It is well known that an exercise program will provide pain relief typically for patients suffering from osteoarthritis. The theory is that exercise will build up the muscles around the painful joint and help offload the damaged area. A new study that is out of Duke University has actually helped prove that exercise provides an excellent treatment for arthritis pain even if it does not result in weight loss.

Pain management in the United States is big business. Well over 100 million individuals suffer from chronic pain, and the problem costs well over $500 billion annually. There are quite a few mis-perceptions in the field of pain management.

You may think that nothing can be ‘good’ about feeling pain. Although I agree that pain never feels good, you should feel blessed that this sensation may alert you to a potentially dangerous situation in your body. People with an impaired nervous system due to advanced type 2 diabetes or a severing of nerves due to an accident or other conditions that cuts off the sensory system in parts of their bodies, can attest to this. So, at times, we do need to feel pain in order to take appropriate actions towards our state of health.

If you’ve ever had the misfortune of using crutches, I’m sure you’d agree with me there these aren’t designed for comfort. In fact underarm sore and pain in the palm and wrist are a very common problem associated with crutches. They are also known to cause problems in the nerves that move from the spine to the shoulder.

A pinched nerve can occur at several sites in your body. A herniated disk in your lower spine may put pressure on a nerve root, causing pain that radiates down the back of your leg (sciatica). Likewise, a pinched nerve in your wrist can lead to pain and numbness in your hand and fingers (carpal tunnel syndrome).