Chronic pain is a widespread challenge, affecting as many as 50 million Americans, and lacks effective treatment options. The American College of Rheumatology defines chronic pain as pain occurring at least 4 days per week for at least 3 months. If there is pain at 11 or more of the 18 defined trigger points, the condition is defined as fibromyalgia.

Both physical and psychological factors are believed to be involved in the development of chronic pain, and individual differences exist in pain sensitivity and tolerance, making treatment difficult. Read more →

Is compassion a skill that can be perfected, like playing a musical instrument or competing in sports? A study published this spring suggests: Yes. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin assert that cultivating compassion and kindness through learned meditation practices can make a person more empathetic.

Previous studies have pinpointed the insula and anterior congulate cortices in empathetic responses. Researchers recently investigated the voluntary generation of compassion in this neuronal network by asking participants to engage in compassion meditation, and measuring their brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Read more →

We have all heard the old adage before: laughter is the best medicine. But, it might just be among the oldest medicine. In a report published by the University of Wolverhampton, and commissioned by the British television channel Dave, the world’s oldest joke can be traced back to 1900 BC. Not surprisingly, the list of the world’s top 10 oldest jokes includes the ever-popular bathroom humor and much sexual innuendo.

Empirical medical research confirms that people who smile and laugh are generally happy, and people who do not, are not. The benefits of humor and laughter as complementary medicine, as well as just a healthy life practice, are unequivocal. Read more →

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that affects up to 2% of the population. Different neurologists have different criteria for diagnosing someone with epilepsy; some diagnose with as few as two seizures and others wait until there seems to be a clear pattern of seizures. There is also considerable heterogeneity in seizure activity, which makes diagnosis difficult. Once diagnosed, a person will never completely be free from or cured of the diagnosis of epilepsy. People are not free from epilepsy, they are called in partial or full remission if their seizures are well-controlled. Medications and surgery are effective at controlling seizures but they do not always work. If epilepsy is uncontrolled or uncontrollable then people with the disorder are prohibited by law from operating motor vehicles. Read more →

Music not only soothes the savage beast; it heals the critically ill.

A study in Critical Care Medicine evaluated the mechanisms of music-induced relaxation in critically ill patients. The researchers measured blood pressure and heart rate, brain electrical activity, serum levels of stress hormones and cytokines, requirements for sedative drugs, and level of sedation before and after an hour of listening to piano sonatas through headphones. Read more →

Consider three perspectives on domestic violence (DV), or any pattern of violence and crime occurring in a population. One is a basic statistical view. This view answers questions such as, “What percentage of the population experiences DV?” This view can be more refined. It can slice and dice statistics by looking at subgroups like homosexual relationships or people in a given socioeconomic class. It can look at diagnostic categories such as antisocial personality disorder or post traumatic stress disorder. This helps clinicians become sensitized to issues, and have a better idea what questions to ask in developing a plan. It informs social policy experts and program developers. Read more →