Pink Tinted Glasses May Help Reduce Migraines

By Madora Pennington

To see the world through “rose-colored glasses” is to look on the bright side, ignoring the bad. This phrase is also used to describe someone who is naive or easily fooled. But real rose-colored glasses may have an actual use: reducing migraines.

Celebrity talent judge Simon Cowell recently revealed he wears them to stop his migraine attacks, which he believes are triggered by photophobia, a sensitivity to light brought on by spending long hours under bright studio lights while taping Britain’s Got Talent.

A migraine is more than just a headache. The pain can be so severe, a person cannot function. In addition to severe throbbing, often on one side of the head. Some people may have nausea, vomiting and visual disturbances, like flashes of light or a lessening of their visual field. Other migraineurs report odd tingling sensations or difficult speaking.

If you suffer from migraines, it will come as no surprise that a change in light could make a difference. More than 90% of migraine sufferers say that light can provoke a migraine attack, especially fluorescent lights.

simon cowell on ‘britain’s got talent’

There have been a few studies that suggest rose-colored glasses help migraines. A lens with a pink tint called FL-41 blocks blue and some amber and green lights on the color spectrum. This can prevent or provide relief to those who find fluorescent lights to be particularly troubling. Interestingly, one study noted that FL-41 tinted glasses also reduced eyelid twitching knows as blepharospasm and improved blinking.

Pink tinted lenses have been known as a possible migraine treatment as far back as 1991, but many patients and doctors have never heard of it. A study done then had migraineur children — kids who suffer migraines — try glasses with either a rose tint or a blue lens for 4 months. Only the children who used the pink glasses had fewer migraines. On average, the kids’ migraines were reduced from 6.2 per month to 1.6 per month.

Migraine medication is considered effective if it reduces migraines by half. So, by comparison, the pink lenses were very successful. Unlike with medication, no side effects were noted in the study on children. But one can imagine how cute those kiddos looked in their pink shades.

There is a possible explanation for why rose-colored spectacles could alleviate or prevent migraines.  It is known that migraineurs have alterations in visual signaling when suffering a migraine attack. A study using functional fMRIs showed that specially tinted lenses normalized visual activity in the brain.

A pink lens is best for reducing problematic visual stimulation. The FL-41 lens, acting as a light filter, lowers visual processing, attention and engagement. This makes a difference because it is the inappropriate increase in visual stimulation that causes or worsen migraines. I tried a pair for my last migraine and the relief was significant and immediate.

If you suffer from migraines like me, rose-tinted glasses would be an easy, inexpensive way to try to lessen your migraines. FL-41 glasses can be purchased on Amazon for as little as $25. Another option is to have an optician add an FL-41 film to your prescription glasses.

But, as always, buyer beware.

Dr. Alexander Solomon, an ophthalmologist with the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, recommends choosing a pink lens carefully. Rose-colored lenses are not the same as FL-41 lenses.

“Even among sites claiming they are selling FL-41 lenses, the quality and overall transmission of the lens may not be carefully regulated,” said Solomon.

It’s important to remember that eye strain caused by lights is only one possible cause of migraines. There can be other environmental triggers or combinations of triggers. Caffeine, stress, alcohol, skipping meals, strong smells, and even changes in weather are other known culprits. 

New Guideline Recommends Against Injections for Chronic Back Pain

By Pat Anson

An international panel of experts has released a new guideline strongly recommending against injections for chronic back pain, saying the procedures provide little or no pain relief and there is little evidence to support their use.

The guideline, published in The BMJ, covers 13 commonly used interventional procedures, including epidural injections, joint injections, intramuscular injections, nerve blocks, and radiofrequency ablation. The injections usually involve steroids, a local anesthetic, or a combination of the two.

The expert panel conducted an analysis of dozens of clinical trials and studies, and found “no high certainty evidence” of pain relief for any of the procedures. There was only low or moderate evidence that injections work better than a placebo or sham procedure.

Injections for chronic axial or radicular spine pain have become increasingly common in recent years, and are often touted as safer alternatives to opioid medication.

However, the injections also come with risks, including infections, prolonged pain and stiffness, accidental punctures of the spinal membrane, and rare but “catastrophic complications” such as paralysis. The risks are magnified because many of the procedures are performed multiple times on the same patient.

“The panel had high certainty that undergoing interventional procedures for chronic spine pain was associated with important burden (such as travel, discomfort, productivity loss), which would be recurring as these interventions are typically repeated on a regular basis, and that some patients would bear substantial out-of-pocket costs,” wrote lead author Jason Busse, DC, a professor of anesthesia at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada.

“The panel concluded that all or almost all informed patients would choose to avoid interventional procedures for axial or radicular chronic spine pain because all low and moderate certainty evidence suggests little to no benefit on pain relief compared with sham procedures, and these procedures are burdensome and may result in adverse events.”

Chronic back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Over 72 million U.S. adults suffer from chronic low back pain, according to a 2022 Harris Poll. About a third of those surveyed rated their pain as severe and nearly half said they experienced chronic back pain for at least five years. The vast majority (80%) rated opioids as the most effective treatment.

Pain Management Needs ‘Major Rethink’

In an editorial also published in The BMJ, Jane Ballantyne, MD, an anesthesiologist and retired professor at the University of Washington, said the new guideline raises questions about whether interventional procedures should even be used to treat chronic back pain. 

“The question this recommendation raises is whether it is reasonable to continue to offer these procedures to people with chronic back pain. Chronic back pain is highly prevalent, a great deal of money is spent on the injections, and a lot of patient hopes and expectations are vested in this type of treatment,” wrote Ballantyne. 

“One might ask how the situation arose whereby we spend so much of our healthcare capital on a treatment for a common condition that compromises the lives of so many people but seemingly does not work.”

For Ballantyne to ask that is more than a little ironic. She is a longtime anti-opioid activist, a former president of Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing (PROP), and was a key advisor to the CDC when it drafted guidelines that strongly recommend against opioid therapy.

With opioids increasingly difficult to obtain, many patients with chronic back pain have no alternative but to have interventional procedures, spinal surgeries, or implanted medical devices such as pain pumps and spinal cord stimulators.

Some doctors and pain clinics welcome the opportunity to bill for those expensive procedures, and refuse to give opioids to patients unless they agree to become “human pin cushions.”

“One might ask how the situation arose whereby we spend so much of our healthcare capital on a treatment for a common condition that compromises the lives of so many people but seemingly does not work.”

— Jane Ballantyne, MD

One might ask Ballantyne what patients with chronic back pain are supposed to do without injections or opioids. Her editorial provides no answers.

“This (new guideline) will not be the last word on spine injections for chronic back pain, but it adds to a growing sense that chronic pain management needs a major rethink,” Ballantyne wrote.

Earlier this month, the American Academy of Neurology released a new evidence review that found epidural steroid injections have limited efficacy, and only modestly reduce chronic back pain for some patients with radiculopathy or spinal stenosis.

Could a Popular Weight Loss Drug Reduce Pain?

By Madora Pennington

“When I look around at this room, I can't help but wonder. Is Ozempic right for me?” Jimmy Kimmel quipped to his audience of beautiful people when he hosted the Academy Awards last year.

It seems like everyone is taking Ozempic or drugs like it and losing weight. That class of drugs, known as GLP-1 medications for the hormones they enhance, slow digestion and promote feelings of satiety or fullness. As a result, people eat less and lose weight without the struggle of trying to stick to a diet. You feel fuller more quickly, eat less, and shed pounds.

GLP-1s are proving to have a lot more beneficial effects on the body than just weight loss. A recently published study found that low doses of semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy) reduced alcohol cravings in people diagnosed with alcohol use disorder. When taking the weight-loss drugs, their alcohol intake was less.

