Trust Me I’m An Expert: The science of pain.
The Conversation58.7 MB(download)
Our podcast Trust Me, I'm An Expert, goes beyond the headlines and asks researchers to explain the evidence on issues making news. Today, we're talking pain and what science says about managing it.
Back pain affects one-quarter of Australians.
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Rates of spinal fusion surgery for back pain are on the rise. This is despite little evidence that it's an effective procedure and studies showing many will have revision surgery within ten years.
Prescriptions of the drug pregabalin to treat sciatica have skyrocketed in recent years. But a new study shows it brings only side effects, and not relief for sufferers.
Matt Brown, Queensland University of Technology and Murray Hargrave, Queensland University of Technology
Roughly a quarter of patients under 45 years suffering ongoing lower-back pain without an obvious other cause will have the disease ankylosing spondylitis.
Practice makes perfect posture?
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The evidence suggests too much medicine is doing us harm, particularly when treating knee pain, back pain, chest pain and screening for prostate cancer.
Acute non-specific low back pain is a very common problem that usually gets better without any treatment.
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People seeing a doctor for low back pain are often told to take paracetamol. But a study published today shows the drug is ineffective for the condition and its prolonged use has harmful side effects.
People with lower back pain are usually told to take some paracetamol for relief. But research published today shows that this almost universal advice is misguided. Up to 90% of the population will experience…
Almost all of us have either had it, or can look forward to getting it in our lifetime. In fact, somewhere between about a tenth to a third of us have back pain right now. So is back pain just something…
Keep your high heel-wearing to less than three days a week.
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High-heeled shoes are thought to characterise femininity and beauty, making the wearer feel self-assured and elegant. But they also alter alignment of the feet, legs, and back, and can have long-term effects…
Choose your over-the-counter painkiller based on the side effects you want to avoid.
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If you’re anything like me, your medicine cupboard is chockers with various non-prescription pain remedies: liquids, pills, capsules, children’s painkillers, formulations that are “gentle on the stomach…
Research Fellow and Program Manager at Hunter New England Local Health District, and Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, University of Newcastle
Associate Professor in Medicine, The University of Sydney, Sydney Medical Foundation Fellow & Senior Research Fellow, George Institute for Global Health
