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Within Normal Limits of Reason
Pain medicine & computational biology by Dr. Ming Kao
Frameworks
Neuroscience
Centralized Pain
Headache & Facial Pain
Sympathetic & CRPS
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Office stretches for less pain
Office stretches for less pain
People working long hours at desks & under stressful conditions often develop headaches, hand numbness, pain of the neck, upper back, and…
Dr. Ming Kao
Jul 21, 2019
Desensitization for neuropathic pain
Desensitization for neuropathic pain
Because pain is so deeply wired in the brain as a danger signal, patients with pain often avoid touching or using painful areas. However…
Dr. Ming Kao
Jul 19, 2019
Low-impact exercises for pain
Low-impact exercises for pain
Patients struggling with chronic pain find it difficult to engage in exercises. Yet research shows that physical activities is one of the…
Dr. Ming Kao
Mar 25, 2019
Sleep & pain
Sleep & pain
Sleep is a key contributor to chronic pain. Impaired sleep worsens pain, which in turn prevents patients from getting restful sleep. When…
Dr. Ming Kao
Mar 17, 2019
Pelvic pain
Pelvic pain
Pain around the vagina, penis, anus, & buttock are often experienced by patients but seldom reported. Patients should know that this is a…
Dr. Ming Kao
Mar 11, 2019
Ultrasound-guided pain interventions of the neck: Stellate ganglion block
Dr. Ming Kao
Mar 7, 2019
Ultrasound-guided pain interventions of the neck: Scalene view
Dr. Ming Kao
Mar 7, 2019
Gabapentinoids for pain
Gabapentinoids for pain
For chronic pain conditions, gabapentinoids (gabapentin & pregabalin) are often first-line treatments because of their effectiveness &…
Dr. Ming Kao
Mar 3, 2019
Anti-CGRP therapy for migraine
Anti-CGRP therapy for migraine
CGRP plays a key role in central chronic pain by mediating “neurogenic inflammation”. In this process, sensory nerves which usually carry…
Dr. Ming Kao
Feb 26, 2019
Whiplash
Whiplash
A chronic neck pain & headache following rear-ending car accidents, whiplash is often due to widespread minor injuries to neck muscles &…
Dr. Ming Kao
Feb 18, 2019
Brachial & lumbosacral plexus
While spinal nerve impingement can cause shooting arm or leg pain, many patients have instead pain from nerve entrapments. Common…
Dr. Ming Kao
Feb 12, 2019
Drug-herb-gene CYP2D6 interactions
Drug-herb-gene CYP2D6 interactions
Several pain medications require the liver enzyme CYP2D6 to become active. But some herbal supplements & medications can interfere with…
Dr. Ming Kao
Feb 10, 2019
Drug-herb-gene CYP3A4 interactions
Drug-herb-gene CYP3A4 interactions
The liver enzyme CYP3A4 is the key body mechanism for metabolizing pain medications. Patients who take pain medications must be aware that…
Dr. Ming Kao
Feb 10, 2019
National Pain Strategy
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services convened a panel of national experts in pain management which crafted a comprehensive…
Dr. Ming Kao
Feb 6, 2019
Pain medicine
Pain medicine
The medical specialty of Pain treats chronic pain using interventions & interdisciplinary care.
Dr. Ming Kao
Jan 26, 2019
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia
Patients with fibromyalgia experience chronic, diffuse pain across the body, due to exquisitely sensitivity of the brain & spinal cord…
Dr. Ming Kao
Jan 22, 2019
Diet & pain
Diet & pain
The science of diet is complex & always evolving. The reality is that many patients with pain show profound improvements after adopting…
Dr. Ming Kao
Jan 19, 2019
Lumbar radiculopathy
Lumbar radiculopathy
The vertebrae, which protect the spinal cord and spinal nerves, through daily activities experience normal wear-and-tear. Sometimes this…
Dr. Ming Kao
Jan 12, 2019
Cervical radiculopathy
Cervical radiculopathy
The vertebrae, which protect the spinal cord and spinal nerves, through daily activities experience normal wear-and-tear. Sometimes this…
Dr. Ming Kao
Jan 7, 2019
Lumbar facet arthropathy
Lumbar facet arthropathy
Axial low back pain is often due to arthritic pain of spine facet joints, which sustain wear-and-tear from daily activities. The joints…
Dr. Ming Kao
Jan 6, 2019
Treating pain at nerve-body interface
Treating pain at nerve-body interface
Small sensory nerves throughout the body gather information & interact with the body directly.
Dr. Ming Kao
Dec 22, 2018
Stylohyoid (Eagle’s) syndrome
Stylohyoid (Eagle’s) syndrome
Entrapment of nerves by the “stylohyoid complex” is an uncommon cause of neuropathic jaw & neck pain. This can be due to congenitally long…
Dr. Ming Kao
Dec 21, 2018
Breaking the cycles of pain
Breaking the cycles of pain
Patients with pain often feel that pain causes more pain. Pain is persistent and many treatments that seem at first effective stop working…
Dr. Ming Kao
Nov 30, 2018
Activating the brainstem to treat pain
Activating the brainstem to treat pain
Dr. Ming Kao
Nov 15, 2018
Medication overuse headache
Medication overuse headache
Headache medications taken too regularly can paradoxically cause a new headache, called medication overuse headache (MOH), that is…
Dr. Ming Kao
Oct 28, 2018
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