Detailed guides to painful problems, treatments & more

What’s New on PainScience.com?

New featured articles, updates to articles, recent blog posts, and noteworthy new scientific papers

I have been expanding and upgrading this website for 20 years now, and full-time since 2010. Useful new references are added almost daily. I am always working on an endless list of improvements, and corrections and mea culpas are always the highest priority items. This page lists everything that’s new or changed lately … or just Google for content that’s new in the last month or year. ~ Paul Ingraham, PainSci Publisher

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The 10 newest featured articles on PainScience.com (out of 240)

  1. Bone on Bone » Jun 2024
  2. DMSO for Pain » Jun 2024
  3. Manual Therapy: What is it, and does it work? » Jan 2024
  4. Reluctantly Reconsidering RESTORE » Dec 2023
  5. Whole Body Cryotherapy for Pain » Nov 2023
  6. Does Pandiculation “Reset” Muscle Tone? » Jan 2023
  7. The Double-Edged Sword of Imaging to Diagnose Pain » Mar 2022
  8. The Tibiofibular Joint and Knee Pain » Feb 2022
  9. Ozone Therapy for Pain » Dec 2021

The last 60 updates to featured articles and tutorials

Like good footnotes, update logging sets PainScience.com apart from most other health websites and blogs. It’s fine print, but important fine print, in the same spirit of transparency as the editing history available for Wikipedia pages. I log any change to articles that might be of interest to a keen reader.

Current Update Stats — 60 updates to 32 articles & books in 143 days, breaking down into 19 major updates, 18 medium, 23 minor. That’s about every other day in recent history; there have been 1862 updates since comprehensive logging started in mid-2016 ?Comprehensive update logging started in the summer of 2016. Prior to that, I only logged major updates for the most popular and controversial articles. (an all-time rate of about every other day) … plus very roughly ten thousand more since the early 2000s. See the complete update archives.