In addition to food and alcohol, semaglutides also seem to reduce cravings for nicotine, cocaine, amphetamines and opioids, as well as problematic behaviors like gambling and compulsive shopping. Because the drugs reduce the reward chemical dopamine in the brain, those taking them are less motivated by their own brain signals to have another drink, put another item in their cart, have a hit of a drug, and so on.

Could GLP-1s also help pain patients?

The most obvious way a GLP-1 might reduce pain is through weight loss. Carrying excess weight causes additional wear-and-tear on the back and joints in the lower body. Every extra pound translates to four pounds of force on the knees, so even a modest amount of weight loss has the potential to reduce joint damage and pain.

Excess weight also limits range of motion, restricting joints and making it difficult for a person to exercise. Losing weight can lead to more physical activity, which can lessen pain and help keep the brain, joints and body healthy.

Another benefit of GLP-1 medications is that they lessen inflammation. In a recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, semaglutide provided substantial pain relief for patients with obesity and knee osteoarthritis. The exact mechanism of action is unclear, but researchers think its because the drug reduces inflammation and loss of cartilage in the knee joint.

“The findings confirm that substantial weight loss causes an often dramatic reduction in pain. If the effects shown in this trial are mediated by factors other than weight loss alone, new therapeutic avenues may be available,” David Felson, MD, a Professor of Rheumatology at Boston University School of Medicine, wrote in an editorial.

Other studies suggest that semaglutide could be a possible treatment for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, as it lowers neuroinflammation, reduces plaque deposits in the brain, and helps generate new neurons. However, it’s only a supposition at this point that GLP-1s could mitigate the damage that chronic pain causes to the brain.

GLP-1s might help modulate pain in other ways. Both humans and animals turn to sweets and fat rich foods when in pain. Because GLP-1s regulate hunger and digestion, it’s possible they can improve pain. Tests on mice indicate that these drugs influence a certain nerve pain receptor. While definite answers and proof are a long way off, this discovery suggests new approaches to treating pain.

Before you run out to try them, be aware that Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs carry risks. They often cause nausea and vomiting, and rare but serious problems such as pancreatitis, gastroparesis (paralysis of the stomach), and blindness.

They are also expensive. Insurance tends to limit semaglutide coverage to diabetics, so if you pay in cash without any discounts, 2 mg of Ozempic will cost about $1,050. Cheaper, generic semaglutides made overseas are available, as well as compounded versions made in-house by pharmacies. But those formulations have not been evaluated by the FDA and their quality is uncertain. 

The Best Advice I Got From My Therapist About Chronic Pain

By Crystal Lindell

I started having chronic pain at 29 years old, and the speed at which it upended my life left me with what felt like body-wide whiplash. 

I developed intercostal neuralgia seemingly overnight, which resulted in daily chronic pain in my ribs. 

At the time, I was working two jobs, maintaining an over-active social life, and living on almost no sleep. It’s a lifestyle I tried to maintain well after my body was telling me to stop.  

My mindset had not caught up with the new reality of my body yet, and I paid the price: I kept ending up in either the emergency room or immediate care. My body now had limits, and I was doing my best to ignore them. 

Because the pain was so severe and made me feel so hopeless, around this time I also asked my primary care doctor for a referral to a psychologist. The pain was making me suicidal. I needed help. 

In one of the best gifts of fate, the psychologist I was paired with had a lot of experience in helping people navigate chronic illness. She very likely saved my life. 

The first appointment I went to, I spent the entire hour sobbing about my new reality. 

Eventually, after we started meeting every other week, I came out of the fog, and her advice and guidance were what helped me finally start to see clearly. 

While I’m grateful for her tips about things like keeping a daily gratitude journal, and techniques she shared about how to communicate to my boss and my loved ones about my limitations, there was one piece of advice that helped the most. 

My therapist taught me about activity pacing. 

It sounds so obvious now that I understand the concept, but after living the first 29 years of my life at full speed and only sleeping when I physically could not stay awake a second longer -- pacing was revolutionary for me. 

The Basics of Pacing

In short, pacing is basically approaching activity levels in a more intentional way -- not doing too much and not doing too little. It also means that you don’t wait to rest until you need to. Instead, you rest proactively. 

So, rather than staying awake for 24 hours straight trying to get everything done for my two jobs, I started to stay awake for a more manageable 14 hours and then sleep for 9 hours. After waking up, I learned to slowly ease myself back into activities. 

Because I grew up in a culture where I was constantly told that working well past my limits made me a better person, pacing felt almost illegal. Until my therapist explained it to me, it had literally never occurred to me before that I could rest proactively.  

Making sure I was getting enough sleep made a drastic difference in the severity of my physical pain, and it also helped give me mental clarity for dealing with the shock and challenges of my new body. 

However, it did take me a couple years to fully understand the foundational principle of pacing: It’s not just doing too much that’s a problem, it’s also doing too little. 

Yes, therapy helped me to stop pushing myself beyond my limit, but for about a year after that, I went to the other extreme. I was so scared of aggravating my pain, that I spent every day in the house, doing work from home, and then sleeping – with little else mixed in. 

Around this time I found out that my vitamin D levels were dangerously low – the lowest my doctor had ever seen in a patient. I think it was because I was getting almost no exposure to sunlight for days on end. 

So that is what spurred me to learn that balance goes both ways. I started to understand the importance of doing some activities sometimes, and resting other times, without eliminating either one.

Pacing has become the foundation of my life these days, more than 10 years after I first started having daily chronic pain. It’s a huge factor in keeping me both physically and mentally healthy. 

You don’t have to just take my word for all this though. A small 2021 study showed how helpful pacing can be. 

According to a “Very Well Health” article about the study, the researchers taught participants – who all had chronic health issues – the basics of pacing.

The pacing framework included:

• Recognizing current unhelpful behaviors

• Finding baselines

• Practicing self-compassion

• Being flexible

• Gradually progressing activities

The study found that the pacing results happened fast. Some of the patients who attended a rehabilitation center for issues related to chronic pain and fatigue experienced the benefits of pacing after just two sessions. 

The study also included quotes from the participants talking about how it impacted them. 

“Before going to the programme I was just stuck in a situation where I'd do what work I could when I could…and then suffered for it; and I didn't really think about it the same way as when it's explained to you,” one patient said. “So, whereas I thought I was pacing myself naturally, in a sense I wasn't.”

Indeed, that’s the magic of good therapy. It gives you a new perspective, and if you’re really lucky, it gives you tools that help you live a better life. 

I’m not here to tell you that pacing in our society is easy.. As I’ve said, it took me years to truly implement it into my life. And I still struggle with days when I over do it, or even rest too much. 

Overall though, as a foundational principal, pacing is the most important thing I do to manage my chronic pain. And I think if you try it too, you’ll find out first-hand just how helpful it can be.

Medical Schools Do a Poor Job Teaching About Disability

By Crystal Lindell

Medical schools don’t teach their students well about disability, which can have negative effects for both disabled patients and disabled medical students, according to a new study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Researchers found that medical school curriculum often treats disability as a problem, leading students to make negative assumptions about the health and quality of life of people with disabilities. That makes them ill-prepared for treating disabled patients.

The overall attitude also results in fewer disabled people becoming doctors.

“Doctors do not know how to care for people with disabilities because they never learned,” lead author Carol Haywood, PhD, assistant professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, said in a press release.

“Ultimately, our work reveals how medical education may be playing a critical role in creating and perpetuating ideas that people with disabilities are uncommon and unworthy in health care.”

Haywood and her colleagues hosted virtual focus groups for both medical school faculty and students. They found four recurring themes in the discussions:

1. Disability is often neglected in medical education 

Participants said disability was only mentioned in select lectures and elective coursework, largely relegating the training to students and faculty who are already familiar with or have a personal interest in disability. 

One faculty participant said: “The fact that [disability training] is not required, and it’s not seen as a core part of the medical school curriculum … reinforces the idea that these aren’t really your patients or they’re not important enough for you to learn about.”

