Wear, Tear, & Care

Using word therapy to fight chronic pain

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Contributor: Managing Your Fibromyalgia Skin Flares

Contributor: Managing Your Fibromyalgia Skin Flares

Visual representation of scratching an itch because who wants the header on this article to be a gigantic rash? Photo by Tucker Good on Unsplash

Fibromyalgia affects nearly 10 million Americans, making it a chronic and debilitating condition for many individuals. Chronic pain can be unmanageable at times, especially when new symptoms like skin problems arrive. As if the pain and fatigue weren’t…

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Spring 2019 Update on CBD Oil for Pain Relief: Legal Status, Side Effects, Drug Tests, Traveling, and More

Spring 2019 Update on CBD Oil for Pain Relief: Legal Status, Side Effects, Drug Tests, Traveling, and More

This was also updated in the original post. 

I work as an associate attorney with a civil litigation firm in Cambridge. My boss is always interested in developing new practice areas, so we attended a Cannabis Law continuing education conference. Naturally, it was filled with Millennials… and my boss, who’s meow meow years old.

Because of his relentless questioning, Dan (my boss) got the…

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When a Name Has Power

When a Name Has Power

Naming things has power, and I like to give my enemies names.

For years now, I have asked my veritable fleet of doctors why I have ham hands. (That’s the technical term, of course.)

This glorious gif exists. You’re welcome.

Ham hands are what my hands became after the first car accident. I wielded objects like two ham were hocks strapped to my wrists instead of appendages. Occasionally, I’d drop…

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Contributor: Easy Chronic Pain Remedies That Are Cheap and Effective

Contributor: Easy Chronic Pain Remedies That Are Cheap and Effective

When chronic pain becomes a physical and a mental burden that is hard to overcome, you may be desperate to find a quick solution. What are some remedies to help temporarily ease chronic pain? Read to find out more.

If you are suffering from chronic pain flare, it can be tough to find quick remedies. Most of the time, you want to stay in bed and call it a day. However, life does not always work…

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Contributor: Sleeping Better with Chronic Pain

Contributor: Sleeping Better with Chronic Pain

I’m a chronic pain sufferer from Copenhagen, Denmark who suffers from multiple pain conditions following an accident four years ago. I have a disc prolapse in my neck, nerve damage in my shoulder, and thoracic outlet syndrome, so, unfortunately, I’m no stranger to pain. I’m also a writer and editor for a Danish bedroom and wellness magazine.

Sleep and Pain Go Hand in Hand

Something that’s been…

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Contributor: How to Deal with Spring Allergies – 4 Key Tips for Retirees

Contributor: How to Deal with Spring Allergies – 4 Key Tips for Retirees

Allergies are one of the most common health issues in the US. To be more precise, they’re the sixth most common cause of chronic conditions for Americans.

From allergic rhinitis and asthma to food allergies, these problems affect every age group.

Some allergies, however, tend to worsen as people get older. For instance, asthma can cause some serious difficulties in the elderly.

So, it’s important…

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NY Times: The Opioid Dilemma: Saving Lives in the Long Run Can Take Lives in the Short Run

NY Times: The Opioid Dilemma: Saving Lives in the Long Run Can Take Lives in the Short Run

What does forced opioid tapering do to chronic pain and illness patients?

“In the short term, many policies that would limit opioid prescriptions for the purpose of saving lives would cause people to turn to heroin or fentanyl.

In fact, over a 5-to-10-year period, that would increase deaths, not decrease them, according to a simulation study published in the American Journal of Public Health.” 