showing of 60 recent updates

LJul 5The Complete Guide to Low Back Pain — Major update, overview of professional help options — This intro to “getting professional help” contains a bunch of thumbnail sketches of treatment options that are review in more detail later on. They were all quite overdue for updates and revision. Half of them said things I stopped believing years ago! I also added chapter links, making the section into high quality annotated table of contents for this whole part of the book.
LJul 3The Complete Guide to Low Back Pain — New section.
SJun 28Mind Over Pain — Improvements, master list of all mind-over-pain topics — Added an significant footnote about pseudoscientific abuses of the concept of “neurplasticity.”
MJun 28Cramps, Spasms, Tremors & Twitches — Added information about myotonometry — better late than never, after being strangely unaware of it for my entire career (which is now getting long). There is now a fairly substantial footnote about it, and I’m certainly interesting in learn and writing more about it … now that I know it exists. 😜
SJun 2638 Surprising Causes of Pain — Clarified information about channelopathies and added information about small fibre neuropathy.
LJun 26Modality Empires — New section: “A very modern example: Cognitive Functional Therapy training now for sale.”
LJun 23Placebo Power Hype — Finally I’ve addressed the question of the power of pill-colour. No, it probably does not amplify placebo. It’s old idea is based entirely on old, thin, clearly inconclusive research.
MJun 22Mind Over Pain — Improvements — Several more upgrades and additions! In particular, I added some of the major mind-over-pain brands. It almost seems like the more I do with this list, the more I realize I still need to do. There's got to be an end! Right? Surely…
SJun 22Mind Over Pain — Editing — A bunch of minor improvements throughout the whole article.
LJun 21Chronic Pain as a Conditioned Response — Another wave of improvements, this time focusing on the evidence review. Updated and expanded audio version covering the whole first half of the article, rather than just a couple key sections.
MJun 20Placebo Power Hype — Numerous clarifications and refinements, most obviously a new list of myths about placebo at the beginning of the article. That also partly serves as a table of contents, which has gotten needful as the article has expanded over the last couple years.
SJun 19Mind Over Pain — Improvements, master list of all mind-over-pain topics — A batch of minor upgrades and additions.
LJun 18Chronic Pain as a Conditioned Response — Substantial revision, adding many details, nuances, and fresh scientific perspective. Most notably, there is now a thorough review of the reasons that believe believe pain can be conditioned.
MJun 18Mind Over Pain — Science update, introduction — Added a footnote and citation about Craig’s 2003 “pain as a homeostatic emotion” hypothesis, plus some related commentary on the role of emotions and suffering in pain.
SJun 12Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Chronic Pain — Science update: added a footnote and citation about Craig’s 2003 “pain as a homeostatic emotion” hypothesis.
MJun 2Use the Force! The myth of healing energy in massage and bodywork — Added a new section, “The Dark Side of the Force: electrosensitivity.”
SMay 29Whole Body Cryotherapy for Pain — Science updated: added a citation to Wellauer, a thoroughly negative study of ice baths for exercise recovery in women.
LMay 23Psoas, So What? — New section: “All muscles matter.”
SMay 16The Complete Guide to Low Back Pain — News, Cognitive Functional Therapy chapter — Noted that CFT training is now for sale, and added a substantive footnote explaining “what could possibly go wrong.”
SMay 15Reluctantly Reconsidering RESTORE — Noted that CFT training is now for sale, and slightly adjusted the conclusion summary.
MMay 12The Complete Guide to Low Back Pain — Science update, overview of treatments — It took years, but there was finally enough good quality new science to update the introduction to all treatment options for back pain — mostly thanks to Cashin et al. on the manual therapies, and Wang et al. on the medical (injections etc). Now, if only we could get some decent placebo-controlled trials of microdiscectomy…
MMay 10Zapped! Does TENS work for pain? — Added sidebar: “Do people really still use TENS? Do professionals? Oh, hell yes.”
MMay 8The Complete Guide to Neck Pain & Cricks — Improvements, physical exam chapter — Extensive improvements and refinements following up on the February re-write, and after sharing the excerpted chapter with members (which always pushes me to polish content to a particularly high shine).
MMay 8The Complete Guide to Low Back Pain — Upgraded, physical exam chapter — Extensive improvements and refinements following up on the February re-write, and after sharing the excerpted chapter with members (which always pushes me to polish content to a particularly high shine).
MMay 3DMSO for Pain — Answered a reader question: “NSAIDs and opioids kill tens of thousands of people per year. DMSO is surely safer than that. So why shouldn’t we use DMSO?”
SMay 1Chronic Pain and Inequality — Science update, cited Boring to support “sexism linked to higher pain interference in women,” which harmonizes nicely with Jin.
LApr 25The Complete Guide to Neck Pain & Cricks — Major science update, blocking/burning treatments — After years of underwhelming and mixed evidence, a new 2025 review has concluded that spinal injections and nerve ablations are collectively very unimpressive … and the doctors have responded with demands for retraction of the evidence. It’s not a good look.
LApr 25The Complete Guide to Low Back Pain — Major science update, blocking/burning treatments — After years of underwhelming and mixed evidence, a new 2025 review has concluded that spinal injections and nerve ablations are collectively very unimpressive … and the doctors have responded with demands for retraction of the evidence. It’s not a good look.
MApr 23Mind Over Pain — Modernization, intro — This article's introduction just got its first ever change of tune, reflecting my escalating doubts that mind-over-pain is possible, and concerns about the science that idea is allegedly based on.
MApr 22Insurance Is Not Evidence — This article just got its first-ever substantive update. After being largely ignored for years, suddenly it seemed obvious that more could and should be written — and so it was. A small update relative to others on the site, but big for this little article. In particular, I wanted to point out that insurers are motivated by the relative bargain of paying many ineffective treatments.
LApr 12Vulnerability to Chronic Pain — Added a new section, “Is chronic pain a lifestyle problem?”
MApr 10Neuropathies Are Overdiagnosed — Significant upgrades to the summary of anticonvulsants: “Adding insult to injury: anticonvulsants for neuropathy are perfidious.”
SApr 1A Rational Guide to Fibromyalgia — Editing, sensitization — Small but important modernization and clarification edits.
LMar 28Does Massage Therapy Work? — Added member area, massage for fibromyalgia — This section has gotten some substantial upgrading and editorial massaging, and is now set aside for members only.
LMar 27Does Posture Matter? — New member area — Four of the nerdier and more digressive sections of the article have now been set aside for members only.
SMar 27Reluctantly Reconsidering RESTORE — Added a footnote about how a CFT trial could be placebo-controlled.
SMar 26Science versus Experience in Musculoskeletal Medicine — Minor editing, sanding down some rough edges from the last update.
LMar 26Most Pain Treatments Damned With Faint Praise — Added a new section, “Why those positive studies aren’t good enough,” significantly clarifying the purpose of the article. (Yeah, funny how that can happen with a 15-year old article.)
SMar 23Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Chronic Pain — A few overdue pro-ACT changes.
SMar 22The Trouble with Chairs — Some improvements to the presentation of a key citation, Gupta. I confirmed a lack of any important new evidence.
MMar 22The Complete Guide to Low Back Pain — Revision, sitting and back pain — More and clearer detail, but no substantive changes — the chapter still says essentially the same thing, but better. I confirmed a lack of any important new evidence.
SMar 17Popular but Weird & Dangerous Cures — Added vitamin/supplement overdosing. I had a real facepalm moment when I realized it wasn't already here. I think it might actually be one of the very best all-time examples of a popular-but-dangerous treatment! Ah well, better late than never.
SMar 17Chronic Pain as a Conditioned Response — Editing, minor improvement of a key point.
LMar 15Science versus Experience in Musculoskeletal Medicine — A significantly upgraded section (“What if there’s new, positive evidence? What then? Unfortunately, new “positive” studies rarely change the bottom line”) plus a new section (“A classic example of a revenge citation: massage for exercise soreness.”)
MMar 13Zapped! Does TENS work for pain? — Short new section about microcurrent therapy.
SMar 11The Complete Guide to Trigger Points & Myofascial Pain — New case study, B12 deficiency — Added a plausible, interesting story about treating widespread chronic pain with B12.
SMar 10Massage Therapy for Bruxism, Jaw Clenching, and TMJ Syndrome — Added a bit more information about my own own experiences with this kind of pain, and a link to much more information in a recent blog post.
SMar 10The Complete Guide to Low Back Pain — New topic, laser therapy — Added another treatment to the “Hall of Shame” chapter: laser therapy.
LMar 6The Complete Guide to Trigger Points & Myofascial Pain — New chapter, 2 case studies about mouth/jaw pain.
MMar 1You’re Really Tight — Two new sections, inspired by discussions with readers: “Patients seek validation from massage therapists” and “So what should therapists say about tissue texture?”
SFeb 25You’re Really Tight — Minor editing.
MFeb 21Does Ultrasound or Shockwave Therapy Work? — Science update. Added two new citations to the shockwave evidence review, and more polish and details for the ones that were already there.
LFeb 19The Complete Guide to Neck Pain & Cricks — New chapter, medical testing — A significant new overview of medical testing for specific causes of back pain, one of those “basic” topics that was missing from the original, quirkier version of the book for too many years. This is a good step towards rounding it out and making it a more complete guide to the topic for a wider range of readers.
LFeb 19The Complete Guide to Neck Pain & Cricks — New chapter, physical exam reliability — Major new chapter, adding much more detail (2800 words!) about the art and science of diagnosing specific causes of neck pain with a physical examination.
LFeb 19The Complete Guide to Low Back Pain — New chapter, medical testing — A significant new overview of medical testing for specific causes of back pain, one of those “basic” topics that was missing from the original, quirkier version of the book for too many years. This is a good step towards rounding it out and making it a more complete guide to the topic for a wider range of readers.
LFeb 19The Complete Guide to Low Back Pain — Rewritten, physical exam chapter — Major chapter overhaul and expansion. There is now much more detail (2800 words!) about the art and science of diagnosing specific causes of back pain with a physical examination.
SFeb 16DMSO for Pain — Minor editing and polishing (although it always amazes me how many little problems I can find in an article I thought I “finished”).
SFeb 15Does Ultrasound or Shockwave Therapy Work? — Added a small sidebar about TECAR therapy (diathermy), which is identical to ultrasound in principle.
SFeb 15The Pressure Question in Massage Therapy — Updated my thoughts on somatoemotional release.
MFeb 15Cold Laser Therapy Reviewed — Miscellaneous upgrades, including an audio version of part of the article.

