Skip to content

Top Navigation

Health.com Health.com
  • Health Conditions A-Z
  • News
  • Coronavirus
  • Diet & Nutrition
  • Fitness
  • Beauty
  • Mind & Body
  • Lifestyle
  • Weight Loss
  • Newsletter
  • Promo

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences this link opens in a new tab
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Health.com

Health.com Health.com
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Is Your Doctor Gaslighting You? Here's What to Do

      How to handle a physician who doubts or dismisses your symptoms. Read More Next
    • 9 Signs It's More Serious Than the Common Cold

      Doctors explain how to tell if you have a head cold or something more serious that requires medical attention, such as the flu, strep throat, meningitis, or mono. Read More Next
    • How Your Period Changes During Your 20s, 30s, and 40s

      From easier cramps to a heavier flow, here's a guide on what to expect decade by decade. Read More Next
  • Health Conditions A-Z

    Health Conditions A-Z

    See All Health Conditions A-Z

    12 Anxiety Symptoms That Might Point to a Disorder

    The symptoms of anxiety can be hard to detect. Here are the ones you need to pay attention to, and how to know if you may have an anxiety disorder.
    • Allergies
    • Anxiety
    • Birth Control
    • Breast Cancer
    • Coronavirus
    • Chronic Pain
    • Cold, Flu, and Sinus
    • Depression
    • Digestive Health
    • Diabetes (Type 2)
    • Eczema
    • Eye Health
    • Fibromyalgia
    • Heart Disease
    • Headaches and Migraines
    • Oral Health
    • Pregnancy
    • Psoriasis
    • Sexual Health
    • Skin Conditions
    • Sleep
    • Thyroid
  • News

    News

    See All News

    Shannen Doherty Reveals Stage 4 Breast Cancer Diagnosis—Here's What It Means

    "I'm petrified," the actress said when she shared the news that her breast cancer came back. Here's why a stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis can be so frightening.
    • Celebrities
  • Coronavirus
  • Diet & Nutrition

    Diet & Nutrition

    The Best (and Worst) Diets of 2020, According to Experts

    FYI: The keto diet isĀ not number one.
    • Food
    • Nutrition
    • Vitamins and Supplements
    • Groceries
    • Restaurants
    • Diets
    • Keto Diet
    • Mediterranean Diet
    • Whole30
    • Recipes
  • Fitness

    Fitness

    See All Fitness

    10 Moves for a Cardio Workout at Home—No Equipment Required

    Stay in your living room and still spike your heart rate.
    • Cardio Workouts
    • Strength Training
    • Yoga
    • Ab Workouts
    • Arm Workouts
    • Leg Workouts
    • Butt Workouts
    • Fitness Gear
  • Beauty

    Beauty

    See All Beauty

    These 13 Women Prove Every Body Is a Bikini Body

    We're loving their inspirational, body-positive messages.
    • Skincare
    • Makeup
    • Hair
    • Nails
  • Mind & Body

    Mind & Body

    See All Mind & Body

    Why Do People Lie? We Asked an Expert

    Here's the truth about lying.
    • Body Positivity
    • Self-Care
    • Misdiagnosed
    • Invisible Illness
    • LGBTQ+ Health
    • Health Diversity and Inclusion
    • Resolution Reboot
    • Wellness Warriors
  • Lifestyle

    Lifestyle

    20 Things You Should Throw Away for Better Health

    Clean out expired products and clutter to make way for a healthier you.
    • Healthy Home
    • Pets
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Style
    • Holidays
    • Sex
    • Gifts
    • Money
    • Tech
    • Medicare
    • Best Life Now
    • Health Reviews
  • Weight Loss
  • Newsletter
  • Promo

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences this link opens in a new tab
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home Chevron Right
  2. Chronic Pain Chevron Right
  3. 9 Things You Never Knew About Chronic Pain

9 Things You Never Knew About Chronic Pain

By Hallie Levine
Updated March 04, 2021
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin
Credit: Getty Images
Plagued by killer headaches? Sports injuries? Mystery soreness? Discover the newest ways to find relief.
Start Slideshow

1 of 9

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Chronic pain management

A throbbing head, a crick in the neck, allover muscle tension—yeow! Chances are you're no stranger to these kinds of everyday aches and pains. One in four Americans say they've had a bout of pain that has lasted more than a day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But, fortunately, there's plenty you can do besides pop ibuprofen to work out the kinks so a sore back or a bum shoulder doesn't slow you down. There are even lifestyle moves that make a difference. Here's what you need to know to ward off pain—and feel better if you're already hurting.

1 of 9

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 9

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Women are more prone to pain

Physical therapist David Reavy shows you how to get rid of that nagging neck pain.

2 of 9

3 of 9

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Rest is not always best

Credit: Getty Images

Back spasming? Shoulder aching? Your instinct may be to move as little as possible. But doctors actually now recommend the opposite for minor muscle aches and joint pain. "We often tell patients to resume normal activities—including exercise—as soon as possible," says Jennifer Solomon, MD, a physiatrist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. Research supports the advice: One review found that people with lower back pain who were advised to stay active had less pain and better function than people told to take it easy.

You may also want to ask your doc about a strength-training program or course of physical therapy for the part that ails you. A 2015 study found that the sooner people got PT for lower back pain, the less likely they were to receive surgery, spinal injections, or opioids later on.

