24 secrets pain doctors won’t tell you

We spoke to some of the top pain specialists around the country (see the ‘Sources’ below for more info). And they all agreed that the best doctors will talk to you about the possible causes of your pain, whether it’s your lack of activity, your stress level, a condition like arthritis, your mattress, or one of these surprising back pain causes.

Check out these natural pain reliefs to manage chronic pain without drugs.

Use an ice pack for acute injuries, to minimise blood flow and reduce swelling and pain. Use heat to loosen muscles and stiff joints and help you feel more mobile.

Look for doctors who are board-certified in pain medicine or who did a fellowship in something pain-related.

Studies show that if you perform an MRI on any 100 people, you’ll find an abnormality in about 90 per cent of them, even if they’re not experiencing any pain.

Here’s how to treat a stiff neck: home remedies that actually work.

The latest research shows that taking opioid pain meds (like Codeine and OxyContin) for chronic pain can change the brain, damaging its ability to feel pleasure and leading to a craving for more drugs. A few studies found that long-term use can actually lead to increased pain. There are many other options to treat pain, including non-opioid medications.

When you distract your brain, you don’t hurt as much. Another activity that helps: watching a funny TV show.

It may have gone away on its own. Approximately 90 per cent of lower-back subsides within 12 weeks without medical intervention.

Check out these stretches for lower back pain.

Eliminate dairy for a few weeks, then reintroduce it and see how you feel. Do the same with wheat, red meat, shellfish, citrus, peanuts, caffeine, and alcohol, one at a time. If your pain gets worse when you add back a food, it may be contributing to your problem.

Read on for the anti-inflammatory foods to eat to reduce pain.

But there are dozens of other options to try like massage, physical therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, spinal cord stimulators, and behavioural therapy. If you want to explore these options, work with an integrative medicine doctor to explore different natural and conventional methods of treating pain. And don’t forget nutrition, sleep, exercise and stress reduction.

I’m in a practice with only three doctors, and between us, we have over 1000 patients who had back surgery who wish they never had. In a Consumer Reports survey, just 60 per cent of those who had back surgery were completely or very satisfied with the results.