Arthritis Pain, The Brain And The Role Of Emotions
How does the brain process the experience of pain? Thanks to advances in neuroimaging, we now know the answer lies in a network of brain structures called the pain matrix. This matrix contains two parallel systems. The medial pain system processes the emotional aspects of pain, including fear and stress, while the lateral system processes the physical sensations-pain’s intensity, location, and duration. [click link for full article]
Chondroitin, Popular Supplement For Joint Pain, Shows No Benefit
Chondroitin, a dietary supplement used to treat osteoarthritis, is ineffective, a new meta-analysis — a study of published research — finds (Review, p. 580).The authors selected 20 trials comparing chondroitin to placebo or no treatment and found that chondroitin had little effect on knee or hip pain caused by arthritis.Although few adverse side effects were reported, the authors conclude that chondroitin use should “be discouraged. [click link for full article]
