Back and Neck Pain News

December 27, 2025

Top Headlines

Nerve Injuries Can Trigger Hidden Immune Changes Throughout the Entire Body

Dec. 11, 2025 Researchers discovered that nerve injuries can alter the immune system throughout the body, and males and females react very differently. Male mice showed strong inflammatory responses, while females showed none, yet both transmitted pain-inducing ...

Chronic Pain May Dramatically Raise Your Blood Pressure

Nov. 17, 2025 Chronic pain might quietly push people toward developing high blood pressure—and the more widespread the pain, the greater the danger. A massive analysis of over 200,000 adults uncovered strong links between long-lasting pain, depression, ...

Breakthrough Brain Discovery Reveals a Natural Way to Relieve Pain

Nov. 4, 2025 Using powerful 7-Tesla brain imaging, researchers mapped how the brainstem manages pain differently across the body. They discovered that distinct regions activate for facial versus limb pain, showing the brain’s built-in precision pain control ...

This Simple Neck Measurement Might Reveal Hidden Heart Risks

Oct. 20, 2025 Neck size is proving to be a powerful indicator of hidden health risks. Larger neck circumferences are associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and sleep apnea, even among those with normal weight. Fat stored in the upper body affects vital ...

This European Treatment for Joint Pain Just Passed a Major Scientific Test

Oct. 15, 2025 Korean researchers found that low-dose radiation therapy eased knee pain and improved movement in people with mild to moderate osteoarthritis. The treatment, far weaker than cancer radiation, showed real benefits beyond placebo. With no side effects ...

Scientists Discover Brain Circuit That Can Switch Off Chronic Pain

Oct. 10, 2025 Scientists have pinpointed Y1 receptor neurons in the brain that can override chronic pain signals when survival instincts like hunger or fear take precedence. Acting like a neural switchboard, these cells balance pain with other biological needs. ...

A Single Dose of Psilocybin May Rewire the Brain for Lasting Relief

Oct. 2, 2025 Penn researchers found that psilocybin can calm brain circuits tied to pain and mood, easing both physical suffering and emotional distress in animal studies. The compound works in the anterior cingulate cortex, bypassing injury sites and offering a ...

Scientists Uncover How to Block Pain Without Side Effects

Sep. 26, 2025 Scientists have discovered a way to block pain while still allowing the body’s natural healing to take place. Current painkillers like ibuprofen and aspirin often come with harmful side effects because they shut down both pain and inflammation. ...

Half of Adults Suffer from Dry Eyes, but Most Never Get Help

Sep. 15, 2025 Dry eyes are far more common than previously believed, with over half of adults in the US and Europe experiencing symptoms, yet most remain undiagnosed for years. The large-scale NESTS study reveals that sufferers often endure daily discomfort that ...

The Surprising Reason X-rays Can Push Arthritis Patients Toward Surgery

Aug. 26, 2025 Knee osteoarthritis is a major cause of pain and disability, but routine X-rays often do more harm than good. New research shows that being shown an X-ray can increase anxiety, make people fear exercise, and lead them to believe surgery is the only ...

One Small Walking Adjustment Could Delay Knee Surgery for Years

Aug. 16, 2025 A groundbreaking study has found that a simple change in walking style can ease osteoarthritis pain as effectively as medication—without the side effects. By adjusting foot angle, participants reduced knee stress, slowed cartilage damage, and ...

Blood Pressure Cuff Errors May Be Missing 30% of Hypertension Cases

Aug. 13, 2025 Cambridge scientists have cracked the mystery of why cuff-based blood pressure monitors often give inaccurate readings, missing up to 30% of high blood pressure cases. By building a physical model that replicates real artery behavior, they ...

Latest Headlines

updated 11:01am EST

Mayo Clinic Neurosurgeon Reveals 8 Back Pain Myths to Stop Believing

Dec. 15, 2025 Back pain is wrapped in persistent myths, but many are far from the truth. From misconceptions about heavy lifting and bed rest to confusion over posture, exercise, and surgery, Dr. Meghan Murphy ...

Stem Cell Pain Sponge Soaks Up Osteoarthritis Joint Pain and Protects Cartilage

Dec. 15, 2025 SereNeuro Therapeutics revealed promising results for SN101, a first-in-class iPSC-derived therapy designed to treat chronic osteoarthritis pain ...

Can a Diet Really Ease Lipoedema? Sunniva’s Journey to Pain Relief and Weight Loss

Aug. 10, 2025 Sunniva Kwapeng struggled with lipoedema, a painful condition causing disproportionate fat accumulation, until finally being diagnosed in her 40s. An ...

Pain Relief Without Pills? VR Nature Scenes Trigger the Brain’s Healing Switch

July 31, 2025 Stepping into a virtual forest or waterfall scene through VR could be the future of pain management. A new study shows that immersive virtual nature ...

Why Trump’s Leg Swelling Could Be a Warning Sign for Millions

July 18, 2025 President Trump s diagnosis of Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI) has brought renewed attention to a frequently overlooked yet dangerous condition. CVI affects the ability of veins especially in the ...

How a Hidden Brain Circuit Fuels Fibromyalgia, Migraines, and PTSD

July 10, 2025 What if your brain is the reason some pain feels unbearable? Scientists at the Salk Institute have discovered a hidden brain circuit that gives pain its emotional punch—essentially transforming ...

USC's New AI Implant Promises Drug-Free Relief for Chronic Pain

June 24, 2025 A groundbreaking wireless implant promises real-time, personalized pain relief using AI and ultrasound power no batteries, no wires, and no opioids. Designed by USC and UCLA engineers, it reads brain ...

