Pain Archive

Tooth, gum, or jaw pain can stem from many health problems. For example, tooth pain can result from a cavity, cracked filling, or an infection. Gum pain can come from irritation due to tooth brushing, food, dentures, gum disease, or infection. Jaw pain can be triggered by disorders of the temporomandibular joint, narrowed heart arteries, or even a heart attack. All persistent tooth, gum, and jaw pain should prompt a call to a dentist as soon as possible. Sudden neck or lower jaw pain can signal an emergency and warrants a call to 911, especially in a person with known heart problems.

Ankle sprains are common, but they require proper treatment to heal correctly. You should rest for one or two days and use ice to reduce swelling, then begin exercising to regain strength and range of motion.

Most people will experience shoulder pain at some point in their lives. The most common causes of shoulder pain are bursitis, rotator cuff problems, frozen shoulder, and osteoarthritis. They can occur for various reasons, such as overuse, injury, and age-related wear and tear. A doctor may be able to make a likely diagnosis based on a person's symptoms, a shoulder exam, and sometimes MRI. Treatment often includes a combination of rest, over-the-counter medication, corticosteroid injections, and physical therapy. In some cases, surgery is needed to repair damage.

It may take a combination of approaches to ease the discomfort of a sciatica flare-up. Strategies include staying active, modifying activities to make them less demanding on the back, stretching, using hot or cold therapy, meditating, and using oral or topical painkillers. If the flare-up lasts longer than a week or two and isn't responding to home remedies, it's time to make a doctor appointment. The doctor might order imaging tests and prescribe a prescription anti-inflammatory drug, such as oral or injected prednisone.

Back pain symptoms can vary widely, ranging from a dull, ongoing ache to intense, shooting pain or spasms. Often, back pain is due to pulls or strains in muscles and soft tissues. Other times, it's caused by inflammation or problems with spinal discs or bones. Most cases of muscular back pain ease with time and home-based treatments such as gentle movement, anti-inflammatory pain relievers, and heat and ice. Physical therapy to strengthen core muscles can also help. People whose back pain is severe or doesn't resolve after three to four weeks should see a doctor.

Chronic pain sometimes originates in the pain-sensing nerves as well as injured body tissues.

Many medications claim to relieve migraine pain, but some are more helpful than others. In a large study looking at real-world data on 25 drugs, migraine sufferers rated the most and least helpful options.

Several types of "electroceutical" therapies use tiny zaps of electricity to help ease chronic pain. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy and electroacupuncture are designed to work by interrupting pain signals being sent to the brain. Scrambler therapy is thought to work by changing pain information sent to the brain. Good candidates for such therapies are people with arthritis, neuropathy, neck or back pain, or pain from cancer treatment. Some people should stay away from electroceuticals, including those with any kind of implanted stimulation device, such as a pacemaker or bladder stimulator.