2. Disability is often framed as a “problem” in medical school 

Most medical schools define disability as a condition where an individual is simply diagnosed and treated, rather than something rooted in physical barriers, social bias and stigmatization. 

One student said: “Just seeing how biases can be sort of continued on through generations of doctors … whether that means that thinking of disability as a tragedy or … a medical condition.”

3. Negative ideas about disability limit diversity in medicine 

Participants described a neglect of disability training as being part of a “hidden curriculum” in medical education that teaches students that disability does not belong in society. Students with disabilities are often viewed as weak or incapable of excelling in medical practice. 

One participant said: “We're just sending the message from the get-go that you’re not welcome, which is so damaging in every possible way.”

4. There’s an over-reliance on faculty and student-led efforts to cultivate change 

When their training fell short, faculty and students sought mentorship and communities to discuss and understand disability-related healthcare. 

One student said: “It’s hard to be mad at physicians …. Because they weren’t taught how to do it or taught to ask the questions, or it wasn’t emphasized.”

Insufficient support from institutional and licensing authorities has also stymied efforts to improve disability training. Disability is often not included in studies focused on mitigating healthcare disparity — despite well-known vulnerabilities of people with disabilities.

“While we have known about physician bias and discrimination against people with disabilities in health care for some years now, this new work emphasizes the need for medical schools and regulating bodies… to take on the responsibility of educating future physicians about the care of people with disabilities,” said co-author Tara Lagu, MD, adjunct professor of medicine and medical social sciences at Feinberg.

Improving disability-related medical education will require systemic reform, such as adding a “disability-competent” to medical education to make students more aware of abelism – a tendency to think that everyone has the same mental and physical abilities.

Other remedies include having disabled guest speakers share their experiences navigating the healthcare system; having physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech language pathologists discuss their treatment of people with disabilities; and having students participate in the care of disabled patients during patient rounds, physical exams, documentation, and clinical decision making.

Got Colostrum? The Good and Bad About Bovine Milk Supplements

By Manal Mohammed

From Kourtney Kardashian Barker to Gwyneth Paltrow, wellness celebrities are extolling the benefits of taking bovine colostrum supplements. Social media influencer Sofia Richie Grainge has even launched her own bovine colostrum-laced smoothie.

The supplement, they claim, offers a wide range of health benefits, including glowing skin with increased elasticity. Some brands claim that consuming bovine colostrum can protect adult humans from cold, cough and sickness bugs, improve gut health and support weight loss.

Bovine colostrum is also popular among some athletes who claim it can help improve exercise performance, build strength and speed up recovery.

I’m no stranger to the benefits of animal colostrum – before I joined academia I worked as a veterinarian. I witnessed that newborn animals who did not receive colostrum just after birth were at a significantly increased risk of death and disease. I was emphatic to my clients, then, about the crucial role of colostrum in the early development of newborn animals, as well as their overall health later in life.

But is cow colostrum a miracle health elixir or just the latest wellness fad?

Nature’s First Vaccine

There’s no doubt that colostrum is wonderful stuff. Known as “nature’s first vaccine”, colostrum is the first milk produced by the breast of female mammals in the two to five days immediately after giving birth. It is a nutrient dense liquid rich in antibodies, antioxidants, growth factors, vitamins, minerals and nutrients that boost newborns’ immune systems and support their overall growth.

In humans, colostrum should be given to newborns as soon after birth as possible, preferably within the first hour of birth and repeated at no later than six hours after birth. Colostrum is perfectly balanced for all baby’s needs. But there is not enough rigorous scientific evidence on human colostrum’s benefits for adults.

There is, though, some evidence to suggest that bovine colostrum may help humans to fight infection, improve gut health, relieve stomach and digestive issues, reduce inflammation and lower risk of catching the flu and upper respiratory infections.

But its efficacy depends on the product: how it’s processed, manufactured and stored – and the product’s potency. Bovine colostrum supplements aren’t regulated in the same way as drugs so there’s currently no guarantee of consistent quality.

Bovine colostrum contains higher total protein content than mature milk, mainly due to higher levels of antibodies (also known as immunoglobulins) and casein – a protein that supports muscle building. As well as immune-regulatory, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, milk casein may offer a number of metabolic and protective benefits for humans.

For example, it can help to reduce appetite because it’s digested more slowly than other proteins. Research suggests that consuming casein before bed may increase metabolic rate and the protein has also been associated with improvement in brain function because of its protective effects on the nervous system.

The level of antibodies in bovine colostrum can be 100 times higher than levels in regular cow’s milk. Hyperimmune bovine colostrum is made by cows that have been vaccinated for diseases such as rotavirus. These cows produce antibodies that can help fight viruses and bacteria that cause disease and infection.

And that’s not all. Bovine colostrum also contains antimicrobials, which kill bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. Studies have also shown that these antimicrobials can help prevent common gastrointestinal infections, such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella and Helicobacter pylori. They can also act as prebiotics by stimulating growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut.

As if that isn’t enough, studies also report that taking blood colostrum supplements may help reduce flu-like episodes and upper respiratory tract infections. A 2006 study even suggested that taking bovine colostrum might help reduce diarrhoea in people with HIV/AIDS.

Miracle Milk or Frivolous Fad?

Taking bovine colostrum might sound appealing – but if you’re thinking of buying one of the expensive products on the market, bear in mind the lack of regulation and the scarcity of rigorous data on the safety and risks of the supplements.

What we do know is that people with a cow’s milk allergy should not ingest or apply bovine colostrum. Any use of bovine colostrum could result in severe side effects. In 2019 a 16-year-old boy with an allergy to cow’s milk developed anaphylaxis after a bovine colostrum-based cream was applied to a surgical wound. Even those who aren’t allergic to cow’s milk could suffer mild gastrointestinal discomfort, such as nausea and gas, while taking a bovine colostrum supplement.

So, it’s possible that bovine colostrum might offer some health benefits but the lack of product regulation and research makes buying supplements an expensive gamble. Having a healthy lifestyle with a good diet and regular exercise would undoubtedly be a much safer bet for your health – and your bank balance.

Manal Mohammed, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer of Medical Microbiology at the University of Westminster. Her research and teaching focus on infectious diseases, their diagnosis, prevention and treatment.

This article originally appeared in The Conversation and is republished with permission.

Hypnosis Can Help With Pain, Depression, Sleep and PTSD

By David Acunzo

We’ve all seen it, typically on television or on stage: A hypnotist selects a few members from the audience, and with what seems to be little more than a steely stare or a few choice words, they’re suddenly “under the spell.” Depending on what the hypnotist suggests, the participants laugh, dance and perform without inhibition.

Or perhaps you’ve experienced hypnosis another way – with a trip to a hypnotherapist for a series of sessions to help you stop smoking, lose weight, manage pain or deal with depression. This is no longer unusual; thousands of Americans have done the same thing. And many were helped.

Hypnosis has been found to be effective for treating irritable bowel syndrome, and it may be beneficial for weight reduction, sleep disorders and anxiety. For mild to moderate depression in adults, hypnotherapy is as effective as cognitive behavioral therapy, and it can help with depression in children. Hypnosis is also used to treat phobias, PTSD and to control pain during surgery and dental procedures in both adults and children.

Yet despite the evidence, its widespread use and its growing popularity, hypnosis is still viewed with skepticism by some scientists, and with curiosity by much of the public. As a researcher studying altered states from a cognitive and neuroscientific perspective, I’m happy to help pull back the curtain to show you how hypnosis works.

A Hypnotherapy Session

In simple terms, hypnosis is a procedure that helps people imagine different experiences that feel very real. When that occurs, the person can be said to be in a state of hypnosis.

Little is known about what characterizes a hypnotic state in terms of brain activity, but neuroimaging studies indicate a decrease in activity in the parts of the brain responsible for self-referential thought and daydreaming, and increased links between the parts responsible for attention and action.