3 of 9

Advertisement

4 of 9

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Migraines worsen at this stage

Credit: Getty Images

As if mood swings and hot flashes weren't enough, perimenopause seems to bring on more migraines as well. When researchers looked at 3,664 women with these hellish headaches, they found that the risk of having frequent head pounders rose by 62 percent during perimenopause. "Risk was highest at the later stage, when women have low levels of estrogen," says lead study author Vincent Martin, MD, director of the Headache and Facial Pain Center at the University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute. The good news: Hormonal therapies, such as the birth control pill or an estrogen patch, may help, says Dr. Martin.

4 of 9

5 of 9

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Some natural painkillers work

Credit: Getty Images

Acupuncture: Research shows that this technique, a staple of traditional Chinese medicine, may help reduce the frequency of tension headaches and relieve chronic pain in the lower back, neck, and knees.

Chiropractic: Chiropractic treatment involving spinal manipulation may work as well as conventional care for lower back pain for up to 18 months, per a study funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). And a review of research found that the technique may be helpful for neck pain and migraines as well.

Yoga: Another study funded by the NCCIH revealed that people with chronic lower back pain who took up Iyengar yoga, a practice that focuses on proper alignment, experienced decreased discomfort and less disability after six months.

Massage: Not only does it feel ahhh-mazing, but research has shown that this manual manipulation of muscles, ligaments, and tendons can help alleviate chronic lower back and neck pain, as well as knee pain from osteoarthritis.

5 of 9

6 of 9

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Certain foods may help—or hurt

Credit: Getty Images

Cherry juice may help: Folks with knee osteoarthritis who drank eight ounces of tart cherry juice twice a day for six weeks had improvements in pain and function, per a 2013 study.

Sardines may help: These fatty fish (and others, like salmon, trout, tuna, and mackerel) are chock-full of omega-3 fatty acids, which help fight inflammation.

Olive oil may help: A study published in the journal Nature found that a compound in extra-virgin olive oil called oleocanthal has anti-inflammatory effects similar to those of ibuprofen.

Sugary drinks can hurt: Women who consume at least one sugary soda a day have a 63 percent greater chance of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) than those who don't, according to a Harvard study.

Steak can hurt: Another Harvard study found that diets high in red and processed meat can increase the risk of RA—possibly because they trigger an inflammatory reaction inside the body.

Refined grains can hurt: People who ate the most refined grains had the highest levels of an inflammatory protein in the blood, revealed a study published in The Journal of Nutrition.

6 of 9

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 9

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Rain might equal pain

Credit: Getty Images

A few common truths—and lies—about pain you should know.

The weather can affect your pain: Maybe. People with hip osteoarthritis reported increased pain and stiffness when humidity and barometric pressure rose, according to 2014 Dutch research. But a 2017 Australian study looking at lower back pain and knee osteoarthritis found no weather-related link.

Your heart health can impact your joints: Possibly true. A 2016 Australian animal study found that high cholesterol appears to cause the breakdown of cartilage cells—and may ultimately lead to osteoarthritis. The finding makes sense, since high cholesterol is connected to inflammation, which affects the joints.

Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis: False! Several studies on habitual knuckle crackers have found no evidence that the habit leads to a higher risk of osteoarthritis. That "pop" you hear is bubbles bursting in the synovial fluid that keeps joints lubricated. But there is one reason to cut back on cracking: Some research has linked it to swelling in the hands and decreased grip strength.

7 of 9

8 of 9

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

What to know about fibromyalgia

Credit: Getty Images

There's no simple test for fibromyalgia, a common cause of musculoskeletal pain among women between 20 and 55. Doctors make the diagnosis based on a clinical exam: "One of the criteria is widespread pain throughout your body—meaning on both sides and/or above and below your waist—for at least three months," says Houman Danesh, MD, director of integrative pain management at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. First-line treatment is often lifestyle changes, like reducing stress and exercising regularly. Your doctor might also prescribe meds, such as antidepressants, to help ease pain and fatigue; antiseizure drugs, like pregabalin, may also be effective.

8 of 9

9 of 9

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

What to know about taking opioids

Credit: Getty Images

Opioid medications, like oxycodone and codeine, attach to opioid receptors in the brain and body to reduce the perception of pain. They can also produce feelings of euphoria and relaxation, and they can be highly addictive, warns addiction specialist Indra Cidambi, MD, medical director of the Center for Network Therapy in Middlesex, New Jersey. So take them only when you really need to, she advises—if you're in crippling agony after an accident, say, or you just had major surgery. In general, limit your use of these drugs as much as possible: "Most of the time, for acute injuries, you don't need it for more than a few days," says Dr. Cidambi. If your doctor wants to give you an opioid for longer than a week, ask whether there are other options.

9 of 9

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Hallie Levine

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 9 Chronic pain management
2 of 9 Women are more prone to pain
3 of 9 Rest is not always best
4 of 9 Migraines worsen at this stage
5 of 9 Some natural painkillers work
6 of 9 Certain foods may help—or hurt
7 of 9 Rain might equal pain
8 of 9 What to know about fibromyalgia
9 of 9 What to know about taking opioids

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Login

Health.com

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • About Us
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact us
  • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en EspaƱol this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
Health.com is part of the Meredith Health Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved. The material in this site is intended to be of general informational use and is not intended to constitute medical advice, probable diagnosis, or recommended treatments. All products and services featured are selected by our editors. Health.com may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.health.com

View image

9 Things You Never Knew About Chronic Pain
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.