Pain Archive

How to distinguish the symptoms from other conditions, and what to do about treatment.

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When your joints ache, you may chalk it up to an old injury or to osteoarthritis — the wearing away of cartilage that's common in older age. But for two million people in the United States, aching joints are caused by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) — when the immune system mistakenly attacks the tissues lining the joints.

"People commonly assume RA pain is due to aging, overuse, or even the flu," says Dr. Robert Shmerling, a rheumatologist at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and medical editor of the Harvard Special Health Report Rheumatoid Arthritis (health.harvard.edu/RA).

Ask the doctor

Q. I suffer from recurrent canker sores. What is the best way to treat and prevent these mouth ulcers?

A. Canker sores, also known as aphthous ulcers, are small ulcers that appear on the inside of your cheeks and lips and sometimes on or under your tongue. They should not be confused with cold sores (fever blisters), which are due to a herpes simplex virus.

Some doctors are more likely to prescribe opioids to their patients, and those patients are more likely to end up taking them long-term. It's crucial for consumers to educate themselves about the risks of taking opiates, and to consider alternatives if possible.

Author and migraine sufferer Joan Didion once wrote, "That no one dies of migraine seems, to someone deep into an attack, an ambiguous blessing." At that time, migraines weren't something that could be prevented. Today, that's a possibility for some people who have severe migraines, frequent migraines (more than three or four times a month), or migraines that don't respond well to treatment.

The cornerstone of migraine prevention is managing triggers like stress or certain foods or strong perfumes. Alternative and complementary therapies (like acupuncture) help some migraine sufferers keep headaches at bay.

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A simple x-ray may be a better and cheaper way to diagnose knee arthritis than an MRI, according to researchers. X-rays are also cheaper than MRIs and quicker to perform. 

Shoulder pain appears to be associated with risk factors for heart disease. Researchers found that people with the most heart disease risk factors, like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes, were almost five times more likely to also have shoulder trouble. 

When the risks of medication outweigh the benefits.

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Taking over-the-counter or prescription painkillers may seem like a simple solution for chronic pain. It's actually a bit more complicated, yet many older adults aren't aware of potential problems. "They think that if it doesn't require a prescription, it's safe. But there are some long-term health risks," says Dr. Edgar Ross, director of the Pain Management Center at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Here's what you should know about some commonly used pain relievers.