The last 20 blog posts

Blog posts are smaller and more ephemeral than the articles in PainSci’s main library. I blog about many topics as I work on books and permanent articles. There are 1252 posts dating back to 2010.

  1. It’s the pacing » Jul 8, 25
  2. A muscle tone measuring gadget » Jul 5, 25
  3. AMG0103 rescues spinal discs in preliminary drug trial 🔈 » Jun 27, 25
  4. Menopause and pain, hormones and exercise: a beginning 🔈 » Jun 26, 25
  5. Can pain be learned? A major update 🔈 » Jun 21, 25
  6. Pain as a homeostatic … emotion? (Member Post) 🔈 » Jun 11, 25
  7. Citation check for “exercise is good for chronic pain” 🔈 » Jun 10, 25
  8. Massage clients want to hear how “tight” they are » Jun 3, 25
  9. People who move less may not just be lazy! » Jun 3, 25
  10. 3 ultimate causes for excessive pain » May 29, 25
  11. Less iron, more pain…eventually » May 27, 25
  12. More muscle = better recovery from surgery » May 22, 25
  13. Robot runners » May 20, 25
  14. Cognitive Functional Therapy training now for sale » May 15, 25
  15. Project Try Everything: some actual good news for once » May 13, 25
  16. More shockwave doubts » May 12, 25
  17. Diagnose, schmiagnose! Physical exam accuracy for back pain is poor (Member Post) 🔈 » May 6, 25
  18. A scar on history » May 2, 25
  19. Block and burn for backs and necks bombs a big test, doctors bluster 🔈 » Apr 25, 25
  20. Futile non-surgical options » Apr 21, 25

The last 20 bibliography items with beefier summaries

Many scientific papers added to the bibliography are boring and utilitarian, but some are much more interesting, like small blog posts about the science — like the recent highlights are listed here. The are roughly 4000 more items in the whole bibliography, ~800 of them more substantively annotated.

