Woman's World

Plantar Fasciitis Treatment That Works in Seconds: What Doctors Swear By

Allison Nemetz — Sat, 23 May 2026 01:00:44 +0000

If you experience the fiery heel pain of plantar fasciitis, you need relief now. What works fastest? Experts share their picks for the most effective stretch, the best shoe, the fastest-acting splint, even the top anti-inflammatory tea to try. Keep reading for the plantar fasciitis treatments that help ease pain and inflammation fast.

What is plantar fasciitis?

“It’s inflammation of the plantar fascia, a band of tissue running on the bottom of the foot from the heel to the toes,” Mikel Daniels, DPM, chief medical of Baltimore-based WeTreatFeet Podiatry. Soothing that inflammation is key to easing pain in a hurry—and reducing stress on the plantar fascia will keep the pain away.

Most people notice plantar fasciitis hurts in the morning. That’s because the band of tissue tightens as your foot relaxes during sleep. When you suddenly load it with your full body weight, it can feel like “a knife stabbing into your heel,” says Dr. Daniels. So don’t be so quick to hop out of bed if you’re having a flare-up. Here’s what to do instead.

Best at-home plantar fasciitis treatment options

Foot pain is more than just a nuisance—it can have a way of disrupting your daily life and leaving you sidelined from your favorite activities. But treating plantar fasciitis with a few easy tricks can make all the difference.

Stretch the plantar fascia

Sit up in bed, straighten your leg and bend your achy foot toward you until you feel your calf gently stretch. Maintaining that stretch, “grab the toes and gently pull them back until you feel a stretch along the arch of your foot,” says Dr. Daniels. “Hold it for about 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat gently a few times.” You’ll loosen the band of tissue, and it should feel much better when you stand. Afterward, you can roll your foot on a frozen water bottle to soothe any inflammation, he adds. It’s a crucial at-home plantar fasciitis treatment. (Want more plantar fasciitis stretch options? Find ‘em here.)

Slip on a splint

Specialized braces called night splints can be worn as you sleep to gently hold your foot in a flexed position and prevent your plantar fascia from tightening overnight. Dr. Daniels is a fan, but they can be a bit uncomfortable. Another option? “I find the most significant benefit from an Equinus splint, which is similar to a night splint but has a more efficient and targeted stretch,” says Anne Sharkey, DPM, who sees patients at Solely Podiatry in Cedar Park, Texas. “They only need to be worn for one hour daily.” While they’re an investment (about $349, HSA-eligible; learn more at FixEquinus.com), she adds that they may help permanently improve tight foot and calf muscles that are the root cause of up to 89 percent of plantar fasciitis cases.

Sip anti-inflammatory tea

“I’ve had a few patients swear by ginger-turmeric tea at night, saying they feel less stiff in the morning,” says Dr. Daniels. Both ginger and turmeric have anti-inflammatory properties, and growing research suggests that some people may be more responsive than others. Plus sipping tea has loads of health benefits, so this option is certainly worth trying!

Try an NSAID

Prefer a more conventional option? Both docs are fans of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Aleve (naproxen). And Dr. Daniels notes that you can talk to your health care provider about a Mobic (meloxicam) prescription.

The 2 best types of shoes for plantar fasciitis

If you’re suffering from plantar fasciitis, the right footwear can make all the difference. Here’s what our experts recommend for plantar fasciitis treatment:

Best shoes for plantar fasciitis when you’re in the house

“Walking barefoot tends to make plantar fasciitis significantly worse,” cautions Dr. Sharkey. When you’re home, “I recommend wearing a shock-absorbing recovery shoe with arch support.” Not only does it feel good in the moment, it protects your foot and allows your body time to heal. The doc’s favorite brand: Oofos.

Best shoes for plantar fasciitis when you head outside

While it may not be practical to wear recovery shoes to work or the store, your footwear is still a crucial weapon to beat pain. “The best shoes to ease plantar fasciitis pain have three things: real arch support, a cushioned but not mushy sole and a firm heel counter—meaning the back of the shoe shouldn’t collapse when you squeeze it,” says Dr. Daniels. Will this help with discomfort right away? “For some patients, yes,” he says. He sees best results with ASICS Gel Kayano, Hoka Bondi and Brooks Adrenaline.

