According to current research, up to 85% of persons living with chronic pain also suffer from depression (Sheng, Lui et al., 2017). This is not a coincidence. Both are forms of stress on the body: a phenomenon regulated by a structure in the brain called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis controls endocrine factors
Read MoreLiving with chronic pain impacts every aspect of a person’s life, physically, emotionally, environmentally, and socially. Because of this, clinicians now advocate a “bio-psychosocial” approach to chronic pain management, as opposed to the traditional “biomedical model” limited to physical symptoms. If you have visited our clinic recently, you have hopefully met Shobhna Thakur, a licensed
Read MoreLoneliness and pain are bedfellows, with one reinforcing the other. Individuals living with chronic pain may find it more difficult to get out of the house, and as a result become socially isolated. This can become a self-defeating cycle, as solitude and ruminationmake the pain feel more severe than physical symptoms suggest. Rumination is
Read MoreAccording to recent studies, owning a dog, even if it’s not a service dog, can reduce the burden of chronic back pain. A group of Canadian researchers conducted a study on pain patients to investigate whether owning a dog could help with sleep onset and maintenance (Brown, Wang et al., 2018). About a third of
Read MoreMy cat, Goober, seen here can fall asleep at any time of the day in any part of the house. But of you have chronic back pain, your chances of having sleep problems are greater than 50% (Pinheiro, Ho et al., 2016). In fact, a person’s likelihood for experiencing low back pain and insomnia is
Read MoreIf you find yourself suffering from chronic tension or migraine headaches at work, you might suspect eye strain from too much screen time. While this is often the case, if you also suffer from chronic low back pain, the two might be related according to a systematic review of existing research (Vivekanantham, Edwin et al.,
Read MoreWeight management is an important part of overall health, particularly for persons who live with chronic back pain. Being overweight changes your body’s center of gravity and can exacerbate muscular imbalances that add stress to the spine and supporting musculature. Severe caloric restriction can negatively impact mood and energy. When results don’t come quickly, it
Read MoreOur current medical system derives largely from the biomedical model, which focuses on physical causes for disease. The more recent bio-psychosocial model posits that other factors, including your emotional state, support system (friends and family), and the environment also play a role, both in the development of disease and its prognosis. Research shows that religion
Read MoreAcupuncture is a technique within Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that utilizes fine metallic needles inserted through the skin for analgesia and pain control. In TCM, health is considered in terms of harmony between the body and nature (Berman et al., 2010). A vital force known as qi is thought to flow through the body. If
Read MoreChronic back pain sufferers frequently consider massage therapy as an alternative to analgesic medications. There are some obvious advantages: no concerns about drug-drug interactions if you happen to be on other medications, and it is relatively non-invasive. Research regarding efficacy of massage for reducing pain intensity is mixed. In a systematic review published in the
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