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Articles on Pain

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Palliative radiation therapy is effective regardless of a patient’s original cancer site (for example breast, lung or kidney) and is usually delivered in one to 10 daily doses. (Shutterstock)

Cancer pain can be eased by palliative radiation therapy

Palliative radiation therapy can improve a cancer patient’s life, by alleviating pain and other symptoms. Unfortunately, some doctors associate the term with end-of-life care and fail to refer people.
A headache is not from your brain itself hurting, but it might mean some of the muscles, membranes and tissues surrounding the brain or its blood supply system could be hurting. Shutterstock

Curious Kids: what is a headache? Is it our brain hurting?

The brain itself can’t actually feel pain. It can’t sense damage to itself the way your finger can. We know this because people can have brain surgery while they are totally awake.
To feel a pang of pleasure at the misfortune of others is to be human. VixCompaNi/Shutterstock.com

Why does it feel good to see someone fail?

Schadenfreude seems to arise out of envy and a sense of justice. But some psychologists believe a darker impulse is at play.
Some people feel more pain than others. Mikhail_Kayl / Shutterstock.com

Why do some people hurt more than others?

Researchers are exploring the genetic differences that dictate why some people suffer greater pain than others, and how to translate these findings into personalized pain treatments.
Even the slightest touch of a D. moroides leaf can cause excruciating pain. An intense stinging, burning pain is felt immediately, then intensifies, reaching a peak after 20 – 30 minutes. Marina Hurley, Author provided

‘The worst kind of pain you can imagine’ – what it’s like to be stung by a stinging tree

Depending on the species, touching a stinging tree can be like 30 wasp stings at once or being burnt with hot acid and electrocuted at the same time.
Knee arthroscopy requires admission to hospital and an anaesthetic. It carries some risk of harm such as infection or further damage in the joint. from shutterstock.com

Needless procedures: knee arthroscopy is one of the most common but least effective surgeries

Doctors tend to overestimate how good their treatments are and underestimate the harms that come from them. But many studies have shown knee arthroscopy to no more effective than fake surgery.
A boy with a paper cut. Suzanne Tucker/Shutterstock.com

Why do paper cuts hurt so much?

Ouch! Who hasn’t felt the effects of a paper cut and then cursed the gods or themselves for the injury? But have you ever wondered why they hurt so much? A professor of family medicine explains why.
Studies examining pain are hard to judge, since they’re based on participants’ self-reported pain levels. from www.shutterstock.com

Does osteopathy work?

There’s some evidence osteopathy can reduce the need for pain medications.
As doctors have learned more about the types of pain, they can better tailor treatment. Dundanim/Shutterstock.com

A way around opioids: Target the type of pain for better pain relief

As knowledge of pain and the highly addictive nature of opioids has grown, so has the knowledge grown about pain and its origins. A pain specialist explains the intricacies, and how treatment is changing as a result.

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