Pain Archive

Author and migraine sufferer Joan Didion once wrote, "That no one dies of migraine seems, to someone deep into an attack, an ambiguous blessing." At that time, migraines weren't something that could be prevented. Today, that's a possibility for some people who have severe migraines, frequent migraines (more than three or four times a month), or migraines that don't respond well to treatment.

The cornerstone of migraine prevention is managing triggers like stress or certain foods or strong perfumes. Alternative and complementary therapies (like acupuncture) help some migraine sufferers keep headaches at bay.

Tendons are the bands of fibrous tissue that attach muscle to bone. Tendinitis — tendon inflammation — is often a repetitive strain injury. You get it by repeating the same motion over and over, which irritates the tendon. Joints commonly affected by tendinitis include the elbow, heel, and wrist.

Weekend warriors (folks who engage in high-intensity activities such as running or basketball on the weekend but do little to maintain conditioning during the week) often develop tendinitis in the knees. Simply being overweight can also contribute to knee tendinitis. Age is another risk factor. Over time, tendons become less flexible and the involved muscles lose strength, both of which further stress the tendons. Inflexible hamstring and quadricep muscles make you more susceptible as well.

An ailing knee or a hip can make life miserable. Even if your doctor recommends it be replaced, you need to carefully weigh the risks and benefits before agreeing to this major surgery and understand that it will require significant rehabilitation to get back on your feet.

The most important factor in choosing to have a knee or hip replaced is how much it hurts and how much it is affecting your life. Here are six signals that it's time to have a knee or hip replaced:

If opening jars becomes more difficult because of painful hands, or if climbing stairs produces pain in your knees, "arthritis" is often the first thing that comes to mind. The two most common forms of arthritis—osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis—can cause similar aches and pains, but there are a few key differences between them. For example:

Onset. Osteoarthritis occurs when cartilage (tissue in your joints that cushions your bones) wears away. Pain occurs when bone rubs against bone. This type of arthritis pain tends to develop gradually and intermittently over several months or years.

Medical professionals are an important part of managing arthritis. For example, your doctor can make sure you're taking the right medications, and physical or occupational therapists can help you find safe and effective ways to exercise and modify your daily activities. But ultimately, the day-to-day work of managing your arthritis falls to you.

One way you can be active in managing your arthritis is by adapting your daily routine to relieve pressure on your joints. The following techniques can help you avoid stiffness and lighten the burden on your joints.

Learn to recognize pain that strikes the toes, toenails, heels, arches,
and ankles, so you'll know what to do to protect your mobility.

Physical therapy, splinting, and corticosteroid injections may relieve symptoms temporarily.

You may suspect that you have carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) if you experience numbness, tingling, and weakness in your hand. CTS is a common condition that doesn't go away on its own. "The longer you wait to get help, the less likely you will respond completely to treatment, if the process has progressed beyond a certain point," says Dr. Chaitanya Mudgal, a Harvard Medical School assistant professor.

The truth – and the myth – behind the cracking knuckles debate

Cracking your knuckles may aggravate the people around you, but it probably won't raise your risk for arthritis. That's the conclusion of several studies that compared rates of hand arthritis among habitual knuckle-crackers and people who didn't crack their knuckles.

The "pop" of a cracked knuckle is caused by bubbles bursting in the synovial fluid — the fluid that helps lubricate joints. The bubbles pop when you pull the bones apart, either by stretching the fingers or bending them backward, creating negative pressure. One study's authors compared the sudden, vibratory energy produced during knuckle cracking to "the forces responsible for the destruction of hydraulic blades and ship propellers."

You might drink milk to strengthen your bones, but it could also do your joints some good. A study reported in the June issue of Arthritis Care & Research found that women who drank low-fat or skim milk experienced a slower progression of knee osteoarthritis (OA).

The study, which was conducted by researchers at Harvard Medical School, followed 2,148 participants with knee OA for four years. Researchers measured the participants' joint space in the knee to see how much their osteoarthritis was progressing. Narrowing of the joint space is a sign that osteoarthritis is getting worse. The more milk women (but not men) drank, the less their joint space narrowed.

It may be okay to try alternative remedies, but don't skip proven treatments.

The first step to treat wear-and-tear osteoarthritis is medication to reduce pain and inflammation. But many men still end up with pain, stiffness, and limits on day-to-day functioning.