Suffering Chronic Pain? Sorry, Much of the Burden to Get Better Falls to You

By Scott Mowbray

As I sit through session after session at PainWeek, an annual medical conference held this year in Las Vegas, the message I hear is that much of the responsibility for effective chronic pain treatment rests on the patient’s shoulders. Whether pain comes from a bad back, migraines, arthritis, fibromyalgia, or—in one case cited by a psychologist—from getting a leg blown off by an improvised explosive device in Iraq, a lot of the heavy lifting is the patient’s. Read More

Health Tip: Managing Your Child's Migraines

(HealthDay News) -- If your child gets migraine headaches, the American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions to help prevent them:

• Make sure your child eats meals on a regular schedule, and never skips a meal.


• Keep your child on a regular sleep schedule.


• Make sure your child gets daily exercise, but don't overdo it.


• Figure out what triggers migraines in your child, and try to avoid those factors. Common triggers include stress, too much intense exercise, or changes in weather or altitude.


• Avoid foods that are known to trigger your child's migraines. Popular culinary causes include: cheese, processed meats, chocolate, caffeine, nuts, pickles and foods high in the preservative monosodium glutamate (MSG).

Health Tip: Living With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

(HealthDay News) -- Chronic fatigue syndrome is an illness of unknown cause that can make a person feel excessively tired for prolonged periods.

While there is no cure, medication and lifestyle changes can help keep symptoms under control. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers these suggestions:

• Keep a log of activities that trigger extreme fatigue, and try to avoid those things.
• Try to get some light exercise. But always talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program.
• Take an over-the-counter pain reliever for the aches, muscle and joint pain, and headaches that can accompany the syndrome.
• Try a non-drowsy antihistamine to help with allergy-like symptoms.
• Talk to your doctor about whether an antidepressant can help you feel and sleep better.
• Join a support group.
  

Which Kind of Headache Do You Have?

By Ross Weale

Everyone suffers from headaches now and then, but it’s important to figure out what kind of head pain you’re experiencing so you can get the right treatment. Dr. Roshini Raj, a member of Health magazine’s Health Expert Network, spoke with NBC’s Amy Robach on the Today show about how to know what headache you have, and how to find relief.


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