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Contributor: 12 Simple Ways to Show Love to Someone with Chronic Illness

Contributor: 12 Simple Ways to Show Love to Someone with Chronic Illness

Image Source: Unsplash

Living with a chronic illness can be incredibly difficult; so can knowing how to be there for someone living with a chronic illness. Try the following tips to show love to the friend or family member in your life who’s experiencing difficulties:

Offer help

Your loved one may find it difficult to ask for help, so offer yours before they have to ask. However, don’t assume you…

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Contributor: The Ultimate Guide to Traveling with Chronic Pain

Contributor: The Ultimate Guide to Traveling with Chronic Pain

I get emails on a pretty consistent basis from people looking to contribute content or repost good material from other sites. Million Mile Secrets sent me this great guideto traveling with chronic pain and illness. They have affiliate links for credit card promos, which is something I’ve been meaning to learn about in detail because I feel like I always leave money on the table simply because I…

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Contributor: Daith Piercings and Acupuncture: Do They Help Migraines?

Contributor: Daith Piercings and Acupuncture: Do They Help Migraines?

Someone who suffers episodic or chronic migraines may be willing to try almost anything to make the pain go away and never come back. When medication or other options are not providing relief, a popular alternative for many people is the complementary medical practice of acupuncture or a treatment called daith piercings.

What are these treatments, how are they supposed to rid you of migraine…

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Dr. Death -- IE, What Happens When Your Spine Surgeon has a God Complex

Dr. Death — IE, What Happens When Your Spine Surgeon has a God Complex

“I can fix you.”

No doctor worth their degree says, “I can fix you.” It is a promise that no one can keep. The beginning of “Dr. Death,” a relatively new podcast from Wondery, speaks to that resigned place in the soul of someone weary with suffering, and this doctor said the words all pain patients are so desperate to hear.

“Imagin…

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Boston Herald, Quell 2.0, Pain Awareness Month (and Some Thoughts)

Boston Herald, Quell 2.0, Pain Awareness Month (and Some Thoughts)

Hey kids! It’s been a while. Things have been busy with a new part-time job, so my attention has been diverted. Much has been happening. September came and went without me even mentioning Pain Awareness Month. Good job, me. My only contribution was being quoted in this Boston Herald pieceabout the Quell’s newly-released version 2.0. I think it explains wearables in a good way and how they can be…

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CBD Oil for Pain Relief: Legal Status, Side Effects, Drug Tests, Traveling, and More

CBD Oil for Pain Relief: Legal Status, Side Effects, Drug Tests, Traveling, and More

I recently took a trip to the Dominican Republic. It was a 30th birthday bash for a friend at an all-inclusive resort, possibly one of the greatest vacations I’ve ever experienced. Rather than actually be excited for the trip, however, I spent months fighting crushing anxiety. I hadn’t traveled internationally in years, since before my first car accident. I figured I could handle this because we…

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Guest Contributor: The Pain Companion by Sarah Anne Shockley

Guest Contributor: The Pain Companion by Sarah Anne Shockley

  Via http://www.thepaincompanion.com

As many of you know, I write an occasional column for the Pain News Network. One of my compatriots there, Sarah Anne Shockley, recently published a book called The Pain Companion: Everyday Wisdom for Living With and Moving Beyond Chronic Pain that everyone who experiences pain or chronic illness should read. She was diagnosed with TOS (thoracic outlet syndrome

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Washington Post: The Other Opioid Crisis

Washington Post: The Other Opioid Crisis

I just stumbled across a great piece in the Washington Post by a former hospice nurse. We’ve heard this story before (“the opioid crisis is harming pain patients”), but it needs to be told again, louder and louder, in bigger and bigger outlets, until we are heard and understood.

How many more patients will commit suicide before this problem is addressed?

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Pain News Network: The Curable App Check out my latest article on the Pain News Network about the Curable app, an interactive virtual therapist designed to help those with chronic pain and illness.

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Contributor: How to Maintain a Fulfilling Lifestyle When You Have Chronic Pain

Contributor: How to Maintain a Fulfilling Lifestyle When You Have Chronic Pain

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Approximately 11 percent of the U.S. population suffers from chronic pain, a condition that’s defined when discomfort lasts more than six months. An initial injury or illness morphs into a drawn-out period of physical and mental suffering with symptomssuch as decreased appetite, mood swings, fatigue, disrupted sleep, and mobility issues due to pain. It can be difficult to…

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