How to Head Off a Pain in the Neck

WEDNESDAY, June 19, 2019 -- Neck pain can sneak up on you over time. While it can be caused by an accident or injury, your everyday posture and body mechanics can also be to blame, from the way you carry a shoulder bag, cradle your phone while multitasking or sit at your desk. These tips will help you better protect your neck.

Hold gadgets and reading materials at eye level. Constantly looking down at your cellphone or tablet, or even a magazine, can tax the muscles in your neck. The same is true for your computer screen. When texting on your cellphone, avoid holding it at chest level or in your lap. Both positions could place your neck in an unnatural position. There's even a name for it: text neck.

The Safer Way to Ease Post-Surgical Pain

THURSDAY, June 20, 2019 -- For people recovering from surgery or dealing with a painful injury, an expert suggests that there are a number of safer alternatives for managing pain than using potentially addictive opioids.

"Today, more than ever before, we have a host of other methods that can effectively lessen pain," Dr. James Grant, chair of the department of anesthesiology at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, said in a hospital news release.

Many Patients Don't Need Opioids After Surgery

MONDAY, June 3, 2019 -- The opioid epidemic has been fueled in part by the overprescribing of painkillers. But a new study finds that up to half of patients may not actually need the addictive pills following a surgery.

The finding could be a game-changer for post-op care, said lead researcher Dr. Michael Englesbe.

Could Hypnotherapy Be Alternative to Opioids for Pain?

FRIDAY, May 17, 2019 -- Hypnosis might sound like a magic trick to some, but the therapy can be an effective pain reliever, a new review shows.

The review covered 85 studies that have tested hypnosis for easing "experimental models" of pain -- that is, lab studies where brave volunteers agreed to be subjected to a painful stimulus.

Scientists Spot Unexpected Player in Fibromyalgia

THURSDAY, May 16, 2019 -- Fibromyalgia is a mysterious and misunderstood illness, but researchers may have uncovered at least one key to the disease's origin: insulin resistance.

The new research compared a small group of people with fibromyalgia to two groups of healthy people and noted that a long-term measure of blood sugar levels was higher in the people with fibromyalgia. Insulin resistance develops when the body starts to struggle with breaking down sugar.