Visual representation of scratching an itch because who wants the header on this article to be a gigantic rash? Photo by Tucker Good on Unsplash Fibromyalgia affects nearly 10 million Americans, making it a chronic and debilitating condition for many individuals. Chronic pain can be unmanageable at times, especially when new symptoms like skin problems arrive. As if the pain and fatigue weren’t enough to make you feel uncomfortable, when you add in the effect that fibromyalgia has on skin, it becomes even more challenging to live with this condition. Luckily, just as there are ways to control ..read more

This was also updated in the original post.  I work as an associate attorney with a civil litigation firm in Cambridge. My boss is always interested in developing new practice areas, so we attended a Cannabis Law continuing education conference. Naturally, it was filled with Millennials… and my boss, who’s meow meow years old. Because of his relentless questioning, Dan (my boss) got the presenters to admit that while industrial hemp is now legal per the federal government’s 2018 Farm Bill, hemp-derived CBD products are not. They are under the purview of the Food and Drug Administration because ..read more

Naming things has power, and I like to give my enemies names. For years now, I have asked my veritable fleet of doctors why I have ham hands. (That’s the technical term, of course.) This glorious gif exists. You’re welcome. Ham hands are what my hands became after the first car accident. I wielded objects like two ham hocks were strapped to my wrists instead of appendages. Occasionally, I’d drop things. Writing with a pen or pencil hurt and ended up being too difficult; I was given a laptop during school exams for this reason. (Like any suffering writer, longhand journals were my thing. I’d pl ..read more

Photo by Yuris Alhumaydy on Unsplash When chronic pain becomes a physical and a mental burden that is hard to overcome, you may be desperate to find a quick solution. What are some remedies to help temporarily ease chronic pain? Read to find out more. If you are suffering from chronic pain flare, it can be tough to find quick remedies. Most of the time, you want to stay in bed and call it a day. However, life does not always work that way. Sometimes we have to put on our capes and “save the day” despite the aches that run through our bodies. This is where some remedies for chronic pain can be ..read more

Image Source: Unsplash Living with a chronic illness can be incredibly difficult; so can knowing how to be there for someone living with a chronic illness. Try the following tips to show love to the friend or family member in your life who’s experiencing difficulties: Offer help Your loved one may find it difficult to ask for help, so offer yours before they have to ask. However, don’t assume you know what they need. Always let them tell you. Speak to your friend or family member like you would for anybody else, not with pity, but with simple kindness: “Hey, I’m going to town to buy a few thin ..read more

“I can fix you.” No doctor worth their degree says, “I can fix you.” It is a promise that no one can keep. The beginning of “Dr. Death,” a relatively new podcast from Wondery, speaks to that resigned place in the soul of someone weary with suffering, and this doctor said the words all pain patients are so desperate to hear. “Imagine. You’re struggling with back pain for months. No one can tell you what’s wrong. Then, you find a doctor, and the words that he said that I wanted to hear were, ‘I can fix you.’ Those are magic words. I was in pain.” — via Wondery My gorge rose while listening to t ..read more