Pain

Can Brain Freeze Solve the Mystery of Migraines?

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Researchers say they’ve figured out what causes brain freeze — the mind-numbingly painful headache you get while eating ice cream or some other cold food.

Are Over-the-Counter Bug Bite Treatments Useless?

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Mosquitoes, chiggers, fleas — oh my! As warmer days approach, so do the biting bugs, which means plenty of itching and irritation to go around.

For Sinus Infection, Don’t Bother with Antibiotics

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Sinus infections are drippy and painful — an all-around headache, quite literally. When symptoms arise, patients often rush to the doctor for a prescription, usually an antibiotic, to put an end to the suffering.

How Massage Helps Heal Muscles and Relieve Pain

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Massage may work as well as drugs like aspirin or Advil in easing pain from intense exercise.

Men vs. Women on Pain: Who Hurts More?

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A large new California study finds an unexpectedly clear difference between the genders.

Birth Control Pills Provide Real Relief from Menstrual Pain

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A new, long-term study finds that the pill really does help with painful periods.

Super-Duper Hydrocodone? An Open Letter to Big Pharma

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A powerful and addictive new painkiller is coming down the pike. Can this be anything but an unmitigated disaster?

Controversial Study Linking Virus to Chronic Fatigue Is Retracted

The journal Science is retracting a contentious 2009 paper linking chronic fatigue syndrome to a mouse retrovirus called XMRV.

Could Medical Marijuana Reduce Patients’ Need for Opioid Painkillers?

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A small, new study backs a long-standing claim of advocates of medical marijuana: pain patients can safely use cannabis while taking opioid painkillers, and may actually need fewer pills because of it.

Perspective: Why Did Conrad Murray Get Just Four Years In Jackson’s Death?

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Dr. Conrad Murray, convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson, was sentenced on Tuesday to four years in prison, the maximum sentence for the crime.