#chronic-pain

#chronic-pain

The term gamification, which means applying game design principles in other contexts, became a buzzword about 15 years ago, mainly driven by companies offering to gamify business processes. The approach aims to leverage game mechanics to increase engagement and motivation ("Get on the leader board!" "Gain power-ups!" "Level up your character!"), so it naturally became popular in education. Multiple studies show that incorporating game elements into learning tasks can boost results.

If you live with chronic pain, you already know how exhausting it can be. Not just the physical sensations but the constant trying-trying to push through, trying to find answers, trying to explain something that feels invisible to others. The search for relief can become its own full-time job, and it's easy to feel discouraged or alone. Over the years of running this site, I've heard from many people who've felt trapped in their bodies, like life was happening around them, not with them.

Researchers have launched a search engine that can quickly sift through the staggering volumes of biological data housed in public repositories. The team integrated data from seven publicly funded data archives, creating 18.8million unique DNA and RNA sequence sets and 210billion amino-acid sequence sets that users can search through using text prompts. The search engine, called MetaGraph, can also uncover genetic patterns hidden deep within expansive sequencing data sets without needing those patterns to be explicitly annotated in advance.

Across the United States, more than 18 million military veterans live with the lasting effects of service. For many, combat did not end when they returned home. The scars of war-whether in the form of physical injuries, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), or invisible mental health struggles-are daily realities. Yet despite decades of evidence supporting cannabis as a therapeutic tool, America's veterans still face barriers to safe and consistent access.

Her own, yes, but also the thousands of people she has met online who are, like her, recovering from spine surgery and often, like her, not their first. In the "Life After Back Surgery Support Group" on Facebook, they post questions, weary updates, and long, detailed accounts of their surgeries, sometimes good, sometimes very bad. Those with long-term pain reach for the language to describe it - "radiating," "unbearable," "like I've been kicked all night long,"

The evidence from this study can help clinical practices justify and move forward with offering remote pain coping skills training that is based on recommended cognitive behavioral therapy interventions. We hope to see that more people with chronic pain will have access to pain coping skills training in the future, and perhaps a choice of whether they would like to complete it on their own, at home, or by phone or video conference with a health coach,

As of August 2025, New York is home to approximately 563,400 veterans. This represents around 3.6% of the state's adult population, placing New York 51st among U.S. states and territories for veterans per capita. While the percentage may appear modest, the impact of this community is anything but small. Veterans have long played a vital role in the fabric of New York life, and their presence is felt across cities, towns, and neighborhoods-including Long Island.

Recent research into chronic pain, which afflicts millions of Americans, has led to a surprising source: the brain.

This is the point where temporary soreness turns into chronic pain, where that dull, nagging ache becomes the new normal. It affects more than just your muscles. Your sleep suffers. Your energy drops. Over time, your brain circuits that process pain grow more sensitive, creating a vicious cycle that's hard to break. What determines whether you bounce back or break down? That's the question researchers at the State University of Campinas in Brazil set out to answer.

The day I was originally supposed to write about the connection between chronic pain and antidepressants, my hands and wrists hurt so much, I couldn't type for longer than a few minutes at a time. Ah, the irony. Thankfully, the pain mostly retreated over the course of a weekend. In the past, I've had to take time off work for weeks as typing, or any activity that involved using my hands, became nigh impossible.

The Switch Stick Folding Seat is a part cane, part portable seat, essential for travel days, lightweight but sturdy, and convenient for resting in line or taking pressure off legs.

New research indicates that pain symptoms evolved to signal to others when help is needed, fostering a community of helpers around those in pain.

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is a connective tissue disorder that can cause chronic pain and fatigue among other symptoms.

Chiropractic adjustments support nervous system function, while therapy builds emotional resilience.

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) affects the skin's ability to withstand friction and trauma, causing painful blisters and sores that can limit mobility and quality of life.

I had theories, of course. Looking back, these tended to change quite frequently, and yet the fear was always the same: in short, that I was dying, that I had some dreadful and no doubt painful disease.

Chronic pain, affecting 1 in 5 adults, is influenced by psychological factors, and studies show therapy can alter brain networks related to pain and emotion.

As a former gymnast, my life has been greatly affected by injuries from childhood sports, leading to surgeries and teaching my kids to listen to their bodies.

Niki Cotson, a mother in chronic pain post-birth, is advocating for North Tees Hospital to be placed in special measures due to alleged poor maternity care.

Chronic pain isn't a single condition; it's a symptom with multiple causes. Accurate classification empowers individuals to better understand their symptoms and effectively treat their pain.