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 since the early 2000s. Relevant new science is added almost daily. I tend an endless to-do list like a garden, and corrections and mea culpas are always the highest priority items. In 2016 I (finally) began logging all updates, mostly so that I could promote them here: a record of everything significant that’s new or changed lately. ~ Paul Ingraham, Publisher
The 15 newest featured articles on PainScience.com (out of 231)
- Cold Laser Therapy » Sep 24, 18
- 💩 Massage Therapists Say » Sep 29, 17
- Dupuytren’s Contracture » Jul 6, 17
- Get in the Pool for Pain » Jan 24, 17
- A Rational Guide to Fibromyalgia » Jan 21, 17
- Cramps, Spasms, Tremors & Twitches » Nov 16, 16
- Science versus Experience in Musculoskeletal Medicine » Nov 9, 16
- Chronic, Subtle, Systemic Inflammation » Sep 8, 16
- The Basic Types of Pain » Aug 29, 16
- Opioids for Chronic Aches & Pains » Jul 16, 16
- When to Worry About Neck Pain…and when not to! » Jul 2, 16
- IT Band Syndrome: Does the iliotibial band move after all? » Jun 30, 16
- What if You Could Wipe the Chronic Pain Slate Clean? » Jun 15, 16
- Trigger Points on Trial » Jun 1, 16
The last 50 updates to featured articles and tutorials (of 1415 total logged updates)
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. Complete update logging started in the summer of 2016. Prior to that, I only logged major updates for the most popular and controversial articles.
hide 12 minor updates
- Toxins, Schmoxins! — Added much more information about real poisons and toxins, plus more specific debunking of some popular detox concepts (sweating it out, ionic footh baths, and Epsom salts). » Sep 25, 18
- Does Epsom Salt Work? — Answered reader questions about using Epsom salts as a hangover cure, and why there are warnings for diabetics on Epsom salts packaging. » Sep 25, 18
- Cramps, Spasms, Tremors & Twitches — Major revisions and more to do on the topic of “spasm,” protective spasm, and pain-spasm-pain vicious cycling. Also, new sections about muscle relaxants and sedatives. » Sep 25, 18
- Are Orthotics Worth It? — Added citation to meta-analysis of custom foot orthoses for the treatment of foot pain. » Sep 23, 18
- Save Yourself from Muscle Strain! — New section, laser therapy — » Sep 23, 18
- Save Yourself from IT Band Syndrome! — New section — Not an important new section, but definitely some interesting extra colur. » Sep 22, 18
- A Rational Guide to Fibromyalgia — Added an exercise strategy tip based on some expert opinion (Lagerman, Booth). » Sep 21, 18
- Trigger Points & Myofascial Pain Syndrome — Science update — Added a citation, a negative review. » Sep 20, 18
- Trigger Points & Myofascial Pain Syndrome — Science update — More thorough citing on the topic of dry needling efficacy… and that is probably the last in a year-long series of updates to this section over 2018. This chapter has been well and truly rebooted. » Sep 20, 18
- Does Cartilage Regeneration Work? — Updated references to CARTICEL and Genyzme to MACI and Vericel, and a bunch of other miscellaneous minor improvements. » Sep 12, 18
- Does Epsom Salt Work? — Substantial, diverse editing of all absorption sections. » Sep 11, 18
- Surprising Causes of Pain — New section: “Claudication: the pain of impaired blood flow.” » Sep 10, 18
- Save Yourself from Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome! — Additions — More detailed summary of the troubles with meniscectomy. » Sep 8, 18
- Central Sensitization in Chronic Pain — Started a transition to a stronger focus on treatment advice. Until now, the article has mainly been about raising awareness, without much tangible treatment advice (which is difficult). But I have begun the process of explaining the treatment options in several new sections. » Sep 6, 18
- Does Epsom Salt Work? — New section, “What are toxins?” with a comparison of poisons and toxins and examples of pollutants and metabolic “wastes.” Important context! » Sep 4, 18
- Does Epsom Salt Work? — New section, “What about sweating? And ionic attraction?” » Sep 1, 18
- Why Drink Water After Massage? — Added an explanation of toxins versus poisons, better examples of toxins, clarifications about the various fates of metabolic products, and more detail about why sweating isn’t excretory/detoxifying. » Sep 1, 18
- Strength Training Surprises — Added an important point about efficacy vs. effectiveness (see Beedie et al and several more examples of adverse effects of strength training. » Aug 31, 18
- Therapy Babble — Added an xkcd comic, plus some other minor improvements. » Aug 29, 18
- Strength Training Surprises — New section: “You can’t go wrong getting strong” … or can you? Some hazards of strength training. » Aug 29, 18
- Extraordinary Health Claims — Article now leads with an anecdote. Some other miscellaneous minor cleanup, especially improved links to other resources. » Aug 29, 18
- Bogus Citations — Added two xkcd comics: “Dubious Study” and “New Study.” This article is now chock-a-block with comics! Probably more comics per square inch than any other page on PainScience.com. » Aug 29, 18