These results are consistent with the idea that people who are hypnotized are in a state that inhibits internal thoughts and other distractions, such as bodily sensations or noises, that may interfere with the hypnosis.

A therapist’s first set of suggestions typically includes the “hypnotic induction,” which helps the subject increase their responsiveness to other suggestions. An induction may be like this: “I will now count from 5 to 1. At every count, you will feel even more relaxed, and that you are going deeper and deeper into hypnosis.”

When responding to suggestions, the subject’s experience feels involuntary. That is, it’s happening to them, rather than generated by them. This is known as the classical suggestion effect. Following a suggestion to move their arm, the subject may feel as though their arm rises on its own, rather than being raised of their own volition.

For perceptual suggestions, the experience can feel quite real and distinct from voluntary imagination. If I ask you to imagine hearing a dog barking outside, it requires an effort, and the experience does not feel like there’s really a dog barking outside. But through hypnotic suggestion, responsive subjects will feel like they hear a dog barking, and they won’t be cognizant of any effort to make it happen.

What Makes People Hypnotizable?

You can’t force anyone to be hypnotized. Willingness to participate, a positive attitude, motivation and expectation are hugely important. So is the ability to set aside the fact that the situation is imaginative. It’s like when you become fully absorbed with the story and characters in a movie – so absorbed you forget you’re in a theater.

Good rapport with the therapist is also critical. If you refuse to cooperate or decide hypnosis won’t work, it won’t. A good comparison may be meditation: You can listen to a meditation recording, but if you’re unwilling to follow the instructions, or if you’re unmotivated or distracted, it won’t have any effect.

Few traits predict whether someone is easily hypnotizable, but people are not equal in their ability to respond to hypnotic suggestions. Some people vividly experience a wide array of suggestions; others, not nearly as much. There are indications that women respond slightly better to hypnotic suggestions than men, and that peak hypnotizability occurs during late childhood and early teenage years.

From a neuroscientific perspective, it appears that hypnotic suggestions do not act directly on our executive functions, but rather on our self-monitoring functions. That is, hypnosis does not directly decide our behaviors for us. Rather, it modifies how the brain monitors what it’s doing. So when the hypnotist suggests that you raise your arm, you’re still the one making that decision – although your experience may seem like the arm is moving by itself.

Exposure Therapy & Self-Hypnosis

The aim of hypnotherapy is to induce changes in negative emotions, perceptions and actions. Suppose you are afraid of public speaking. Through suggestions, the therapist may make you go through the experience of talking in front of an audience. Again, it feels real – your stress level will rise, but ultimately you’ll habituate yourself and learn to cope with the stress, even as the therapist suggests increasingly challenging scenarios.

Hypnosis can also be used as a preparation or replacement for exposure therapy, which is a method to treat phobias or anxiety related to specific situations by progressively exposing the patient to increasingly challenging situations. If you’re afraid of birds, the therapist may suggest you imagine holding a feather; then imagine getting near a bird in a cage; then imagine going to the park and feeding pigeons. This is more effective, and feels more real, than mere visualization.

The hypnotherapist can also teach self-hypnosis techniques. Subjects can learn to induce a state of relaxation that’s associated with a gesture, such as closing the left hand.

Hypnotic suggestions like this decrease anxiety by promoting activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, which stimulates bodily functions during times of rest, such as digestion and sexual arousal, and deactivates the sympathetic nervous system, which stimulates the fight-or-flight response.

Progress can occur after less than 10 sessions with some disorders, such as insomnia in children. But it may take longer for others, such as depression. And just as hypnosis is not suitable for everyone, it’s also not suitable for everything.

What’s more, not all hypnotherapy products on the market are backed by scientific evidence. It is safer to go to a hypnotherapist who’s licensed in your state. You should ask whether they are affiliated with or certified by a professional association of hypnotherapists. You can then confirm their affiliation on the association’s website. For instance, the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis allows you to search members by name.

Although Medicare does not cover hypnotherapy, some private insurance partially covers the costs for some conditions, provided the treatment is performed by a licensed clinical mental health professional. One session will typically cost between US$100 and $250.

David J. Acunzo, PhD, is Assistant Professor in the Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. His current research interests include abnormal perceptions, response to hypnotic suggestion, and extraordinary experiences including mystical and psi experiences.

This article originally appeared in The Conversation and is republished with permission.

VA Tweet Recommends Spinal Cord Stimulators While Spreading Opioid Phobia

By Crystal Lindell

A recent post on X (formerly Twitter) from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs inadvertently highlights one of the ways that opioid phobia is actively causing a lot of harm. 

On Dec. 31, 2024 the VA made this post on X: 

“Spinal cord stimulation implantation helps Veterans suffering from chronic pain improve their quality of life without narcotics.”

The post links to a VA News article headlined: "Columbia VA performs first spinal cord stimulation implantation."

About 50,000 stimulators are implanted every year in the U.S., but this was the first time the VA hospital in Columbia, South Carolina had done one. There are two major problems with the VA’s post and the related article: 

1. Spinal cord stimulators are often ineffective and sometimes so dangerous they have to be removed. 

2. Recommending them as a method of treatment that can be done “without narcotics” serves to demonize prescription opioids, which are both relatively safe and effective. The use of the word “narcotics” rather than “opioids” also feels intentional, as narcotics is commonly used by law enforcement. 

Overall, the VA’s post and the related linked article are emblematic of a now pervasive attitude among medical professionals: Any treatment that reduces opioids must be good. And if that treatment is bad, well, it’s still good.  

Before we go further into the research about why spinal cord stimulators (SCSs) are so problematic, it's important to explain what they actually are. 

Stimulators are surgically placed near the spine, with a small battery also placed under the skin, usually near the buttocks or abdomen. Patients with back, hip or leg pain then use a remote control to send mild electric signals into their spinal nerves to block pain signals to the brain. 

A quick tip as someone who has a lot of experience with medical interventions: Anytime a doctor says they want to start messing with your spine, you should be wary. 

‘Potential for Serious Harm’

Don’t take my word for it though. There’s tons of research highlighting the negative effects of SCSs. 

As an Associated Press investigation in 2018 found, spinal cord stimulators account for the third-highest number of medical device injury reports to the FDA, with over 80,000 incidents flagged over the previous decade. The AP also found that the FDA had more than 500 reports of people with stimulators who died.

In 2022, a study published in the Journal of Patient Safety analyzed adverse effects involving SCSs reported to the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration. That research found 520 adverse events, with most rated as severe (79%) or life-threatening (13%).

“Spinal cords stimulators have the potential for serious harm, and each year in Australia, many are removed. In view of the low certainty evidence of their long-term safety and effectiveness, our results raise questions about their role in providing long-term management of intractable pain,” researchers concluded.

Additionally, a January 2024 article from the American Academy of Family Physicians headlined: "Despite Weak Evidence, Spinal Cord Stimulators Are Big Business” also highlights their shortcomings. 

In it, author Kenny Lin, MD, writes: "These devices come with a high price tag ($30,000) and potential complications that include electrode migration, hematoma formation, infection, spinal cord injury, and cerebrospinal fluid leak."

Lin also notes that in a 2020 letter to health care providers, the FDA reported that over a four year period, it received nearly 108,000 reports involving SCSs, including 428 deaths, nearly 78,000 injuries, and over 29,000 instances of a device malfunction. 

That seems like an unacceptably high rate of unintended effects for a device with modest benefits.

It’s disappointing, but not surprising, to see the VA perpetuate dangerous medical information promoting spinal cord stimulators, especially as some sort of magical alternative to “narcotics.” 

Messaging from government agencies holds power and needs to be used responsibly. I would hate for a veteran to see that post on X, decide to get a spinal cord stimulator, and then end up with adverse effects. I’d also hate for any VA doctors to see that post and conclude that they should be pushing the stimulators over something like hydrocodone. 