  1. Restoring trust in menopause management: menopause hormone therapy is not a panacea, and physical activity remains a critical intervention. Tulloh et al., 2025, Br J Sports Med. » added Jun 2025
  2. No acceleration of recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage after cold or hot water immersion in women: A randomised controlled trial. Wellauer et al., 2025, PLoS One. » added May 2025
  3. Transient perceived back pain induced by prolonged sitting in a backless office chair: are biomechanical factors involved? Greene et al., 2019, Ergonomics. » added May 2025
  4. NF-kappa B Oligo DNA Decoy Provides 12 Months of Pain Relief and Disc Height Restoration for Patients with Chronic Discogenic Low Back Pain - a Randomized Clinical Trial. Bruder et al., 2025, Spine J. » added Apr 2025
  5. Commonly used interventional procedures for non-cancer chronic spine pain: a clinical practice guideline. Busse et al., 2025, BMJ. » added Apr 2025
  6. Common interventional procedures for chronic non-cancer spine pain: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised trials. Wang et al., 2025, BMJ. » added Apr 2025
  7. Analgesic effects of non-surgical and non-interventional treatments for low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of placebo-controlled randomised trials. Cashin et al., 2025, BMJ Evid Based Med. » added Mar 2025
  8. Contextual effects in musculoskeletal pain: are we overlooking essential factors? Poulter et al., 2025, Frontiers in Psychology. » added Feb 2025
  9. A malevolent force: A qualitative exploration of perceptions of changes in bodily function and sensations in complex regional pain syndrome. Waring et al., 2025, J Pain. » added Feb 2025
  10. Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy as an Adjunctive Therapy for Frozen Shoulder: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Zhang et al., 2022, Orthop J Sports Med. » added Feb 2025
  11. A new view of pain as a homeostatic emotion. Craig et al., 2003, Trends Neurosci. » added Feb 2025
  12. Neurological examination of the peripheral nervous system to diagnose lumbar spinal disc herniation with suspected radiculopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nezari et al., 2013, Spine J. » added Feb 2025
  13. Trigeminal nerve microstructure is linked with neuroinflammation and brainstem activity in migraine. Tohyama et al., 2025, Brain. » added Feb 2025
  14. Preoperative Physical Therapy is Associated With Decreased Length of Stay and Improved Postoperative Mobility in Patients With Sarcopenia Undergoing Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery. Hirase et al., 2024, Spine (Phila Pa 1976). » added Jan 2025
  15. The Effectiveness of Spinal Manipulative Therapy in Treating Spinal Pain Does Not Depend on the Application Procedures: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis. Nim et al., 2025, J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. » added Jan 2025
  16. Gabapentinoids and Risk of Hip Fracture. Leung et al., 2024, JAMA Netw Open. » added Jan 2025
  17. Assessment of the degree of pelvic tilt within a normal asymptomatic population. Herrington et al., 2011, Man Ther. » added Jan 2025
  18. Classical Conditioning Fails to Elicit Allodynia in an Experimental Study with Healthy Humans. Madden et al., 2017, Pain Med. » added Jan 2025
  19. Does shockwave therapy lead to better pain and function than sham over 12 weeks in people with insertional Achilles tendinopathy? A randomised controlled trial. Alsulaimani et al., 2024, Clin Rehabil. » added Dec 2024
  20. The Role of Extracorporeal Shockwave Treatment in Musculoskeletal Disorders. Moya et al., 2018, J Bone Joint Surg Am. » added Dec 2024
Salamander logo, marking the end of the article.

What’s new on this page about new stuff?

Ironically, I’ve actually updated this page quite a few times without logging the change. 😜

2023 — An update to the updates page?! It’s so meta! It’s not going to happen often, but I just finished improving the whole update-logging system in several ways. Most of the upgrades are "under the hood," but there is now much better filtering for the update list, and the foundations have been laid for more improvements in the future.

2016 — Publication.

PainSci Member Login » Submit your email to unlock member content. If you can’t remember/access your registration email, please contact me. ~ Paul Ingraham, PainSci Publisher