Lumbar epidural steroid injections (LESIs) remain a popular minimally invasive option to reduce nerve-root inflammation and buy time before—or instead of—surgery. A 2025 narrative review published in Cureus by Soin et al. synthesized the latest evidence on LESIs’ real-world performance from 2020 to 2025. The authors concluded that LESIs function

Shoulder abnormalities, such as osteoarthritis and rotator cuff tears, do not always mean they are the primary cause of shoulder pain. A 2024 systematic review published in Osteoarthritis & Cartilage found 30% to 75% of the general population with such shoulder abnormalities are asymptomatic. Although researchers Ibounig et al. wrote

For 50 million Americans living with chronic pain—whether nagging back pain from desk work or the deep ache of fibromyalgia—this uninvited guest controls thoughts, tightens muscles, robs energy and relationships, and turns simple joys like a park walk into dreaded chores. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) offers a way to turn

If you had spent many hours on your phone or computer, you may have heard warnings about forward head posture. Some clinicians and fitness trainers claim on social media that forward head may damage your neck and spine and is the primary cause of migraines.  Does scientific evidence support this

A 2025 systematic review published in the European Journal of Physiotherapy reported that pain neuroscience education may reduce chronic neck pain compared with other therapies. Based on seven randomized-controlled trials with a total of 11 interventions and 422 people, the researchers found pain education groups “showed effectiveness” for kinesiophobia, fear

  If you have bumped your elbow against a table, you probably have instinctively massaged your elbow to reduce the pain. But why do you feel less pain when you rub it? And speaking of rubbing, why do many people tend to get short-term pain relief after a massage session?

Could being overweight increase the risk of having chronic pain? Some researchers think so. A 2025 study published in The Journal of Pain found that people ages 50 and up with chronic pain have also experienced “greater discrimination than people without pain in a community-based sample.”  The researchers wrote that

People in pain are more like to report more frequent perceived discrimination than those without pain, according to a 2022 study published in Pain. (Photo by Mike Jones)A 2022 study of 5,871 people in England found those with pain “are more likely to report discrimination than those without pain, and