The whole situation reinforces how far we have strayed from rational opioid policy, and how far we have to go if we ever want to have one. At this point, I’m not sure I’ll live long enough to see that happen. 

Brain Stimulation May Prevent Chronic Pain Before It Starts

By Pat Anson

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive procedure that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate nerve cells in the brain. TMS is typically used to treat depression, but is increasingly used off-label to relieve chronic pain conditions such as migraine, fibromyalgia and peripheral neuropathy.

Research recently published in the journal PAIN suggests that TMS may also be useful in preventing pain before it even starts.

A team of international researchers gave 41 healthy volunteers a 5-day course of either repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) or sham treatment. Both targeted the left primary motor cortex, a part of the brain that controls movement.

After the fifth and final session, all of the volunteers had an injection of nerve growth factor into their cheeks to induce prolonged pain. For the next two weeks, participants kept diaries of their jaw pain, jaw function and muscle soreness.

“We found that a five-day course of rTMS before pain onset has the potential to interrupt the transition to chronic pain,” said lead author Nahian Chowdhury, PhD, Head of Neurostimulation at the NeuroRecovery Research Hub at the University of New South Wales in Australia.

“We were looking to see what the experience was for participants who had received the rTMS, versus what happened for those who had received the sham. Those people who had received active rTMS experienced lower pain on chewing and yawning than those who received the sham.”

Chowdhury and his colleagues also found that two measurements of brain activity -- Peak Alpha Frequency (PAF) and corticomotor excitability (CME) – seemed to moderate pain whether participants received rTMS or not. This suggests that monitoring PAF and CME may be useful in predicting each individual’s pain resilience.

“Regardless of whether people received the active treatment or sham, our analysis showed that those with faster PAF and higher CME on Day 4 had lower intensity future pain,” Chowdhury said in a news release from NeuRA, an Australian medical institute where he is a research fellow.

This is the first study to show that rTMS can have a protective effect against chronic pain. More research is needed, but the findings open the door for preventative treatments for those at high risk of developing chronic pain.

​“Whilst chronic pain is a significant problem, the current interventions are usually only applied once the pain is chronic,” Chowdhury said. “This research shows in some situations – such as for people undergoing a surgery known to be painful or often leading to chronic pain – there is promise from preventative treatments that may be able to stop chronic pain before it begins.”

PNN Columnist Madora Pennington, who has Ehler-Danlos syndrome, tried TMS therapy and found it eased her pain, depression and anxiety.

“Since having TMS, I notice that my body is less sensitive to touch,” she wrote. “It does not hurt as much to be poked at or pressed on. The extra comfort TMS has given me, both mentally and physically, is a lot for someone with medical problems like mine that are so difficult to treat.”

Should We Diagnose Random Strangers on the Internet?

By Crystal Lindell

I need to say something that is considered controversial in the online chronic illness community: I actually think that we should diagnose random strangers on the internet.

At least sometimes. 

I know, I know. This is the kind of thing most people in the chronic illness community rally against. It’s frowned upon and quickly policed anytime it comes up. 

If you so much as hint that someone with overextended elbows in an Instagram Reel video could have Ehlers-Danlo syndrome (EDS), you’ll get swarmed with comments along the lines of “Don’t diagnose random strangers on the internet!”

But I’m coming to this topic from my own personal experience of being correctly diagnosed by random strangers on the internet. 

After I started writing about my health issues online, readers emailed me to say that they thought I might have EDS. I then took that information to my doctors, who eventually diagnosed me. 

Despite the fact that all of my joints very clearly overextend and that multiple doctors had commented on this to me, none of them even mentioned EDS until I brought it up. So, without the random strangers on the internet, there’s a good chance I never would have known that I have EDS. 

It doesn’t stop there though. Because of that chain of events, many of my family members were also diagnosed with EDS. And someday, future generations might be as well. 

That’s a whole family of people finally knowing what has been afflicting us for generations, and finally understanding that all the chronic health issues we’ve experienced are related. 

There’s power in that, but more importantly there are tangible benefits to it. Knowing that we have EDS and that we are likely to pass it on to our children helps us make more informed decisions about our health in countless ways. 

And it’s all because random strangers on the internet diagnosed me. 

I understand that actively writing about my health issues is not the same thing as people posting random videos on all sorts of topics on TikTok. I get that my content was much more open to the idea of health input from strangers. 

But I would argue that this aversion to diagnosing random strangers online can be harmful to patients. It leads to fewer people knowing what’s wrong with them – and more people thinking that whatever is wrong is some kind of moral failing. 

I do get that EDS, especially the hypermobile type, stands out in this conversation because there are very clear visual markers of the disease. But I don’t think we should stop at EDS, especially in the United States where healthcare is a for-profit industry. I’ll even go so far as to say that I consider it mutual aid to offer free medical advice to others online.

It’s not like we as online commenters are doctors who can prescribe medications to people we’ve diagnosed. Merely mentioning to someone that they may have an illness just opens the door for them to look into that diagnosis themselves and to then bring it up with their doctor. Millions of people have done that after consulting with “Dr. Google” online – usually to the chagrin of their actual doctors.

The idea that it is bad to even comment on a public post about health also serves to continue stigmatizing many illnesses. After all, it’s not a bad thing to have EDS, so why would it be a bad thing to mention to someone online that they could have it? 

Many doctors miss very obvious diagnoses because our for-profit healthcare system mandates that they rush patients through appointments. Their egos also tend to dismiss their patients’ descriptions of their health issues. 

Sometimes the best chance we have is actually random strangers on the internet. 

Now obviously, I need to add an important disclaimer here. If someone specifically says that they do not want medical input, you should listen to them. 

But I would also tell people that refusing medical input could be a bad idea. There is a lot of power in crowdsourcing information. And who knows, random strangers on the internet may just figure out what’s going on with your health before your doctor does. 

A Healthy Diet May Ease Chronic Pain

By Pat Anson

We’ve all been told that eating a healthy diet and watching our weight are essential to good health.

What you may not know is that healthy eating can also reduce the severity of chronic pain, even if you are overweight or obese.

That’s one of the key findings from an Australian study that found a healthy diet was linked to less pain, especially among women, regardless of body weight.

"It's common knowledge that eating well is good for your health and well-being. But knowing that simple changes to your diet could offset chronic pain, could be life changing," said Sue Ward, PhD, a researcher at the University of South Australia and lead author of the study published in the journal Nutrition Research.

"Knowing that food choices and the overall quality of a person's diet will not only make a person healthier, but also help reduce their pain levels, is extremely valuable."

Warn and her colleagues analyzed data from 654 Australians who were surveyed about their health, fitness and eating habits. Over two-thirds were considered overweight (36%) or obese (35%), and had high levels of body fat (adipose tissue).

The participants’ diets were then compared with the Australian Dietary Guideline, which emphasizes the consumption of vegetables, fruit, lean meat, fish, legumes/beans, and low fat dairy products.

The researchers found that diet quality works differently in men and women. Women with better diets had lower pain levels and better physical function, an association that was much weaker for men.

Why Healthy Food Reduces Pain

It’s the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of healthy food that appear to reduce pain.

"In our study, higher consumption of core foods — which are your vegetables, fruits, grains, lean meats, dairy and alternatives — was related to less pain, and this was regardless of body weight,” said Ward. "This is important because being overweight or obese is a known risk factor for chronic pain.

The findings are good news for people with pain who may struggle with their weight but are sedentary and unable to exercise. Having a few extra pounds will not inhibit the pain-reducing effect of a healthy diet.

“Despite high levels of adiposity in the study population, and the potential for excess adipose tissue to contribute to inflammation, risk for pain, and impact on physical function, there was limited evidence for adiposity mediating relationships between diet quality and pain or physical function,” researchers concluded.

