This year on Arizona Pain, we’ve covered a lot of ground. From serious topics like depression and health disparities to the light-hearted, inspirational reads, here are 15 of our favorite blog posts that we hope will improve your life, even if in some small way.
1. 10 Favorite TED Health Talks from 2015
TED produces some of the most interesting, life-changing videos around, and we collected this year’s top ten. You’ll find wisdom about what really matters at the end of life, a cancer expert’s take on the future of disease management, and more.
2. How Arthritis And Mood Disorders Are Linked
It’s already well established that conditions like back pain are connected to mood disorders, but new research is uncovering the same holds true for arthritis.
Read this article to learn about the startlingly high number of arthritis patients who experience mood disorders and the conditions behind this connection. You’ll also learn how treating one condition can alleviate the other.
3. 6 Ways To Reduce Breast Cancer Risk
Despite decades of research, breast cancer is still frighteningly common. Don’t miss this comprehensive guide that covers key ways to reduce risk, including a few tips not commonly discussed.
We’ve also included links to recent studies to keep you informed about researchers’ latest findings.
4. Tips For Patients With No Diagnosis
The ill-defined nature of chronic pain leaves many patients frustrated as they futilely search for a diagnosis and a doctor who will understand.
Not having a diagnosis can be stressful. With no clear way forward, you’re not sure the active steps to take for reducing pain. Here are Arizona Pain tips for navigating this journey and getting the care you need.
5. Chronic Pain And Depression Increase Suicide Risk, Both Are Treatable
The stigma of depression is real, and as a chronic pain patient, you may feel uncomfortable talking with your doctor about sadness you feel. Know that you’re not alone and it’s okay to be sad. It’s okay to not be okay. The important thing is to get the help you need because depression is a very treatable condition.
This Arizona Pain article will give you peace of mind that you’re not alone, along with tips on how to get help. If you’re concerned about a loved one, you’ll learn more about this little-known link and find ways to help.
6. 4 Life-Hacks For Eating Pain-Healthy
We all know we need to eat healthy, and more of us probably would if it weren’t so darn time consuming. Never fear! Arizona Pain has put together the ultimate guide to refresh your diet and help you eat more pain-healthy food.
7. 6 Ways To Treat Chronic Pain Without Opioids
Opioids are dangerously powerful narcotics, and research shows they’re not very effective for treating chronic pain. Fortunately, a variety of all-natural or minimally invasive methods for reducing pain are available.
Here is our guide to some of the best, including a few little-known options.
8. 5 Ways To Be An Empowered Patient Online
Participating in your treatment has been proven by researchers to be a powerful way of feeling better and experiencing more benefits from your treatment.
The Internet has made it incredibly easy to be an empowered patient, and this guide shows you how.
9. Busted! 4 Health Myths That Simply Aren’t True
It’s so hard to know what’s healthy and what’s not in today’s marketplace with so much conflicting information. This article takes some frequently perpetuated myths and dives into the research to discover why they’re not true.
You’ll learn why salt is not evil and why full-fat dairy may be the way to go.
10. 5 Best Memoirs About Chronic Pain
Sometimes all you need to feel better is to know you’re not alone. Here is our list of some of the best chronic pain memoirs to lift your spirits and give you hope.
Find links to inspiring tales about a woman rising from a wheelchair to eventually run a marathon and other tales of healing and indomitable spirits.
11. The Ultimate Back Pain Treatment That Works 90% Of The Time
Back pain is one of society’s most common complaints, but fortunately it can also be one of the most easily treated.
In this Arizona Pain article, you’ll learn why so many cases of back pain can be helped by just a few changes and learn how to make those changes to see the results for yourself.
12. 5 Alternative Treatments For Headaches
A headache has the unfortunate ability to stop you in your tracks and ruin a day. It can be hard to function when you can’t even think. If you get headaches frequently, you’re probably tired of taking medicines that are possibly bad for your body in the long term.
Fortunately, many alternative treatments are available. Even better, some of them are free!
13. 4 Ways Doctors Are Looking Anew At Opioids
As addiction rates and the death toll soars from these dangerous pain pills, health experts are looking anew at the medicines used on the front lines of chronic pain.
In this Arizona Pain article, learn how opioid use affects other areas of medical treatment and about new ways experts are helping people reclaim their lives.
14. Social Media Networks Connect Chronic Pain Patients
Chronic pain can feel isolating, but with the advent of social media networks, people from around the world are connecting on several platforms that are specific to pain patients.
This article guides you through some of the more popular, from a catch-all network connecting all chronic pain patients to more specific platforms like the network serving the multiple sclerosis community. You’ll also find a network geared toward teens.
15. 7 Days To Less Stress
For pain patients, managing stress is one of the most important things you can do to feel better. This seven-day program introduces simple ways of cultivating calm. It’s our hope that by the end, you’ll have learned new techniques to incorporate into your daily life.
What was your favorite Arizona Pain article from 2015?
Image by Du Truong via Flickr