Treatment of pain

About my blogs

I discuss topics related to pain management in an accessible way for anyone who wants to know more about this fascinating and poorly understood area of medicine, including healthcare professionals, patients, and students.
My purpose is solely educational and non-profit. While I aim to make the best use of the available scientific evidence, the content of my blogs primarily reflects my personal opinion.

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Corticosteroids can interfere with the natural production of cortisol, a crucial hormone produced by the adrenal glands.

Steroid injections for chronic pain: How do they work (and why they may not)

Steroids are commonly administered via injection to help manage chronic pain. But how do they work, and why do they often seem ineffective?

Michele Curatolo

Aug 64 min read

Pain management in seniors: Is gabapentin a death risk?

Gabapentin may not increase the risk of death when used with opioids, but its safety profile warrants cautious use.

Michele Curatolo

Mar 212 min read

In a groundbreaking development, the FDA has approved Vertex's suzetrigine, an inhibitor of voltage-gated sodium channel 1.8 (NaV1.8), for the treatment of moderate to severe acute pain. This approval marks the introduction of a pain medication to the market in decades, offering a new hope to patients with pain.

A new dawn in pain relief: Suzetrigine gets FDA green light

In a groundbreaking development, the FDA has approved Vertex's suzetrigine for the treatment of moderate to severe acute pain. This...

Michele Curatolo

Feb 243 min read

Muscle relaxants for chronic pain

Muscle relaxants can help manage chronic pain, but not reliably and not in all types of chronic pain.

Michele Curatolo

Jan 243 min read

Gabapentin and pregabalin for pain: overrated and overprescribed?

Gabapentin and pregabalin are likely overprescribed for pain. They offer pain relief in some patients ,but often cause adverse effects.

Michele Curatolo

Dec 12, 20242 min read

One more reason to consider injections for chronic pain

Injections for low back pain may work even if patients know that they are receiving a placebo. What does it mean for pain management?

Michele Curatolo

Oct 9, 20242 min read

Learning about chronic pain can reduce pain

Pain neuroscience education aims to improve the patient's understanding of pain, and can lead to reduced pain and better function.

Michele Curatolo

Jan 24, 20243 min read

What have we achieved after 50 years of pain research?

Achievement of pain research during the last 50 years: many advances in knowledge, still modest benefits for patients.

Michele Curatolo

Nov 1, 20234 min read

Do antidepressants reduce pain or not?

Antidepressants can relieve pain independent of the presence of depression, likely due to their effect on the pain inhibitory system.

Michele Curatolo

Feb 6, 20233 min read

Placebo for pain: from enemy to friend

The placebo effect relies on patient’s expectation that a treatment will help. It is a welcome way to enhance pain relief.

Michele Curatolo

Nov 16, 20223 min read

Does an injury lead to long-term opioid use?

Acute injury rarely results in long-term use of opioids.

Michele Curatolo

Sep 15, 20222 min read

Epidural steroids: Long-term improvement, but ...

Epidural steroid injections in older adults: study with 2-years follow-up shows that patients improve, but unlikely due to the injection.

Michele Curatolo

Jul 20, 20224 min read

Acute back pain after osteoporotic fractures: Which medication?

Acute back pain after osteoporotic vertebral fractures is a public health issue. Choosing a medication that limits harm is challenging.

Michele Curatolo

Jul 6, 20222 min read

Neck pain and headache: Can stem from the C1-2 joint

Pain at the upper neck and headache can stem from the C1-2 joint. Steroid injection or surgery can be effective

Michele Curatolo

Jun 22, 20222 min read

Prognostic nerve blocks: meaningful or meaningless?

Prognostic nerve blocks to predict the effect of a subsequent treatment may be meaningful or not, depending on the nature of the procedure.

Michele Curatolo

May 12, 20224 min read

Improve your sleep, mood and physical function, and you may have less pain

In chronic pain, improvement in sleep, psychological and physical functioning may precede reduction in pain.

Michele Curatolo

Apr 27, 20222 min read

Adding a procedure to current treatment of chronic pain

A recent study used a pragmatic approach to demonstrate that adding a hip injection to current treatment improves pain for 6 months.

Michele Curatolo

Apr 13, 20223 min read

Better nutrition, less pain: Turn your pantry into a potent tool for better health and less pain

"You change your body chemistry each time you eat". Evidence for associations between diet and pain are growing.

Heather Tick

Mar 15, 20224 min read

Why would an anesthetic nerve injection produce long-term pain relief?

Local anesthetics have a short duration of action, so why would they work in chronic pain?

Michele Curatolo

Jan 5, 20224 min read

Opioid escalation after surgery in patients with opioid use disorder

Definition According to the American Psychiatric Association, opioid use disorder is a condition in which there is uncontrolled use of...

Michele Curatolo

Dec 29, 20213 min read

About my blogs

To know about new blogs, you can subscribe here --> Your data will not be shared

Steroid injections for chronic pain: How do they work (and why they may not)

Pain management in seniors: Is gabapentin a death risk?

A new dawn in pain relief: Suzetrigine gets FDA green light

Muscle relaxants for chronic pain

Gabapentin and pregabalin for pain: overrated and overprescribed?

One more reason to consider injections for chronic pain

Learning about chronic pain can reduce pain

What have we achieved after 50 years of pain research?

Do antidepressants reduce pain or not?

Placebo for pain: from enemy to friend

Does an injury lead to long-term opioid use?

Epidural steroids: Long-term improvement, but ...

Acute back pain after osteoporotic fractures: Which medication?

Neck pain and headache: Can stem from the C1-2 joint

Prognostic nerve blocks: meaningful or meaningless?

Improve your sleep, mood and physical function, and you may have less pain

Adding a procedure to current treatment of chronic pain

Better nutrition, less pain: Turn your pantry into a potent tool for better health and less pain

Why would an anesthetic nerve injection produce long-term pain relief?

Opioid escalation after surgery in patients with opioid use disorder

To know about new blogs, you can subscribe here -->
Your data will not be shared