“Recognizing dietary intake as a relevant aspect in assessing and managing pain holds importance in the context of overweight and obesity. In situations where long-term weight loss may not be feasible, attainable, or even desirable, people may show a greater inclination to adopt healthful dietary modifications that could potentially impact their pain.”

The research adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that high fat Western diets can make pain worse. A recent study found that foods high in saturated fat and low in fiber can trigger an immune system response that can lead to rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

High fiber diets reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, while promoting the growth of healthy bacteria that slow the progression of RA and reduce joint pain.

CrossFit Training May Reduce Need for Pain Medication

By Athalie Redwood-Brown and Jen Wilson

Though CrossFit is often seen as a sport for the super fit, that shouldn’t put you off from trying it. CrossFit is designed to be accessible to everyone, with scalable workouts suited for all ages and abilities, embodying its principle that the needs of elite athletes and beginners differ only by intensity, not kind. By combining strength and aerobic exercise, CrossFit can be an effective way of improving functional fitness, muscle strength and cardiovascular health.

But if that’s not enough to convince you, our latest study suggests CrossFit’s benefits for physical health may even potentially reduce the need to use prescription drugs in people living with long-term conditions. This may offer an alternative to traditional medication-based treatment for a range of health conditions, as well as potentially easing the demand on healthcare services.

To conduct our study, we recruited 1,211 people from the UK who did CrossFit. Participants ranged in age from 19-67 – though the majority of participants were in either the 30-39 (38%) or 40-49 (26%) groups. Participants were asked about their health, what prescription drugs they took and any changes in their prescriptions since starting CrossFit.

Of the 1,211 participants, 280 said they took at least one prescription drug to manage a health condition prior to starting CrossFit. Some of the most common health conditions in question included anxiety and depression, asthma, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and chronic pain.

Fewer Meds and Doctor Visits

We found that 54% of participants who’d been taking a prescription drug before starting CrossFit said they decreased their dosage after starting. Among this group of 151 people, 69 reported stopping their medication entirely, while the remaining 82 said they had cut their prescription dosage by more than half. These improvements happened primarily within the first six months of training.

Younger participants, specifically those aged 20 to 29, were more likely to reduce their medication. In this group, 43% reported cutting their prescription dosage by more than half, and 27% stopped needing to use a prescription drug altogether (compared to 29% and 25% respectively across all age groups).

We also found that 40% of all participants said they required fewer visits to the doctor after starting CrossFit.

For people with long-term health issues such as chronic pain, CrossFit helped many manage their symptoms. Our study found that of those participants who reported taking painkillers prior to starting CrossFit, particularly to manage arthritis or back pain, over half reduced their medication.

Some even postponed or cancelled surgeries for joint or muscular issues due to the strength and fitness they had gained after starting CrossFit. Of the 71 people who reported cancelling or postponing surgeries, 55% said it was because their symptoms improved, while 31% actually reported they no longer needed surgery at all.

While our study can’t directly prove that CrossFit caused these changes, the effects that CrossFit has on so many aspects of health may help explain why regular exercisers saw a decrease in their prescription drug use.

First, CrossFit is of course beneficial for physical fitness. Improvements in areas such as cardiovascular fitness and metabolic health may help in managing chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

Second, because CrossFit is often done as a group in a gym setting, it fosters a sense of community, team spirit and support. This sense of community may enhance mental health and wellbeing. Exercise also releases endorphins – chemicals in the brain that boost happiness and decrease pain. These two factors may help explain why a number of the study’s participants reported using fewer antidepressants after starting CrossFit.

Third, the fact that CrossFit’s combination of strength, aerobic and functional exercises helps enhance muscle strength and endurance can alleviate pressure on joints and reducing pain. The high-intensity nature of CrossFit also promotes the release of endorphins which can alleviate discomfort and enhance physical resilience, leaving participants feeling more empowered and uplifted.

As well, CrossFit emphasises movement patterns and mobility, which can help improve flexibility and reduce stiffness. All of these factors might help explain why some of the participants who’d suffered with chronic pain prior to starting CrossFit relied less on painkillers after six months of training

Nonetheless, this study has some limitations to note. The data relies on self-reported information, which can lead to biased results as participants may not accurately remember their prescription use or be influenced by their feelings about CrossFit.

Additionally, the study didn’t track other lifestyle changes participants might have made, such as diet modifications or other forms of exercise. So more research is needed to understand the full picture. Nonetheless, our findings provide promising evidence about the benefits of CrossFit that could contribute to reducing the strain on healthcare services.

Athalie Redwood-Brown, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer in Performance Analysis of Sport at Nottingham Trent University. She also operates a Strength and Conditioning facility with her husband.

Jen Wilson, PhD, is a Senior Exercise and Health Practitioner at the Sport and Wellbeing Academy at Nottingham Trent University. She is also a Sports Therapist and Strength and Conditioning Coach.

This article originally appeared in The Conversation and is republished with permission.

10 Tips for Surviving the Holidays With Chronic Pain

By Crystal Lindell

The holiday season can be stressful, even if you go into it with full health. If you have chronic pain or any type of chronic illness, it can really wear you down, making it difficult to fully enjoy the season's magic and community. It can even make you start to resent the holidays and your family. 

I’ve been navigating the holidays with chronic pain for more than a decade, and have learned there are ways to make things easier and more joyful. 

Many of them come down to doing less so that you can enjoy more – which is good advice in general if you have chronic pain. But it’s particularly important around the busy holiday season. 

Here are my 10 tips to survive the holidays with chronic pain. Be sure to leave any tips you have in the comment section below! 

1. Check Pharmacy Hours

First things first: Make sure you can get your meds. 

My rural pharmacy is closed on Sundays and every major holiday. That means that if I have a refill due on Christmas Eve, I need to either have my doctor send the prescription the day before or wait until they reopen on Dec. 26 to get my medications. 

God forbid if I forget to ask and have to do Christmas Day without pain medication. At that point, I might as well cancel Christmas. 

Thankfully, my doctor has been pretty good at sending in refills a day early when the pharmacy is set to be closed. But he only does it when I remember to ask him ahead of time. 

So check now if your pharmacy is closed on any of your upcoming refill days, and plan ahead with your doctor. 

2. Consider Skipping Home Decorations

A few years ago, my family had a really rough run of horrible things happen. When we got to the holidays, I didn’t have any energy or spirit left for Christmas decorations. 

That doesn’t mean we didn’t have any cozy holiday spirit at home though. We put YouTube videos of fireplaces crackling on our living room TV, and also played ones that had Christmas decorations around the mantle and holiday music playing in the background (this was one of our favorites).

At a time when I needed the holiday magic, but didn’t have the energy to create it myself, the virtual fireplace videos really helped us enjoy the season. 

Decorating for the holidays is both expensive and energy consuming, so if chronic illness means you don’t have it in you to do it, opt for something virtual instead. After all, sometimes holiday magic means turning to YouTube. 

3. Say No To Events

Decades ago, one of my friends gave me a piece of advice that I still carry with me today: Only do things that you want to do or that you need to do. Skip the stuff that you feel like you “should” do. 

There can be a lot of pressure around the holidays to make sure you go to every family event from every branch of the family tree. It gets even more intense if you have complicating factors like a significant other’s family, divorced parents, or friends who you consider family. 

If you have a chronic illness though, I highly recommend sticking to my friend’s sage advice: Only go to events that you want to go to or that you need to go to. Skip the ones that you feel like you “should” go to. 

Maybe this means seeing just one side of the family this year or skipping tree lighting festivals that you’d gone to in the past, so that you have the energy to actually enjoy Christmas Day celebrations. 

Saying “no” in this case means that you can say an enthusiastic “yes” to other stuff. 

4. Plan Rest Days

Rest days are pretty antithetical to American culture, but when you have a chronic illness you either learn to embrace them, or your body forces them onto you. 