New Method Paves Way for Fewer Severe Birth Injuries

May 22, 2025 High birth weight is the main risk factor for birth injuries to the anal sphincter muscles of the person giving birth, according to a new study. This new method for predicting the risks could improve ...

Depression Linked to Physical Pain Years Later

May 21, 2025 Middle-aged and older adults who experience pain are more likely to have had worsening symptoms of depression up to eight years before the pain began, according to a new ...

Why Some Viral Infections Appear to Trigger Autoimmune Disease

May 20, 2025 By studying Chikungunya virus, scientists shed light on how immune responses to viral infections may lead to persistent symptoms of autoimmune ...

Relieve Your Pain With a Psychologist or an App

May 16, 2025 Psychological treatment can relieve pain. New research now shows what happens in the brain -- and what specific treatments psychologists, doctors and patients can turn ...

Lower Tackle Height Changing Face of Women's Rugby, Study Says

May 12, 2025 Lowering the legal tackle height in women's rugby is proving effective in reducing head contacts between players, a new study suggests. Changes to the tackle height law in women's community ...

NFL Players More Likely to Injure Knee After Shorter Rest Period

May 7, 2025 National Football League (NFL) players may be more likely to sustain a specific type of knee injury if they have a shorter period of rest between ...

New Chronic Pain Therapy Retrains the Brain to Process Emotions

May 6, 2025 Researchers have created an effective therapy for chronic pain that reduces pain intensity by focusing on emotional ...

Nearly One-Quarter of E-Scooter Injuries Involved Substance Impaired Riders

Apr. 29, 2025 About 25% of 7350 patients hospitalized for scooter-related injuries between 2016 and 2021 were using substances such as alcohol, opioids, marijuana and cocaine when injured. The findings underscore ...

Young Adults and Rise in Dry Eye Disease

Apr. 25, 2025 Researchers have called for more advice to be given to young people about preventing dry eye disease, after a study found that 90% of participants had at least one sign of the condition in their ...

A Repurposed Anti-Inflammatory Drug May Help Treat Alcohol Use Disorder and Related Pain

Apr. 22, 2025 A preclinical study finds that a drug already FDA-approved for treating inflammatory conditions may help reduce both alcohol intake and pain sensitivity -- two issues that commonly co-occur with ...

By Re-Creating Neural Pathway in Dish, Stanford Medicine Research May Speed Pain Treatment

Apr. 9, 2025 Scientists have rebuilt, in laboratory glassware, the neural pathway that sends information from the body's periphery to the brain, promising to aid research on pain ...

Researchers Identify Safer Pathway for Pain Relief

Apr. 8, 2025 Scientists have helped identify a novel drug compound that selectively activates pain-altering receptors in the body, offering a potentially safer alternative to conventional pain ...

Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Improve Chronic Low Back Pain

Apr. 7, 2025 Eight weeks of mindfulness or cognitive behavioral therapy were associated with improved pain, physical function and quality of life and reduced daily opioid dose in adults with chronic low back pain ...

Meniscus Injuries May Soon Be Treated by Customizable Hydrogel

Mar. 28, 2025 A new 3D printed customizable hydrogel performed well in preclinical trials with several different types of meniscal ...

The Right Moves to Rein in Fibrosis

Mar. 24, 2025 Biomedical researchers have decoded how mechanical forces drive cell behavior in ...

New Data on Mpox Vaccine Effectiveness

Mar. 19, 2025 A study has found that a single dose of the Imvanex vaccine provides protection against Mpox with 84% effectiveness. For people with HIV, however, a single dose of the vaccine fails to offer ...

When It Comes to ACL Injury, a Dollar of Prevention Is Worth More Than Seven Dollars of Cure

Mar. 13, 2025 An analysis of high school soccer players suggests that incorporating a lower extremity injury prevention program results in fewer anterior cruciate ligament tears and a big reduction in health care ...

Nature Relieves Physical Pain: Pain-Related Signals in the Brain Are Reduced

Mar. 13, 2025 Neuroscientists have shown that experiencing nature can alleviate acute physical pain. Surprisingly, simply watching nature videos was enough to relieve pain. Using functional magnetic resonance ...

Innovative in Vivo Imaging Offers New Treatment, Hope for Sufferers of Chronic TMJ-Related Pain

Mar. 13, 2025 Study uncovers new insights into pain pathways associated with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. Using an innovative in vivo imaging tool to capture functional activity in mouse models of TMJ ...

Cannabis Terpenes Offer Potential New Way to Treat Fibromyalgia Pain

Mar. 12, 2025 A recently completed study found that certain terpenes in Cannabis sativa are effective at relieving post-surgical and fibromyalgia pain in preclinical ...

Worldwide Study Finds High Rates of Depression and Anxiety in People With Chronic Pain

Mar. 10, 2025 A novel analysis of more than 375 published studies concluded that the association between chronic pain and rates of depression and anxiety is staggering. The study found that 40% of adults with ...

Engineered Cartilage from Nasal Septum Cells Helps Treat Complex Knee Injuries

Mar. 5, 2025 Injuries to the articular cartilage in different joints, including the knee, are painful and limit mobility. Therefore, researchers are developing cartilage implants using cells from the ...

Possible Biomarker Identified for Crohn's Disease With Arthritis Type

Mar. 5, 2025 People with Crohn's disease and related joint inflammation linked to immune system dysfunction have distinct gut bacteria or microbiota, with the bacterium Mediterraneibacter gnavus being a ...