and arm posture during surgery, and were asked about pain and fatigue levels before and after.

March 30, 2020

Legal Pot Products Too Potent for Chronic Pain

FRIDAY, March 27, 2020 -- Most legal medical marijuana -- more than 90% -- is stronger than what doctors recommend for chronic pain relief, a new study finds.

"We know that high-potency products should not have a place in the medical realm because of the high risk of developing cannabis-use disorders, which are related to exposure to high THC-content products," said lead author Dr. Alfonso Edgar Romero-Sandoval. He's an associate professor of anesthesiology at Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C.

March 20, 2020

What Works Best to Ease the Pain of Sciatica?

WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2020 -- Surgery can cut pain intensity by more than half among patients struggling with long-term sciatica, researchers report.

"Sciatica is the symptom of pain that radiates down the leg and is caused by compression of a nerve root in the spinal canal by a disc herniation," explained study author Dr. Chris Bailey. He's an associate professor of surgery with the Bone and Joint Institute at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada.

March 13, 2020

When Chronic Pain Leads to Depression in Kids

WEDNESDAY, March 11, 2020 -- Chronic pain can keep kids from being social and active, leading to anxiety and depression, a child psychiatrist says.

Unfortunately, this can turn into a vicious cycle -- worsening depression and anxiety can also worsen pain perception.