If I have a large holiday event on my calendar, I now know to plan an equally large rest day to complement it. I also never book two things on the same day – even if one is in the morning and the other is in the evening – because I know that my body can’t handle it. 

So if you’re doing two family gatherings this year for Christmas, consider doing Dec. 23 and Dec. 25 so that you can rest on Dec. 24. And if you want to go to a New Year’s Day party, consider skipping the midnight countdown on New Year’s Eve so that you know you’ll get enough sleep. 

5. Give Homemade, Used and Inexpensive Thoughtful Gifts

Being in chronic pain often means being low on money. Don’t let it stress you out though. Having chronic pain also means that you often spend lots of time at home on your phone or computer — which is perfect if you want to track down gifts that are both inexpensive and thoughtful. 

People love thoughtful gifts more than anything expensive. Last year I made my family a homemade cookbook of all our favorite family recipes. Because I have a laser printer at home, the main financial costs were just the binders and the plastic sleeves that I used for the pages. And then I got all the gift bags for $1.25 each at Dollar Tree. 

Of course, compiling all the recipes and laying it all out was time consuming, but time is something that I do have, especially since I was able to do a lot of the cookbook layout literally from my couch. 

Everyone LOVED the cookbooks. In fact, they loved it so much that I’m planning to make a second volume this year. 

Other thoughtful inexpensive gifts include things like homemade baked goods, used books, socks with little sayings on them, and eBay or Facebook Marketplace items that you know they’ll love. 

Stores known for their low prices, like Dollar Tree and Five Below also have great options. Three years ago I got my brother a $5 pet bed for his cat, who still uses it on a regular basis to this day. 

You definitely don’t have to spend a lot to spread holiday cheer. 

6. Wear Compression Socks During Travel

The holiday season usually means long car rides or airplane travel. There’s something about meds related to chronic pain that seem to cause feet swelling in those situations — especially ibuprofen. 

But a good pair of compression socks can really help. They sell inexpensive ones on Amazon, but you can also get them at your local pharmacy. The socks can make such a difference in how your legs feel, can help prevent blood clots, and can even help make sure your shoes aren’t too tight after hours sitting in a car. 

Plus, when compression socks are hidden under a pair of pants, nobody will even know you’re wearing them!

7. Shower the Night Before

Anyone with chronic illness is acutely aware of how much energy taking a shower and getting ready can take. 

If you know you have a long day ahead of you, showering the night before can be an easy way to help you conserve energy for the next day’s events. 

Just add a little dry shampoo to your hair the next morning, if needed, and nobody will know the difference – but you’ll definitely notice how much more energy you have to endure a busy day. 

8. Consider Hosting 

I know this tip could be controversial because hosting itself can come with a lot of physical work, mental stress, and financial costs — I get that. 

But it’s a trade off. What you put in on the front end you might get back ten-fold on the back end: You get to be in your own home for the holiday – and don’t have to travel back home when it’s over. 

Plus, if you have pets, you don’t have to worry about whether you should take them with you, leave them home alone for a long period of time, or even find a pet sitter. You can just be with them at home. 

Yes, you’ll still have to spend time after the party cleaning up, but you can take as long as you want to do that. 

If you find that you’re most comfortable in your own home, consider hosting this year. 

9. Make Holiday Meals a Potluck

Whether or not you host, I always recommend doing potluck meals for the holidays. 

This quite literally spreads the cost and stress of meal preparation out among the group, so that nobody gets overwhelmed. Anyone who doesn’t have the energy to cook can always grab something at the store, even if it’s something inexpensive like Hawaiian Rolls. 

As an added bonus, if you have dietary restrictions, this also means you can make sure that your dishes meet them, so you know you’ll have something to eat.

10. Limit COVID Exposure 

I know it’s not always practical to mask for family gatherings, but just being aware of COVID risk, getting vaccinated, and masking for travel can really help minimize your COVID exposure. 

If you're sick with COVID symptoms or you know someone else at an upcoming event is sick, definitely feel comfortable staying home. After all, the last thing anyone with a chronic health problem needs is another health problem. 

You deserve to have a magical holiday season, especially if you’re also struggling with health issues. But you don’t have to do everything like a healthy person would to enjoy the festivities. With these tips and an open heart, you’re sure to find some holiday joy this season! 

How to Keep Bones Healthy and Prevent Fractures From Osteoporosis

By Drs. Ting Zhang and Jianying Zhang

Because there are typically no symptoms until the first fracture occurs, osteoporosis is considered a silent disease. Some call it a silent killer.

Osteoporosis is a bone disease characterized by decreased bone density and strength, leading to fragile, brittle bones that increase the risk of fractures, especially in the spine, hips and wrists.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates that more than 10 million Americans have osteoporosis. Another 43 million have low bone mass, which is the precursor to osteoporosis. By 2030, the number of adults with osteoporosis or low bone mass is estimated to increase by more than 30%, to 71 million.

The reasons for the increase include lifestyle issues, particularly smoking, lack of physical activity and alcohol abuse. Our aging population, along with the insufficient attention paid to this disease, are also why osteoporosis is on the rise.

If you are older, it may be discouraging to read those statistics. But as orthopedic specialists who have studied this disease, we know that osteoporosis is not inevitable. The key to having healthy bones for a lifetime is to take some simple preventive measures – and the earlier, the better.

Although the symptoms are not obvious early on, certain signs will indicate your bones are becoming weaker. The most serious complications of osteoporosis are fractures, which can lead to chronic pain, hospitalization, disability, depression, reduced quality of life and increased mortality. Worldwide, osteoporosis causes nearly 9 million fractures annually. That’s one osteoporotic fracture every three seconds.

Height Loss a Common Symptom

Minor bumps or falls may lead to fractures, especially in the hip, wrist or spine. These types of fractures are often the first sign of the disease.

If you notice that you’re getting shorter, the cause could be compression fractures in the spine; this too is a common symptom of osteoporosis.

Although it’s typical for most people to lose height as they age – about 1 to 1½ inches (2.5 to 3.8 centimeters) over a lifetime – those with osteoporosis who have multiple spinal fractures could lose 2 to 3 inches or more in a relatively rapid time frame.

Curved posture, or noticeable changes in posture, may lead to a hunched back, which could be a sign that your spine is weakening and losing density.

Persistent back pain is another indicator – this too is the result of tiny fractures or compression of the spine.

Calcium and Vitamin D

Osteoporosis cannot be completely cured, but certain lifestyle and dietary factors can lower your risk.

Calcium and vitamin D are essential for bone health. Calcium helps maintain strong bones, while vitamin D assists in calcium absorption. Women over age 50 and men over 70 should consume at least 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily from food and, if necessary, supplements.

The easy way to get calcium is through dairy products. Milk, yogurt and cheese are among the richest sources. One cup of milk provides about 300 milligrams of calcium, one-fourth of the daily requirement. If you are vegan, calcium is in many plant-based foods, including soy, beans, peas, lentils, oranges, almonds and dark leafy greens.

Adults should aim for two to three servings of calcium-rich foods daily. Consuming them throughout the day with meals helps improve absorption.

Vitamin D is obtained mostly from supplements and sunlight, which is the easiest way to get the recommended dose. Your body will produce enough vitamin D if you expose your arms, legs and face to direct sunlight for 10 to 30 minutes between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., two to three times a week.

Although it’s best to wear short-sleeve shirts and shorts during this brief period, it’s okay to wear sunglasses and apply sunscreen to your face. Sunlight through a window won’t have the same effect – glass reduces absorption of the UV rays needed for vitamin D production. People with darker skin, or those living in less sunny regions, may need more sunlight to get the same effect.

If a doctor has given you a diagnosis of osteoporosis, it’s possible the calcium and vitamin D that you’re getting through food and sun exposure alone is not enough; you should ask your doctor if you need medication.

