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Stay up-to-date with the latest news and ideas in the fields of Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine, Geriatric Dentistry, Oral Pathology and Radiology, Pain Medicine and Pain Science, and Community Oral Health.

Do Sleep Patterns Increase Chronic Pain?

Do Sleep Patterns Increase Chronic Pain?

Many people who live with chronic pain experience difficulty sleeping. Their sleep patterns may be irregular, with them getting sleep when and if they can. We know how important getting quality sleep is on a regular basis, but we are also learning that not having...

Dry Cupping With An Acupuncturist May Help With Chronic Back Pain

Dry Cupping With An Acupuncturist May Help With Chronic Back Pain

Chronic back pain can be debilitating for many people. It keeps millions of people from being able to do what they want. Those with chronic back pain have often tried many different things in search of relief, but one thing they may not have tried yet is ear...

How Anesthesia May Impact Chronic Pain

How Anesthesia May Impact Chronic Pain

Each year, millions of people have surgery for a variety of reasons. Whether or not they are related to a chronic pain condition, the surgery itself may impact the chronic pain one experiences. Researchers are beginning to see the connection between the gut microbiome...

The Psychosocial Factors that Impact Chronic Low Back Pain

The Psychosocial Factors that Impact Chronic Low Back Pain

Millions of people suffer from chronic low back pain. It’s a common condition that can have a negative impact on one’s quality of life, as it keeps them from participating in activities they may have once loved. But how much of what they are experiencing is being made...

Can Dietary Changes Help with Endometriosis Pain?

Can Dietary Changes Help with Endometriosis Pain?

For the women who experience endometriosis, they know all too well how painful it can be. The chronic pain brought on by the condition can be life-impacting. As researchers continue to look for ways to help bring pain relief to those who suffer from the disease, they...

Visual Changes With Migraines

Visual Changes With Migraines

Most of us have either heard of migraines, known someone who has had migraines, or better yet, has had the misfortune of being stricken by migraines ourselves. Migraines are a type of debilitating headache that doesn’t get much press. Everyone has heard of it, but no...

What Is Red Ear Syndrome?

What Is Red Ear Syndrome?

I’m not embarrassed, I'm not drunk, and I’m not frostbitten, so why are my ears bright red? Most of us have probably never heard of something that doctors refer to as the “red ear syndrome”. Don’t worry. Many doctors have never heard of it either. I certainly had...

Topical Intraoral Options for Neuropathic Pain

Topical Intraoral Options for Neuropathic Pain

What is Neuropathic pain? Neuropathic pain is pain initiated by the nervous system either from a lesion, trauma, or dysfunction. It can occur for no reason at all or can be secondary to other causes such as dental procedures or central nervous system pathology....

Addressing Chronic Pain Among Caregivers of Children

Addressing Chronic Pain Among Caregivers of Children

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over three million children in the country have a disability [1]. These special health care needs often lead to them needing a caregiver that provides assistance, whether for assistance walking, dressing, bathing, or in another...

Have Chronic Low Back Pain? Try Meditation.

Have Chronic Low Back Pain? Try Meditation.

Millions of people suffer from chronic low back pain around the country. It's a common condition that can keep people from doing the things they want to do, and it can have a negative impact on one's overall quality of life. Those who suffer from chronic low back pain...

Do Arthritis Gloves Help with Hand Pain and Function?

Do Arthritis Gloves Help with Hand Pain and Function?

According to the Arthritis Foundation, about half of all women and one-quarter of all men will experience the stiffness and pain of osteoarthritis in their hands by the time they are 85 [1]. As the protective cartilage around the fingers breaks down over time, it...

Does Qigong Help With Chronic Pain?

Does Qigong Help With Chronic Pain?

Qigong may be something many people are not familiar with, but it can provide benefits that make it worth checking out. Pronounced “chi gong,” the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health reports that it’s a part of Chinese medicine that has been...

How Primary Care May Help Bring More Chronic Pain Relief

How Primary Care May Help Bring More Chronic Pain Relief

Primary care doctors around the country have many patients who suffer from chronic pain. Whether it’s from low back pain, knee pain, shoulder pain, or something else, chronic pain is a major issue from coast to coast. New research sheds light on a new option that...

Have Knee Osteoarthritis? Start Moving!

Have Knee Osteoarthritis? Start Moving!

Many people suffer from chronic pain due to knee osteoarthritis. For most of them, exercising is one of the last things they want to engage in. The thought of moving around to exercise creates fear that it will create more pain, or even further damage the knee...

Can Ear Acupuncture Help With Chronic Neck Pain?

Can Ear Acupuncture Help With Chronic Neck Pain?

We often joke about things being a pain in the neck, but for the millions of people who suffer from the condition, it’s far from funny. In fact, chronic cervical pain, or chronic neck pain, is a condition that can keep people from being as active as they would like,...

Nerve Stimulator Shows Promising Results in Reducing Chronic Pain

Nerve Stimulator Shows Promising Results in Reducing Chronic Pain

Millions of people around the country suffer from chronic pain. Whether it’s chronic pain in the low back, shoulder, head, or elsewhere, finding relief is of the utmost importance. The good news is that new and improved treatment options become available regularly....

21st Century Public Health: Learn From the Past and Build the Future

21st Century Public Health: Learn From the Past and Build the Future

During the past two decades, the public health community's attention has been drawn increasingly to the social determinants of health (SDH). A search on Google results in millions of hits, which indicates that people are talking about this term. So, what does Social...

Chronic Non-Malignant Pain And Its Side Effects

Chronic Non-Malignant Pain And Its Side Effects

Q: What is chronic non-malignant pain [CNMP]? A: Nonmalignant, chronic pain (>6 months) is due to remodeling within the central nervous system. This central neural plasticity results in persistent pain even after correction of pathology. It is characterized by...

Does Acupuncture Really Work For Pain?

Does Acupuncture Really Work For Pain?

Q: I know that injections are commonly done to relieve pain. Is this a legitimate evidence-based treatment method with some long-term benefits for the chronic pain patient? A: A variety of needle-based and injection-based interventional therapies exist for chronic...

Using Psychological Interventions to Help Youth with Chronic Pain

Using Psychological Interventions to Help Youth with Chronic Pain

It’s difficult for anyone to live with chronic pain, but it may be even more so for children. They often don’t understand why they have the pain, or the best ways to go about trying to address it. All they know is that they hurt, and they usually turn to the adults in...

Change Your Thoughts, Reduce Your Pain Severity

Change Your Thoughts, Reduce Your Pain Severity

Chronic pain is something that millions of people feel, and it can be debilitating for many. There are additional problems that people face that often go along with chronic pain, such as depression and anxiety. Another powerful thing that is often associated with...

Smoking Cessation to Help with Chronic Pain

Smoking Cessation to Help with Chronic Pain

Millions of people around the country suffer from chronic pain. Some of them are also smokers, which is likely making their pain worse. Being able to quit smoking may bring some pain relief to those who smoke. Many people who smoke struggle with successful ways to...

Botulinum Toxin Type A Helps with Bruxism

Botulinum Toxin Type A Helps with Bruxism

According to the Sleep Foundation, up to 50% of children experience sleep bruxism, around 15% of adolescents do, and around 8% of adults experience the condition [1]. Bruxism, when someone has an involuntary habit of clenching and grinding their teeth, can lead to...

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