pain

Alex Gibney's new documentary on HBO is called The Crime of the Century. It details the role of the medical system in creating the opioid crisis.

Opioid Crisis: Filmmaker Details The Medical System's 'Crime Of The Century'

11:26am May 10, 2021

Documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney investigated the opioid crisis. He says it was created by pharmaceutical companies, distributors, pharmacists and doctors, all looking to profit.

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Health & Safety

Coronavirus FAQ: I'm Afraid Of Needles. Does The COVID-19 Vaccine Hurt?

6:03pm February 05, 2021

by Sheila Mulrooney Eldred

There are those among us who are needle-phobic. So what's the verdict on the vaccine? And are there any techniques for easing any potential pain?

Nabia Drammeh, 27, a nurse, talks with Maram Ceesay, and her granddaughter, Awa at the Brufut Minor Health Center outside of Banjul, the Gambia. Awa's mother passed away during childbirth leaving her Maram to look after her. The 2-year-old is being treate

Health & Safety

A Gambian Nurse Fights Pain Without Pills

7:53pm October 22, 2019

by Jason Beaubien

As the U.S. grapples with the opioid crisis, pain medication is in short supply in some other parts of the world. One nurse in the Gambia explains how she addresses pain with tools other than drugs.

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According to the latest NPR-IBM Watson Health Poll exercise, including stretching and yoga, is popular among younger people as a way to relieve pain.

Health & Safety

Poll: Nearly 1 in 5 Americans Says Pain Often Interferes With Daily Life

2:10pm August 21, 2019

by Scott Hensley

How do Americans experience and cope with pain that makes everyday life harder? We asked in the latest NPR-IBM Watson Health Poll.

Pain is a complex mix of ouch and emotion.

How The Brain Shapes Pain And Links Ouch With Emotion

10:35am May 20, 2019

by Jon Hamilton

Pain is more than an unpleasant sensation. When pain signals reach the brain, they interact with areas involved in thinking, memory and emotion.

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Researchers studying mouse brains identified the cells that encode pain's unpleasantness.

Scientists Find Brain Cells That Make Pain Hurt

3:17pm January 17, 2019

by Jonathan Lambert

Researchers have pinpointed the neurons that give pain its unpleasant edge. By turning these neurons off in mice, the scientists relieved the unpleasantness of pain without numbing sensation.

Megan Baker (left) of Papa & Barkley Co., a Cannabis company based in Eureka, Calif., shows Shirley Avedon of Laguna Woods different products intended to help with pain relief.

Ticket To Ride: Pot Sellers Put Seniors On The Canna-Bus

11:24am September 17, 2018

by Stephanie O'Neill

Marijuana dispensaries are reaching out to seniors seeking help with the aches and pains of aging. They're discovering an array of products and some interesting side effects.

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Describing how pain affects your daily activities may be more effective than the standard pain scale.

Words Matter When Talking About Pain With Your Doctor

11:59am July 23, 2018

by Patti Neighmond

When you go to the doctor in pain, you'll probably be asked to rate your discomfort on a scale of 0 to 10. But doctors say there may be a better way to assess pain.

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Melodie Beckham (left), here with her daughter, Laura, had metastatic lung cancer and chose to stop taking medical marijuana after it failed to relieve her symptoms. She died a few weeks after this photo was taken.

Medical Marijuana's 'Catch-22': Limits On Research Hinder Patient Relief

8:20am April 07, 2018

Suffering Americans seek medical marijuana as an alternative to opioids and other powerful pharmaceuticals. Though legal in 29 states, doctors say the lack of strong data make it hard to recommend.

Doctors often prescribe more opioid painkillers than necessary following surgery, for a variety of reasons.

Questioning A Doctor's Prescription For A Sore Knee: 90 Percocets

12:50pm November 22, 2017

by Michelle Andrews

Following minor surgery, a Kaiser Health News columnist sees up close how easily doctors can prescribe opioid pain pills, and how such prescribing helps fuel the epidemic of opioid addiction.