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UF Center for Musculoskeletal Pain Research

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Gainesville, FL
UF Center for Musculoskeletal Pain Research

The Center for Chronic Pain & Fatigue Research focuses on the study of musculoskeletal pain/fatigue

07/29/2025

The Mediterranean diet emphasizes eating whole grains, beans, fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts and olive oil. These foods are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and have been found to be low-antigen and anti-inflammatory. A recent review analyzed 10 studies on the effects of diet on fibromyalgia. They found that the Mediterranean diet had a positive impact on pain intensity, fatigue, anxiety and bone density. The authors hypothesize that changes in the gut microbiome may play a role.

07/18/2025

Tirzepatide (like Mounjaro and Zepbound) and semaglutide (like Ozempic) are GLP-1 agonists that have been found to be successful in managing diabetes and weight loss. A 72-week study compared weight loss between these two medications in non-diabetic, overweight adults who reported at least one unsuccessful dietary effort for weight loss. The mean percent change in body weight was -20.2% with tirzepatide and -13.7% with semaglutide. On both medications, men lost less weight compared to women. Weight loss, waist circumference and blood pressure also decreased on both medications, but had a stronger effect in the tirzepatide group. However, both GLP-1 agonists are associated with a greater loss of fat-free body mass, which includes muscle. Loss of muscle can lead to sarcopenia and is associated with weakness, falls and fractures. If you’re taking a GLP-1 agonist, it’s important to make sure you are maintaining physical activity to try to counteract any muscle loss.

04/19/2025

What is chronic pain resilience? The ability to preserve functioning despite the chronic pain. To do problem solving in the face of adversity and not give up when things get difficult. Everyone needs resilience because everyone faces stressors in life. There are two types of resilient factors, those that cannot be changed (e.g. genetics) and those that can, which will be the focus of upcoming posts. Indeed, the key to becoming more resilient is improving the things you can and not worrying about the things you can’t change. In an acute context, pain always signals damage and therefore your attention is focused strongly on your pain. However, chronic musculoskeletal pain no longer signals acute physical damage, rather it is the result of functional deficiencies which require tissue restructuring. To perform this restructuring process, one must relearn the lost functions and tolerate some pain. However, if you want to regain lost functions it will be worth the effort.

04/05/2025

A study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic examined the effects of sleeping with a weighted blankets on chronic pain relief, focusing on whether heavier blankets could provide more pain relief than lighter ones. The study involved 94 adults with chronic pain, and participants were randomly assigned to use either a 15-pound (heavy) or a 5-pound (light) weighted blanket. The results showed that the heavier blanket significantly reduced chronic pain perceptions compared to the lighter blanket, especially in individuals with high anxiety. The pain relief, however, was not linked to changes in anxiety or sleep, suggesting that the pressure from the weighted blanket might help alleviate pain through other mechanisms, like its calming or comforting effects. Therefore, using a 15-pound weighted blanket could be a low-cost, accessible tool for improving chronic pain, particularly for those with high anxiety, and simultaneously, offering an alternative to drug-based treatments.

04/02/2025

Do you have trouble sleeping because of repetitive or worrisome thoughts when you lie in bed? One way to reduce repetitive thinking is by using the cognitive shuffling method. This technique is used to provide sleep-inducing thoughts by shuffling various unrelated words and images in your head to mimic the ordered chaos needed to fall asleep. Here’s how to do it: Pick a seed word that has at least five unique letters and use each letter of the seed word to come up with more words that start with the same letter. For example, choose “bedtime” and start imagining words that start with “B”, like “bank” or “broom”, spending a few seconds on each word until you run out of words. Then move on to “E.” If you come up with a word that is difficult to imagine, skip the word and try again, or move on to the next letter of your seed word. The ultimate goal is to reduce distressing and recurring thoughts and to tell the mind that it is safe and okay to sleep.

03/28/2025

Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals that our bodies use in trace amounts to maintain normal function in organs, tissues, and cells. There are 20 micronutrients including lettered vitamins such as A, C, D, E, and several numbered B vitamins as well as a variety of microminerals including iron, zinc and iodine. Most foods contain some amounts of micronutrients, but if the food is heavily processed or not enriched or fortified with vitamins and minerals, it may have few micronutrients per serving. Micronutrient deficiencies are not common in the US, but that doesn’t mean you are getting enough vitamins and minerals to maximize your health. To ensure enough daily micronutrients, you should focus on eating a varied diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats. If you don’t eat meat, it might also be a good idea to supplement with vitamin B12 and iron. If you don’t eat dairy, then a vitamin D supplements might be beneficial. If you are feeling tired and low in energy, make sure you are meeting dietary requirements for your age.

