The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) ruled on Friday that marijuana has “no accepted medical use” and should therefore remain illegal under federal law — regardless of conflicting state legislation allowing medical …
Pain
Aching Back? Try Massage for Chronic Pain
It’s not news that a back massage feels good. But now there’s clinical evidence to show just how good.
Report: Chronic, Undertreated Pain Affects 116 Million Americans
Serious, chronic pain affects at least 116 million Americans each year, many of whom are inadequately treated by the health-care system, according to a new report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). The report offers a blueprint …
Why Crossing Your Arms Helps Kill Pain
To the list of unusual antidotes for pain — including cursing, meditation and giving a massage (also, getting one) — now add crossing your arms.
Does the ADHD Drug Shortage Herald a Crackdown on Stimulants?
With the Obama administration characterizing prescription drug misuse as this generation’s crack epidemic, something like this seemed fated to happen: patients, pharmacists and manufacturers are reporting a serious shortage of …
Why Your Embarrassment Causes Me So Much Pain
Ever find yourself physically cringing as you watch those hopeful contestants on American Idol who have no clue that they can’t sing? If so, you’re probably a highly empathetic person, according to new study published in the …
Drug War: How Advil May Thwart the Benefits of Prozac
The common painkillers known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), a class of medication that includes aspirin, naproxen (Aleve), and ibuprofen (Advil), can significantly reduce the effectiveness of certain …
Why the Pain of Romantic Rejection Feels Like a Punch in the Gut
There are only a lucky few among us who can’t relate to the intense pain of being rejected by a significant other. If a breakup is unexpected, it’s all the more painful — it can hurt with such intensity that you can’t …
Q&A: Neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran on ‘Unlearning’ Pain
Even before the discovery of “mirror neurons” — brain cells activated when we observe the actions of others that enable empathy — Dr. V.S. Ramachandran was using real mirrors to change the brain and relieve pain.
Why Surgeons Dread Redheads
As the authors of a recent study published in BMJ attest, society’s red-haired members don’t always get a fair shake.
Mind Over Matter: Can Zen Meditation Help You Forget About Pain?
Living without pain may not require potent drugs, according to a new study published in the medical journal Pain — all you need is a cushion, a quiet corner and maybe a mantra.
It’s True: We Shop Till it Hurts
Feel like going out to dinner at that trendy new spot but can’t justify paying $120 for the tasting menu everyone’s talking about? Then take a date, spend twice as much and call it an investment in the relationship. There, that …
Forget Pain Pills, Fall in Love Instead
Do you believe that love conquers all? If you do, you probably won’t be surprised by the following study. It turns out that being in love can actually dull pain perception. What’s more, it works in a different way that painkillers do.