The phrase “pain in the neck” is a tongue-in-cheek way to describe annoying situations or people that test our patience, but for those who experience genuine neck pain, it’s no laughing matter. Neck pain can be a debilitating condition that affects daily life and leaves sufferers longing for relief. This article will explore some practical strategies to alleviate neck pain and provide self-care tips, neck pain exercises and other helpful treatments to try. Neck pain causes Neck pain, also called cervicalgia, is the discomfort experienced in or around the spinal area beneath the head. The Cleveland Clinic says neck pain is common, affecting 10% to 20% of adults. And it should come as no surprise that your neck, medically known as the cervical spine, plays a crucial role in supporting the weight of your head and facilitating its movements. But various injuries and medical conditions can give rise to neck pain. Left untreated, neck pain can become a persistent hindrance, interfering with your daily activities and diminishing your overall quality of life. In an article, Dr. Zacharia Isaac, medical director of the Comprehensive Spine Care Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and director of interventional physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School, writes that neck pain usually builds over time. “Neck pain rarely starts overnight,” he writes in a school web page.…  read on >  read on >

Imagine a life where even the simplest movement becomes a painful endeavor. Back pain, a pervasive ailment affecting millions, can turn daily routines into exhausting and painful challenges. Back surgery emerges as a potential solution when conventional treatments fall short, offering hope for those trapped in chronic pain. What are the most common back surgery types, and how do they bring relief? This article will explore the purpose of these surgeries, their benefits, the conditions they can help address and recovery times. Most common back surgery types According to StatPearls, 23% of adults worldwide endure chronic low back pain. While the majority of back pain resolves naturally within three months, there are instances where back surgery can provide relief for specific types of back pain. However, according to the Mayo Clinic, back surgery is rarely necessary and should be considered only when other treatment options have been exhausted and the pain becomes debilitating. However, a handful of different approaches can be taken for back surgery, depending on your level of pain and the severity of symptoms. Here are the four types of back surgeries: Diskectomy According to the Mayo Clinic, a diskectomy is a surgical procedure that removes the damaged portion of a herniated spinal disk. It offers relief by alleviating pressure on irritated or compressed nerves. Typically, it is most effective in treating pain…  read on >  read on >

Let’s talk about menopause and its impact on your sex life. We all know that this phase of life can bring about some changes, like a lower sex drive and vaginal dryness. But here’s the thing: you don’t have to suffer through it. In this article, we will break down how menopause affects your sexual experiences, share some medications and self-care tips that can make a real difference, and give you a glimpse into how sex may be different postmenopause. So, buckle up and get ready to take control of your sexual well-being during this transformative time. Let’s dive in! Sex and Menopause “Menopause can bring about a range of effects on sexual function—some positive and some not so great. However, what’s crucial to understand is that sexual satisfaction plays a significant role in multiple aspects of our overall health. It is directly linked to life satisfaction, quality of life, marital happiness, and overall well-being,” says Dr. Catherine Hansen, MD, MPH, a NAMS Certified Menopause Practitioner and the head of menopause for Pandia Health, a doctor-led birth control delivery service founded and led by women. “In fact,” Hansen says, “Sexual dysfunction can be just as debilitating as other chronic diseases such as IBS or arthritis.” And as most adults know, maintaining a healthy sex life is paramount for leading a happy and healthy life. This…  read on >  read on >

Nearly 10 million Americans are at risk for blindness from diabetic retinopathy, a new study finds. In 2021, an estimated 9.6 million people in the United States — 26% of those with diabetes — had the eye illness and nearly 2 million had the most severe form, “vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy” (VTDR), researchers say. That’s 5% of those with diabetes. “This finding illustrates the burden of this potentially vision-threatening complication of diabetes,” said researcher David Rein, a senior fellow and director of the Public Health Analytics Program at NORC at the University of Chicago. “This finding is driven primarily by the large increase in diabetes in the United States that has occurred over the last 20 years, and underscores the importance of prioritizing eye care and diabetic retinopathy screening among people with diabetes,” he said. Diabetic retinopathy affects the small blood vessels in the eye, explained Dr. Talia Kaden, an ophthalmologist at the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital in New York City. “The small vessels in the eye can become damaged and abnormal, you can have a loss of blood supply to parts of the eye that can result in swelling in the back of the eye, bleeding in the back of the eye or the formation of abnormal blood vessels,” she said. “If left unchecked, it can lead to vision loss.” An estimated 1…  read on >  read on >

Kids get a lot of tummy aches. How a parent responds to it can vary, just as the causes can, according to the University of Michigan Health’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health, which looked more closely at the issue. About 1 in 6 parents said their child has tummy pain at least monthly, according to the poll, but many don’t call the doctor. One-third of the parents said that they were very confident they could identify whether the belly pain was serious. “Tummy complaints are common among children. This type of pain may be a symptom for a range of health issues, but it can be difficult to know if it’s transient or a cause for concern,” said poll co-director and pediatrician Dr. Susan Woolford. “Our poll suggests that despite benefits of seeking professional help, parents may not always consult with a doctor when determining whether belly pain is a sign of something serious and how to relieve it,” Woolford said in a Michigan Medicine news release. The poll found that 2 in 5 five parents whose child experiences monthly belly pain have not talked to a doctor about it. Nearly one-third of parents said their child experiences belly pain a few times a year. More than half reported their child rarely or never complains of stomach issues. Parents had varying…  read on >  read on >

So-called “smart drugs” meant to enhance brain performance are more likely to leave users ineffectually spinning in place, a new study has found. These stimulants, typically used to treat ADHD, increased study participants’ motivation in solving problems. But the subjects also took much longer to complete tasks because they acted in a more erratic, scattershot manner while they worked, researchers reported in the journal Science Advances. For example, participants on the ADHD drug methylphenidate (Ritalin) took around 50% longer on average to complete a “knapsack task” than they did when they took a placebo, results showed. In this task, subjects are asked to figure out the most efficient way to fill a knapsack to a certain capacity, using a selection of items with various weights. “Although the use of these kinds of stimulant drugs in people without ADHD may be increasing their motivation in complex problem-solving tasks, they decrease the quality of the solutions, so their productivity is decreased,” said lead researcher Elizabeth Bowman, a neuroscientist at the University of Melbourne Centre for Brain, Mind and Markets in Australia. Students and white-collar workers have increasingly turned to prescription stimulants in an attempt to increase their productivity, said Pat Aussem, vice president of consumer clinical content development for the Partnership to End Addiction. Essentially, they are a modern-day spin on the caffeine pills that college students…  read on >  read on >

Weight-loss surgery can have a lot of benefits for obese teens and young adults. But a new study finds a concerning side effect. Young people who had sleeve gastrectomy, the most common obesity surgery, also had weakened bones. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get the operation, said lead author Dr. Miriam Bredella, a professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School. Rather, the research could lay the foundation for new therapies to target this bone issue, while teens continue to help preserve their bone strength with supplements, a healthy diet and weight-bearing exercise. Although weaker bones can mean higher risk of fractures, obesity is tied to diabetes and heart disease, Bredella said. “Knowing what we know now and in the studies on hormones, maybe this will represent a target for new therapies that can improve bone health,” Bredella said. A growing problem Obesity is a growing problem in the United States, where 22% of 12- to 19-year-olds are obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The American Academy of Pediatrics, a leading medical group, recommends that teens with severe obesity be evaluated for metabolic or bariatric (weight-loss) surgery. Also, starting at age 12, kids can be offered weight-loss medication, in addition to recommended lifestyle changes, the academy says. Sleeve gastrectomy works by removing between 75% and 80% of the stomach, restricting how…  read on >  read on >