03/25/2025

Trying to improve your sleep and fatigue can be pivotal for overall wellbeing and chronic disease management. One Korean study looked at some of the most popular consumer sleep trackers and compared the results to polysomnography (sleep lab study). The authors found that while no sleep tracker was perfect, some stood-out, including the free Sleep Routine smartphone app by Asleep which had high accuracy in measuring sleep stages across the board. On the other hand, the built in apps of the Google Pixel Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, and Fitbit Sense 2 were among the best. If you don’t want to use a smartwatch or download an app, you can also track your sleep yourself using a sleep log. View a sample sleep diary by the NIH that you can download and print: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/resources/sleep-diary

02/25/2025

Protein intake plays an important role in maintaining your health as you age. Consuming essential dietary protein benefits physical mobility, decreases muscle loss, and improves brain function. The recommended daily allowance for protein is 0.36 grams per pound, or about 1/3 of your body weight in grams. We typically think of protein as meat from animals and fish, but there are many accessible plant protein sources that are associated with healthy aging. They don't contain growth hormones or antibiotics like most meats. Popularly consumed 'plant proteins' include beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. However, there are other protein rich sources such as seitan, a wheat gluten that mimics chicken, which contains 20 grams of protein per 100 calories. Tofu is also a staple in some diets around the world, containing 11 grams of protein per 100 calories. In general, don't stress the small stuff, maintaining a balanced diet is most important. Trying out more plant proteins may be a good way to add some extra variety into your diet.

02/13/2025

In January 2025, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Suzetrigine for short-term pain management, including pain from traumatic injuries and surgeries. Suzetrigine has been shown to be as effective as opioids in alleviating pain, but it doesn’t come with any addiction potential. It does not activate opioid receptors, but blocks pain signals coming from peripheral pain receptors, which are located in the tissues. By only targeting those pain receptors, Suzetrigine blocks the transmission of pain signals to the brain. This new drug is expensive at $15.50 per pill with possible side effects including itching and muscle spasms. In trials, 83.2% of participants rated the pain relief suzetrigine as good, very good, or excellent. Trials of Suzetrigine in patients who suffer from chronic pain and neuropathic pain are still ongoing. So stay tuned, effective pain relief for many chronic pain disorders may be around the corner.

02/04/2025

The Physical Activity Paradox is a term that describes how the effect of leisure time physical activity differs from work or occupational physical activity. A recent study assessed over 13,000 individuals from Norway that were aged 40 years or older. Subjects were asked to rate their leisure and work activities. Additionally, the subjects were asked to rate their pain levels. Overall, the study found that higher levels of leisure physical activity were associated with less pain across the board. Interestingly, lower levels of occupational physical activity were also associated with less pain. Due to the correlational nature of this study, the authors could suggest that some factors might influence how pain is improved by leisure physical activity while being worsened by occupational physical activity. Leisure activities are more aligned with an individual’s preference for duration, intensity, and motivation to be active whereas occupational movement patterns are required and tend to be more repetitive and static in nature. These findings suggest that adding physical activity during one’s leisure time may be beneficial in reducing chronic pain.

01/28/2025

Semaglutide (Ozempic), a GLP-1 drug, helps treat diabetes and obesity. A recent study shows that semaglutide may also help reduce knee pain caused by osteoarthritis. This study followed over 400 participants with diagnosed knee osteoarthritis (OA) and at least moderate pain levels. The participants were followed for 68 weeks with 2/3 of the participants receiving weekly semaglutide injections and 1/3 receiving placebo. Those taking semaglutide lost a significant amount of weight compared to those receiving a placebo. They also experienced less knee pain and improved physical function, relying less on pain medications. Most participants tolerated the treatment well, but a few stopped due to mild side effects like stomach upset. This pain improvement did not depend on the amount of weight loss. For those struggling with both chronic pain and weight management, this treatment provides a promising alternative to surgery or long-term reliance on medications. It also highlights the growing potential of medical therapies to address interconnected health problems in a more holistic way.

12/12/2024

Obesity is clearly related to knee osteoarthritis (OA), but its association with abdominal (visceral) fat is unclear. A recent study explored the link between visceral fat, knee OA, and musculoskeletal pain. The study monitored approximately 2,900 adults aged 50-79 either with, or at risk of, knee OA. Body fat levels, changes in joint structure, and pain levels were tracked over the course of 5 years. While the results showed that visceral fat did not contribute to the progression of OA after accounting for differences in BMI, a consistent association was found between visceral fat and worsening widespread musculoskeletal pain, including knee pain. These findings suggest that visceral fat contributes to pain through inflammation, independent of overall body weight. While the visceral fat does not necessarily harm joint structure, it does worsen pain by causing inflammation. Reducing inflammation and/or visceral fat levels could help decrease pain in individuals with OA.

Address

Gainesville, FL

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm

Telephone

(352) 265-8901

Website

http://rheum.med.ufl.edu/

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