- You Might Just Be Weird — Added os trignum syndrome; added syndactyly; plus some editing and reorganizing. This article is gradually evolving into something more than just a fun a cabinet of curiosities, as I continue to add clinically significant examples of anatomical variation. » Aug 29, 18
- Pain & Injury Survival Tips — New section, “Be aware of sneaky causes of pain.” — » Aug 27, 18
- Surprising Causes of Pain — New section: “Syphilis.” » Aug 26, 18
- Pain is Weird — Cited Stanton, an experiment demonstrating that VR-generated illusions can kill pain effectively, adding to the list of interesting but impractical examples of modifying pain with brain “hacks.” » Aug 26, 18
- Frozen Shoulder Guide — Two new sections: “Stretching for frozen shoulder” and “Strengthening for frozen shoulder.” » Aug 25, 18
- Therapy Babble — Added a small new section about “science crankery.” » Aug 24, 18
- Save Yourself from Plantar Fasciitis! — More detail, relative rest section — Explained in detail how to choose foot-friendly exercises. » Aug 24, 18
- Save Yourself from Plantar Fasciitis! — Addition, differential diagnosis section — Added Os trigonum syndrome, AKA “the nutcracker-phenomenon.” » Aug 24, 18
- Save Yourself from Low Back Pain! — Minor improvements — Discussed potential harms of strength training in a little more detail. » Aug 24, 18
- Surprising Causes of Pain — New section: “Pain with literally no specific cause.” » Aug 22, 18
- A Rational Guide to Fibromyalgia — New section: “Treating spinal cord pinching.” » Aug 21, 18
- Alternative Medicine’s Choice: Alternative to What? — Cited and commented on The Lancet’s excellent editorial calling for “a radical shift of life sciences funding priorities, away from the biomedical bubble.” » Aug 17, 18
- Surprising Causes of Pain — Major reboot and expansion. This is now a much more comprehensive review of possible causes of pain. There’s more to do and suggestions and requests for additions are very welcome. I hope this will become one of the most useful articles on PainScience.com. » Aug 16, 18
- Trigger Points & Myofascial Pain Syndrome — Science update — Analysis of more putative “mechanisms of inaction” as presented in three more papers, one ancient, two new (Melzack, Chou, Cagnie). » Aug 16, 18
- Sports Injury Prevention Tips — Substantive science update, added a bunch about load management based on Soligard. Also merged another article about injury prevention into this one: “Collateral and Re-Injury Prevention” is now a major second part of this article. » Aug 14, 18
- A Historical Perspective On Aches ‘n’ Pains — Revised to properly answered a reader question: “Why is there such ignorance in musculoskeletal medicine?” It was good cynical fun trying to explain. » Aug 9, 18
- A Lump in My Throat — Probably the final status updates to the article. I’ve received several inquiries lately from people wanting to know how am doing with the globus these days. That question is now answered in the final section. » Aug 8, 18
- Save Yourself from Neck Pain! — Complete book edit — Top-to-bottom edit of the book, the first ever. Described in more detail in a blog post. » Aug 3, 18
- Does Posture Correction Matter? — Revision — Widespread editing related to the distinction between poor postural and postural challenge or stress. The section dedicated to that difference was completely re-written, but many other changes were made, mostly to the first few sections where I define my terms. I’ve also corrected the systematic misuse of the term “strain” when I meant “stress” (a technical but important distinction). » Aug 2, 18
- Your Back Is Not Out of Alignment — Science update — Added a key citation Lewis et al and elaborated a little on my recommendations. » Aug 1, 18
- Your Back Is Not Out of Alignment — Science update — Beefed up the description of the alternative to structuralism, and added a new citation and a few old ones. » Aug 1, 18
- Save Yourself from Neck Pain! — Minor update — Added the revelation that literally all of the very weak studies supporting DCF training are probably fraudulent. » Aug 1, 18
- Voltaren® Gel Review — Added a small section about the safety of long-term regular use. » Jul 28, 18
- The Unstretchables — Significant revision of the introduction: the article now gets to the main point way faster, and a bunch of peripheral controversies about stretching are now left out, so they don’t freak readers out so much that they stop reading before getting to the main point. I have other articles for that. » Jul 25, 18
- Trigger Points & Myofascial Pain Syndrome — New section — A new standard chapter for most PainScience.com tutorials summarizing several key concepts about placebo. » Jul 25, 18
- Save Yourself from Shin Splints! — New section — A new standard chapter for most PainScience.com tutorials summarizing several key concepts about placebo. » Jul 25, 18
- Save Yourself from Plantar Fasciitis! — New section — A new standard chapter for most PainScience.com tutorials summarizing several key concepts about placebo. » Jul 25, 18
