Physical pain, whether from injury, surgery or another cause, is among the most common medical complaints. There are many medications on the market to combat various degrees of pain, but exercises and therapies also can help manage discomfort.
Almost half of women who have breast cancer surgery still have pain or numbness two to three years later, according to a new study. Women younger than 40 who receive lumpectomies are at the greatest risk.
Taking a low-dose aspirin every day can help prevent heart attacks in people who've already had one. But if you've never had a heart attack (or stroke), the risks of taking a daily low-dose aspirin outweigh the benefits, according to a U.K. report published in Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin.
Patients in the 13 states where medical marijuana is legal can now light up without fear of federal reprisal, but they may still have to answer to local authorities.
Known for building skate parks and shaping the skateboarding scene in New York, Andy Kessler, 48, died this week after an allergic reaction to an insect sting, friends and family told news media.
Facial surgery that targets and removes small portions of migraine-triggering muscle or nerve tissue may offer permanent relief for some people with the debilitating headaches, a new study suggests.
Despite two injections of anesthetic, Amy Anderson felt like her dentist was jamming rods into her tooth during a root canal. She writhed in pain as her infected tooth was hollowed with a drill, its nerve amputated, and then sealed.
Neither of Dr. Arthur Kellerman's parents wanted to die in a hospital. His father had metastatic cancer and his mother had had multiple strokes, and Kellerman wanted to respect their wishes about the ends of their lives.
The special effects exploded too early while Michael Jackson filmed a Pepsi commercial in 1984 and his hair caught on fire, causing burns to his scalp.
Oh, the agony of the feet! They take more than their fair share of abuse (strappy stilettos, flimsy flip-flops, a running routine). But aside from the occasional pedicure, they don't get a lot of attention -- until they start hurting in ways you can't ignore. Real Simple asked experts to explain the six most common ailments women experience and offer smart tips on how to treat them effectively.
When singer Michael Jackson asked for the anesthetic, Diprivan, to help him get a good night's sleep, nurse practitioner Cherilyn Lee told CNN, she refused, telling the pop star that if he took the medicine, he might never wake up.
Diprivan is a powerful I.V. anesthetic drug used for patients undergoing certain surgeries and diagnostic procedures.
A government advisory panel voted Tuesday to recommend eliminating prescription drugs that combine acetaminophen with narcotics -- such as Vicodin and Percocet -- because of their risk for overdose and for severe liver injury.
If your pinkie and ring fingers tingle or feel numb, you might not want to pick up that cell phone to call the doctor.
The average potency of marijuana, which has risen steadily for three decades, has exceeded 10 percent for the first time, the U.S. government will report on Thursday.
Two weeks, the doctors estimated. That's how long they expected Lillie Bradley to live after an infection spread to her pancreas, liver and bile duct.
Seeking to remove unapproved drugs from the marketplace, the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday ordered nine companies to stop manufacturing narcotics whose therapeutic claims have not been proved.
The bad economy and downturn in the housing market aren't the only painful things for Realtor Anne Stephens. Her knees, hips and ankles hurt from arthritis.
Up to 15 percent of the U.S. population have chronic pain, and as many as five percent have pain so persistent that they need heavy-hitting painkillers, known as opioids, just to get through the day.
Alan Franco, a wealth manager from Atlanta, Georgia, has a confession to make: He's a grinder.
Tuesday morning, Silvia Saldana was driving to work on a two-lane road in Cabin John, Maryland, when a wall of water came rushing toward her. Her first instinct was to make a U-turn to get out of the water's path, but it was too late. The water was gushing too quickly.
Millions of Americans take aspirin to lower their risk for heart disease. Research in the British Medical Journal, released in January 2008, shows taking aspirin to fight heart disease may not be a one-size-fits-all solution for everyone.
According to a 2008 study from the University of Washington, expenses related to back and neck pain have increased to more than $80 billion a year, but functional disability and work limitations do not seem to be improving. In other words, patients are spending money on prescription pain medications, surgery and MRIs and other imaging studies on a problem that, in most cases does not require a doctor's care. Most patients would do just as well by waiting, exercising or taking over-the-counter pain medications before visiting the doctor.
Nearly one in five people in the U.S. has some form of osteoarthritis. The condition, which can affect joints, can cause severe pain and limit mobility. Arthroscopic surgery is a common form of treatment for OA of the knee, but studies on its effectiveness have shown varying results. A new study finds that arthroscopic surgery may not be the answer for many patients with OA of the knee.
Back and neck problems are among the most commonly encountered issues in clinical practice. Can a remedy such as enlisting a chiropractor work? And when should a person seek treatment for back pain?
Chronic leg pain could be a sign of a more serious condition as CNN's Judy Fortin reports.
Stress-induced analgesia occurs when an injured person can ignore the pain of an injury because of other stressful situations going on at the same time. For example, if you bang your shin while hiking, it stops hurting if you see a mountain lion. Researchers say a stress hormone, noradrenaline, also known as norepinephrine, which floods the bloodstream during stressful events, numbs the brain's pain-processing pathway. Previous studies have shown that adrenaline is also part of the reason that certain forms of stress can boost the immune system and help fight off the flu. A study on rats explains how someone injured in a car wreck can still manage to save other people.
The scene looked like a flashback to ancient China.
The scene looked like a flashback to ancient China.
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