Shana Johnson, MD, is a pain specialist who’s board-certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation. While caring for those living with health conditions that affect the brain, spine, and nerves, she's observed many who developed those issues while under unrelenting stress. They include chronic headaches, back pain, digestive issues, and other medical problems. She’s the author of Sunbreak: Healing the Pain No One Can Explain, which shines light on the stress-illness connection. Sunbreak explains the path to healing through understanding nerve sensitization, building your mind-body connection, and understanding the role of medical therapy.
Interstitial cystitis (IC), or painful bladder syndrome, causes a range of symptoms that include a frequent and urgent need to urinate, painful urination, and intense pelvic pain. The condition is not...
The type of pain you have determines what treatment will be effective. Do you need rest, physical therapy, medications, or surgery? It all depends on the type of pain you have. There are three types of...
Diana was a 40-year-old wife and mother embarking on a real estate career when her pelvic pain began. She woke up one morning feeling pressure in her...
Chronic pain often involves nociplastic pain, a type of pain that arises from abnormal pain processing in the brain and nerves. The nerves get confused and alert the brain you are injured, even if...
Surgery may be the answer for certain issues. The results of knee replacements are consistently positive. Surgery for back pain is an entirely different...
The practice of mindfulness reduces pain levels in a couple of ways. First, it improves awareness of negative emotions and your ability to control them. Second, it reduces the connection between the parts of the brain that process pain and the parts that generate self-awareness.