Regular Exercise Important for Women

Regular exercise is an excellent activity that can help stave off osteoporosis. Weight-bearing exercises, such as brisk walking, jogging and dancing, are great for increasing bone density. Strength training, such as lifting weights, helps with stability and flexibility, which reduces the risk of falling.

Aim for 30 minutes of weight-bearing exercise at least four days a week, combined with muscle-strengthening exercises at least twice a week.

Particularly for women, who lose bone density during and after menopause, regular exercise is critical. Working out prior to menopause will reduce the risk of osteoporosis in your later years.

And avoid harmful habits – smoking and heavy alcohol consumption can weaken bone density and increase the risk of fractures.

Fall prevention strategies and balance training are crucial and can help reduce the risk of fractures.

Screening and Treatment

Women should start osteoporosis screening at age 65, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Men should consider screening if they have risk factors for osteoporosis, which include smoking, alcohol use disorder, some chronic diseases such as diabetes, and age. Men over 70 are at higher risk.

Medical imaging such as a bone density scan and spinal X-rays can help confirm osteoporosis and detect compression fractures. These basic tests, combined with age and medical history, are enough to make a clear diagnosis.

Managing osteoporosis is a long-term process that requires ongoing commitment to lifestyle changes. Recognizing the early warning signs and making these proactive lifestyle changes is the first step to prevent the disease and keep your bones healthy.

Ting Zhang, MD, is a Research Scholar of Orthopedics at the University of Pittsburgh.

Jianying Zhang, PhD, is a Research Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh.

This article originally appeared in The Conversation and is republished with permission.

Why Knee Pain Tends to Flareup as We Age

By Dr. Angie Brown

Knee injuries are common in athletes, accounting for 41% of all athletic injuries. But knee injuries aren’t limited to competitive athletes. In our everyday lives, an accident or a quick movement in the wrong direction can injure the knee and require medical treatment. A quarter of the adult population worldwide experiences knee pain each year

As a physical therapist and board-certified orthopedic specialist, I help patients of all ages with knee injuries and degenerative conditions.

Your knees have a huge impact on your mobility and overall quality of life, so it’s important to prevent knee problems whenever possible and address pain in these joints with appropriate treatments.

Healthy Knees

The knee joint bones consist of the femur, tibia and patella. As in all healthy joints, smooth cartilage covers the surfaces of the bones, forming the joints and allowing for controlled movement.

Muscles, ligaments and tendons further support the knee joint. The anterior cruciate ligament, commonly known as the ACL, and posterior cruciate ligament, or PCL, provide internal stability to the knee. In addition, two tough pieces of fibrocartilage, called menisci, lie inside the joint, providing further stability and shock absorption.

All these structures work together to enable the knee to move smoothly and painlessly throughout everyday movement, whether bending to pick up the family cat or going for a run.

Causes of Knee Pain

Two major causes of knee pain are acute injury and osteoarthritis.

Ligaments such as the ACL and PCL can be stressed and torn when a shear force occurs between the femur and tibia. ACL injuries often occur when athletes land awkwardly on the knee or quickly pivot on a planted foot. Depending on the severity of the injury, these patients may undergo physical therapy, or they may require surgery for repair or replacement.

PCL injuries are less common. They occur when the tibia experiences a posterior or backward force. This type of injury is common in car accidents when the knee hits the dashboard, or when patients fall forward when walking up stairs.

The menisci can also experience degeneration and tearing from shear and rotary forces, especially during weight-bearing activities. These types of injuries often require rehabilitation through physical therapy or surgery.

Knee pain can also result from injury or overuse of the muscles and tendons surrounding the knee, including the quadriceps, hamstrings and patella tendon.

Both injuries to and overuse of the knee can lead to degenerative changes in the joint surfaces, known as osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a progressive disease that can lead to pain, swelling and stiffness. This disease affects the knees of over 300 million people worldwide, most often those 50 years of age and up. American adults have a 40% chance of developing osteoarthritis that affects their daily lives, with the knee being the most commonly affected joint.

Age is also a factor in knee pain. The structure and function of your joints change as you age. Cartilage starts to break down, your body produces less synovial fluid to lubricate your joints, and muscle strength and flexibility decrease. This can lead to painful, restricted movement in the joint.

Risk Factors for Knee Problems

There are some risk factors for knee osteoarthritis that you cannot control, such as genetics, age, sex and your history of prior injuries.

Fortunately, there are several risk factors you can control that can predispose you to knee pain and osteoarthritis specifically. The first is excessive weight. Based on studies between 2017 and 2020, nearly 42% of all adult Americans are obese. This obesity is a significant risk factor for diabetes and osteoarthritis and can also play a role in other knee injuries.

A lack of physical activity is another risk, with 1 in 5 U.S. adults reporting that they’re inactive outside of work duties. This can result in less muscular support for the knee and more pressure on the joint itself.

An inflammatory diet also adds to the risk of knee pain from osteoarthritis. Research shows that the average American diet, often high in sugar and fat and low in fiber, can lead to changes to the gut microbiome that contribute to osteoarthritis pain and inflammation.

Preventing and Treating Knee Pain

Increasing physical activity is one of the key elements to preventing knee pain. Often physical therapy intervention for patients with knee osteoarthritis focuses on strengthening the knee to decrease pain and support the joint during movement.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults spend at least 150 to 300 minutes per week on moderate-intensity, or 75 to 150 minutes per week on vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity. These guidelines do not change for adults who already have osteoarthritis, although their exercise may require less weight-bearing activities, such as swimming, biking or walking.

The agency also recommends that all adults do some form of resistance training at least two or more days a week. Adults with knee osteoarthritis particularly benefit from quadriceps-strengthening exercises, such as straight leg raises.

Conservative treatment of knee pain includes anti-inflammatory and pain medications and physical therapy.

Medical treatment for knee osteoarthritis may include cortisone injections to decrease inflammation or hyaluronic acid injections, which help lubricate the joint. The relief from these interventions is often temporary, as they do not stop the progression of the disease. But they can delay the need for surgery by one to three years on average, depending on the number of injections.

Physical therapy is generally a longer-lasting treatment option for knee pain. Physical therapy treatment leads to more sustained pain reduction and functional improvements when compared with cortisone injections treatment and some meniscal repairs.

Patients with osteoarthritis often benefit from total knee replacement, a surgery with a high success rate and lasting results.

Surgical interventions for knee pain include the repair, replacement or removal of the ACL, PCL, menisci or cartilage. When more conservative approaches fail, patients with osteoarthritis may benefit from a partial or total knee replacement to allow more pain-free movement. In these procedures, one or both sides of the knee joint are replaced by either plastic or metal components. Afterward, patients attend physical therapy to aid in the return of range of motion.

Although there are risks with any surgery, most patients who undergo knee replacement benefit from decreased pain and increased function, with 90% of all replacements lasting more than 15 years. But not all patients are candidates for such surgeries, as a successful outcome depends on the patient’s overall health and well-being.

New developments for knee osteoarthritis are focused on less invasive therapies. Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new implant that acts as a shock absorber. This requires a much simpler procedure than a total knee replacement.

Other promising interventions include knee embolization, a procedure in which tiny particles are injected into the arteries near the knee to decrease blood flow to the area and reduce inflammation near the joint. Researchers are also looking into injectable solutions derived from human bodies, such as plasma-rich protein and fat cells, to decrease inflammation and pain from osteoarthritis. Human stem cells and their growth factors also show potential in treating knee osteoarthritis by potentially improving muscle atrophy and repairing cartilage.

Further research is needed on these novel interventions. However, any intervention that holds promise to stop or delay osteoarthritis is certainly encouraging for the millions of people afflicted with this disease.

Angie Brown, DPT, is a Clinical Associate Professor of Physical Therapy at Quinnipiac University. Dr. Brown is a board-certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties and a Certified Lymphedema Specialist.

This article originally appeared in The Conversation and is republished with permission.