- Save Yourself from Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome! — New section — A new standard chapter for most PainScience.com tutorials summarizing several key concepts about placebo. » Jul 25, 18
The last 20 blog posts
- Doctors are not scientists » Sep 24, 18
- England’s surgery purge » Sep 19, 18
- A low back problem or a pain problem? » Sep 19, 18
- Massage for back pain: an interesting scientific flip-flop » Sep 19, 18
- Mostly goodbye, Twitter! » Sep 18, 18
- Misdiagnosed for 35 years » Sep 13, 18
- Neuropsychological humility » Sep 10, 18
- Pain with surprising causes, or literally no specific cause at all » Sep 10, 18
- Science cranks » Sep 4, 18
- “Why would he mislead people like that?” » Sep 4, 18
- Mechanisms of inaction » Aug 30, 18
- Key concepts about placebo I wish every reader understood » Aug 27, 18
- The double-edge sword of patient empowerment » Aug 25, 18
- A radical shift away from the biomedical bubble » Aug 17, 18
- Taking out the trash: purging predatory journals from my bibliography » Aug 15, 18
- Zero-G and spines » Aug 13, 18
- Why is musculoskeletal medicine such a mess? » Aug 10, 18
- Big neck pain book edit » Aug 10, 18
- One final lumpy update » Aug 10, 18
- Your money, your life: how Google ranks webpages that matter » Aug 8, 18
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, and the pages for those papers are like blog posts about them.
- Physical Activity as a Determinant of Successful Aging over Ten Years. Gopinath et al., 2018, Sci Rep. » added Aug 30, 18
- When Chronic Pain Is Not "Chronic Pain": Lessons From 3 Decades of Pain. Taylor et al., 2017, J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. » added Jul 8, 18
- Determining the contribution of active stiffness to reduced range of motion in frozen shoulder. Hollmann et al., 2015, Physiotherapy. » added Jun 19, 18
- An Evidence-Based Approach for Choosing Post-exercise Recovery Techniques to Reduce Markers of Muscle Damage, Soreness, Fatigue, and Inflammation: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis. Dupuy et al., 2018, Front Physiol. » added May 23, 18
- The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Lauersen et al., 2014, Br J Sports Med. » added May 15, 18
- Acupuncture for Chronic Pain: Update of an Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis. Vickers et al., 2017, J Pain. » added Apr 17, 18
- Red Flags for Low Back Pain Are Not Always Really Red: A Prospective Evaluation of the Clinical Utility of Commonly Used Screening Questions for Low Back Pain. Premkumar et al., 2018, J Bone Joint Surg Am. » added Mar 10, 18
- The efficacy of radial extracorporeal shockwave therapy in shoulder adhesive capsulitis: a prospective, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study. Hussein et al., 2016, European Journal of Physiotherapy. » added Mar 1, 18
- Is the rationale more important than deception? A randomized controlled trial of open-label placebo analgesia. Locher et al., 2017, Pain. » added Dec 11, 17
- The effectiveness of a neck and shoulder stretching exercise program among office workers with neck pain: a randomized controlled trial. Tunwattanapong et al., 2016, Clin Rehabil. » added Dec 2, 17
- Subgrouping Patients With Nonspecific Low Back Pain: Hope or Hype? Saragiotto et al., 2017, J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. » added Nov 13, 17
- The relationships between low back pain and lumbar lordosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Chun et al., 2017, Spine J. » added Nov 1, 17
- A fundamental critique of the fascial distortion model and its application in clinical practice. Thalhamer et al., 2017, Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. » added Oct 31, 17
- Clinical evidence for cervical myelopathy due to Chiari malformation and spinal stenosis in a non-randomized group of patients with the diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Heffez et al., 2004, Eur Spine J. » added Oct 27, 17
- The relationship between latent trigger point and muscle strength in healthy subjects: a double-blind study. Celik et al., 2011, J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil. » added Oct 5, 17
- Increased pain from muscle fascia following eccentric exercise: animal and human findings. Gibson et al., 2009, Exp Brain Res. » added Oct 4, 17
- Effect of stretching on thoracolumbar fascia injury and movement restriction in a porcine model. Langevin et al., 2017, Am J Phys Med Rehabil. » added Oct 2, 17
- The effect of heat on skin permeability. Park et al., 2008, Int J Pharm. » added Sep 27, 17
- Exercise induced hypoalgesia is elicited by isometric, but not aerobic exercise in individuals with chronic whiplash associated disorders. Smith et al., 2017, Scand J Pain. » added Sep 13, 17
- Adverse events associated with unblinded, but not with blinded, statin therapy in the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial-Lipid-Lowering Arm (ASCOT-LLA): a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial and its non-randomised non-blind extension phase. Gupta et al., 2017, Lancet. » added Sep 13, 17
