Stanford Pain Medicine

04/16/2026

When someone lives with pain, how we listen is key.

Dr. Kristen Slater created the LISTEN model to guide more thoughtful, patient-centered conversations grounded in curiosity, validation, and shared decision-making.

04/08/2026

This graphic shows different ways doctors can test how the nervous system is working in people with ongoing pain. These include simple exams (like touch or temperature) and more advanced tests like scans, blood tests, and nerve studies.

Recent research shows that pain can come from changes in the nerves and immune system, which can make the body more sensitive to pain over time—even without a clear injury.

Persistent musculoskeletal pain involves both nerve and immune system changes, and identifying these can support more personalized care.

Full paper: https://bit.ly/4cvwVb8

04/03/2026

Patient advocacy is an important part of chronic pain care, but many people are not taught how to do it.

It means clearly describing your pain, asking questions, and working with your care team to make decisions that reflect your goals.

This includes explaining how pain affects daily activities like sleep, work, and movement, not just rating pain on a scale.

This Monday, pain medicine fellow Dr. Samantha O’Connor Campbell will present a Pain Science Lecture on how patients can take a more active role in their care, including how to prepare for appointments and communicate more effectively with providers.

Register here: https://bit.ly/40xpb2c

04/01/2026

Seven facial pain myths you should know about ⬇️

Myth 1: Facial pain is usually trigeminal neuralgia
Fact: Most cases are not. Conditions like temporomandibular disorders are far more common. Assuming trigeminal neuralgia too quickly can lead to treatments that do not help.

Myth 2: All facial nerve pain is trigeminal neuralgia
Fact: Some nerve pain is caused by injury, not neuralgia. These conditions feel different and respond to different treatments.

Myth 3: “TMJ” is the diagnosis
Fact: TMJ is a joint. Most patients actually have TMD, which is often muscle-related. Focusing only on the joint can miss the true source of pain.

Myth 4: Pain near the eye is trigeminal neuralgia
Fact: This is uncommon. Most trigeminal neuralgia affects the lower face. Eye-area pain may point to a different condition that needs a different approach.

Myth 5: Migraine cannot cause facial pain
Fact: It can. Some people experience migraine primarily in the face. Missing this can delay treatments that are known to help.

Myth 6: Jaw clicking will get worse and needs treatment
Fact: Clicking is common and often harmless if it is not painful. Not all findings need treatment.

Myth 7: Everyone with facial pain needs an MRI.
Fact: Imaging is only helpful in certain cases. Too much testing can lead to confusion and unnecessary procedures.

Facial pain is complex, and we need to get the diagnosis right. Save this list for later.

03/30/2026

What happens in the neck in cervical myelopathy?

As we get older, the spine can slowly change. The discs lose height, bones can form extra edges, and ligaments may thicken or even turn into bone. Over time, these changes can make the space around the spinal cord smaller.

When that space narrows, the spinal cord can become compressed. This may lead to symptoms like pain, weakness, numbness, or trouble with balance and walking.

These changes are often described as “degeneration” on a scan. But for patients, the effects can be very real and can worsen if not recognized early.

03/25/2026

Minimally invasive spine interventions are expanding options for chronic pain care.

This article explores how these procedures work, who they may help, and how they fit into a broader treatment plan.

Alexis Nash

03/24/2026

For many people, musculoskeletal pain is part of daily life—flaring, easing, and shifting over time.

This article explores what’s behind it, and how small changes in movement, sleep, and stress can make a difference.

Struggling with back, knee, shoulder, or joint pain? Learn why musculoskeletal pain happens, common triggers, and practical strategies to reduce discomfort, improve movement, and support better sleep

03/20/2026

The conversation shouldn’t stop here.

03/18/2026

In lab studies of short, experimental pain (not chronic pain), tolerance can shift based on context—even who’s watching. Men tolerated more when an attractive woman was present, suggesting social pressure can influence how pain is expressed.

Full Huberman Lab episode: https://bit.ly/4hmwiS7

03/17/2026

Pain may be more than a symptom in breast cancer, a new study says. Nerves that sense pain can release chemicals that help tumors grow and spread.

Read on: https://bit.ly/472BTJA

03/13/2026

After spinal cord injury, one of the first questions patients ask is: Will I walk again?

New research shows that small areas of spared tissue seen on early MRI scans are strongly associated with walking ability one year later. Patients with these “tissue bridges” were up to 8x more likely to walk.

Why this matters: Early imaging may help clinicians better guide rehab planning and recovery expectations. https://bit.ly/4s2UhKN

03/11/2026

Treating acute pain in the emergency department requires medications that work quickly and safely.

At Pain Connect 2026, Dr. Jon Lee discussed the potential use of intravenous (IV) buprenorphine to treat acute pain. His talk covered how the medication works, how it compares with other opioid pain medicines, and practical topics like dosing and when it may be helpful.

Researchers at Stanford Emergency Medicine are also studying how IV buprenorphine works in real emergency department settings. Early experience suggests it may provide pain relief similar to other opioids and may last longer for some patients.

Dr. Lee also shared insights from clinical experience at Stanford and discussed areas where more research is still needed.