Blogs | Michele Curatolo

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 still poorly understood area of medicine, including health care professionals, patients, and students.

My purpose is solely educational and non-profit. While I aim to make best use of the available scientific evidence, the content of the blogs reflect primarily my personal opinion.

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Exercise for chronic pain: when patients and health care professionals are not on the same page

Michele Curatolo

Apr 6, 2022
3 min

Exercise for chronic pain: when patients and health care professionals are not on the same page

Many patients with chronic pain decline therapeutic exercise because it increases pain. Is pain relief the right treatment goal?

151 views0 comments

The confusion around "diagnostic" nerve blocks for chronic pain

Michele Curatolo

Mar 23, 2022
4 min

The confusion around "diagnostic" nerve blocks for chronic pain

A patient becomes pain-free after anesthetizing a nerve: does it tell us where the pain comes from?

984 views0 comments

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

Heather Tick

Mar 15, 2022
4 min

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.

170 views0 comments

Therapeutic nerve blocks for chronic pain: An unexplored potential

Michele Curatolo

Mar 4, 2022
4 min

Therapeutic nerve blocks for chronic pain: An unexplored potential

Placebo-controlled studies are unsuited to study therapeutic nerve blocks for chronic pain. More feasible research models are available.

317 views0 comments

What does local tenderness say about the origin of pain?

Michele Curatolo

Feb 23, 2022
3 min

What does local tenderness say about the origin of pain?

Tenderness evoked by pressure is typically interpreted as a sign of injury causing pain. However, it is of very limited diagnostic value.

353 views0 comments

Pain from multiple body areas: when arithmetics doesn't work

Michele Curatolo

Feb 9, 2022
2 min

Pain from multiple body areas: when arithmetics doesn't work

Pain from multiple body sites is frequently highly disabling. 1+1+1 is more than 3. Why, and what can we do?

90 views0 comments

How blood and urine metabolites could help understand chronic pain

Michele Curatolo

Feb 2, 2022
3 min

How blood and urine metabolites could help understand chronic pain

We need to understand better chronic pain at individual level. The study of metabolites (metabolomics) is a promising perspective.

99 views0 comments

Why we shouldn't care much about x-ray and MRI for back pain

Michele Curatolo

Jan 26, 2022
3 min

Why we shouldn't care much about x-ray and MRI for back pain

X-ray and MRI for back pain are over-valued. Frequently, they do not contribute to the diagnosis and may mislead treatment.

481 views0 comments

Is psychosocial distress a contraindication to pain procedures?

Michele Curatolo

Jan 19, 2022
3 min

Is psychosocial distress a contraindication to pain procedures?

The challenges of considering procedures for chronic pain in patients with psychosocial distress.

135 views0 comments

Is "chronic pain" a diagnosis? Yes and no.

Michele Curatolo

Jan 11, 2022
3 min

Is "chronic pain" a diagnosis? Yes and no.

We need to translate the complexity and heterogeneity of chronic pain into meaningful diagnoses.

183 views0 comments

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

Michele Curatolo

Jan 5, 2022
4 min

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?

752 views0 comments

Opioid escalation after surgery in patients with opioid use disorder

Michele Curatolo

Dec 29, 2021
3 min

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...

234 views0 comments

Michele Curatolo

Dec 22, 2021
3 min

Muscle pain: Where does it come from?

Muscles can be a source of pain Everyone, at a certain point of their life, has felt pain in their muscles, and some have muscle pain...

195 views0 comments

When patients with chronic pain want a procedure, but doctors do not recommend it

Michele Curatolo

Dec 15, 2021
3 min

When patients with chronic pain want a procedure, but doctors do not recommend it

Not an uncommon situation that can cause disappointment, frustration, and even anger.

277 views0 comments

Michele Curatolo

Dec 8, 2021
3 min

Pain Sensitivity: What is it?

Pain sensitivity has a complex nature. Its understanding will be crucial to better treat patients with pain.

287 views0 comments

About my blogs

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

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