Pain Archive

Addressing arch, tendon, and nail pain will protect your mobility and independence.

You're not alone if you've developed pain in your feet since the temperatures outside dropped. "Colder weather makes you realize there's a problem," says Dr. Jim Ioli, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School. "You're no longer wearing sandals, and your feet are enclosed in shoes. That brings pain to your attention." Address these ailments as soon as possible.

Save your money if you're considering investing in a wedge insole to relieve your pain from knee osteoarthritis; a research review published in the Aug. 21, 2013, Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that the shoe inserts do little—if anything—to relieve arthritis pain. Wedge insoles, and in this case lateral wedge insoles, are placed in the shoe to prop up or tilt the outside of your foot. The idea is that it reduces the load on the inner knee joint, where knee arthritis often starts. But after evaluating the results of 12 different shoe-based clinical trials, researchers didn't find an improvement in pain. That finding comes after a recent statement from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, which said it couldn't recommend lateral wedge insoles for people with knee osteoarthritis, based on current research. Prices for the inserts range from $10 at a pharmacy to $500 for a custom-fit orthotic. So what should you spend your money on instead? Consider flat-heeled, flexible shoes that mimic the movement of walking barefoot, along with a cane to boost your stability.

Cope with the blistering rash using antivirals and painkillers.

If your doctor diagnoses a painful rash as shingles, also known as herpes zoster, you're in for more pain. The virus inhabits nerves, and blisters arise near the affected nerves, making the skin especially sensitive. To combat pain, your doctor will prescribe a medicine to kill the virus—such as famciclovir (Famvir) or valacyclovir (Valtrex). That can help within three days of the start of the rash. Also helpful are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve); acetaminophen (Tylenol); or a stronger prescription pain medicine if necessary. The blisters will last for a few weeks, and the pain may last for months. In 10% of cases, pain may last even longer.

The tip-off may be swelling near, but not in, the joints.

How to work out safely so you get all the health benefits without the aches and strains.

Whether you've been exercising for years or are just starting a fitness program, it's important to avoid injuries so you can keep moving closer to your fitness goals. We become more vulnerable to injuries as we get older, in part because we are less agile than we used to be, and we have also lost some of our former bone and muscle mass.

Appropriate exercise reduces pain and stiffness and improves the ability to function.

Do you have knee osteoarthritis and want to be more active with less pain? It turns out that the best medicine for wear-and-tear knee arthritis is exercise—but you have to stick with it to get the benefit, even if it hurts a little. The key to success is matching the right type of exercise to your knee condition. This allows you to gradually strengthen and stabilize the joint.

Regular exercise helps you walk farther with less discomfort.

Leg pain that starts when you walk for a while but subsides when you rest is the signature symptom of a condition called intermittent claudication. This occurs when fatty deposits in the walls of leg arteries impede the free flow of blood to exercising muscles, depriving them of oxygen. The cramping and pain can strike in the foot, calf, thigh, or buttock, depending on the site of the blockage.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) in June released updated guidelines for treating osteoarthritis of the knee. Most of the recommendations are the same as those in the AAOS' 2009 guidelines, although the organization no longer recommends hyaluronic acid injections, which haven't been found to offer much pain relief.

The AAOS also isn't recommending glucosamine and chondroitin supplements or acupuncture for knee arthritis. Recommended treatments that are better supported by research include low-impact aerobic exercise and weight loss (in overweight individuals) to reduce excess pressure on the joint. For pain relief, the organization advises the use of acetaminophen (in doses of less than 3,000 mg daily) and NSAIDs.

Rely on your natural sleep rhythms as much as possible instead of sleep medications and painkillers.

Chronic pain and insomnia are an unhealthy combination. According to the National Sleep Foundation, chronic pain disturbs the slumber of one in five Americans at least a few nights per week. But you can start to break the vicious circle of pain and insomnia by maintaining sleep-friendly behaviors, known as sleep hygiene.

People who take a cholesterol-lowering statin are more likely to report muscle strains and sprains.