The bottom line about speedy plantar fasciitis treatment

Relief is yours for the taking. With a combination of short-term fixes and long-term lifestyle tweaks (like eating a healthy diet loaded with anti-inflammatory fruits and veggies and sticking with supportive shoes even when you’re not in pain), “I’ve seen countless women in their 50s and 60s get back to walking, traveling and doing the things they enjoy,” says Dr. Daniels. You can be one of them!

Ready for more inspiration? Subscribe to our YouTube channel for video podcasts, health tips and uplifting stories designed for women 40, 50, 60 and beyond.

This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.

Why Chronic Pain in Women Hits Harder—and Ways To Calm It Naturally

kmastrocola — Wed, 20 May 2026 20:00:16 +0000

Everything else fades away when we’re in pain. The small stresses of daily life stop mattering, and our focus narrows to the discomfort we’re feeling. And make no mistake, that pain is real. Research suggests women tend to experience pain more intensely than men, and while that biological reality can feel discouraging, there are evidence-based strategies that can help calm pain signals, along with medications that may ease chronic pain. Keep reading for expert insights on how to regain a sense of control and improve your quality of life.

Why women are more sensitive to pain

Researchers have been using quantitative sensory testing for years—standardized assessments that measure how people respond to various types of pain stimuli. “You might perceive it as kind of a torture test,” admits Robert N. Jamison, PhD, a professor at Harvard Medical School and clinical psychologist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Pain Management Center.

He explains that researchers measure tolerance to heat, cold, pressure and repeated touch. For instance, they might test how long someone can keep their hand in ice water or handle continued probing. The results are striking: “Very consistently, women are much more sensitive than men on all those tests,” Jamison says.

That may sound more than a bit counterintuitive since women bear the most painful experience there is—childbirth—but the research is consistent. In fact, a new study in the journal Science Immunology found that men’s immune systems and testosterone levels may offer them more protection from the impact of chronic pain.

Women also experience more chronic pain conditions overall and are more prone to headaches. They’re also far more likely to have fibromyalgia, a condition characterized by widespread pain and sensitivity throughout the body, Dr. Jamison notes.

How women can tame chronic pain naturally

The first thing Jamison tells people living with chronic pain is deceptively simple yet powerful: This pain is real. It’s not something you’re making up or exaggerating. Here, he shares a few ways to begin taking control and treating chronic pain.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Anxiety helps fuel pain in large part by ratcheting up stress levels. That’s where CBT comes in. The approach has two components, Dr. Jamison explains. The cognitive part addresses how you think about your pain—learning to challenge the worried, worst-case-scenario thoughts that can spiral out of control and make everything feel worse.

“And the behavior is what you do in response to the pain,” he says. “How do you pace yourself? How do you use problem-solving? How do you learn strategies to ensure you’re not making your condition worse?”

“It’s a hard sell, but that’s kind of what I do—help people realize that they have a condition they can help learn to manage,” Jamison says. “Like some people have diabetes, and others have asthma or blood pressure problems. With chronic pain, you have to make some changes, but there are things you can do to really gain some sense of control.”

Part of that control comes from reframing how you talk to yourself about pain. “The goal is to remind your brain that while the pain is real and was once a useful alarm system, it’s not a sign that something is life-threatening,” he says of this effective treatment plan. “With practice, you can learn to work through it rather than letting worry take over.”

Relaxation and activity

There are two main pathways to alleviating pain naturally, and while they may at first seem contradictory, they’re really two sides of the same coin: relaxation and movement. Jamison suggests tapping relaxation through techniques like diaphragmatic breathing (deep belly breathing) and progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), tensing then releasing certain muscle groups.

Though it’s understandable to be afraid to get moving when you’re in pain—a condition called kinesiophobia—Jamison says a physical therapist can help and encourages setting SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) to help increase activity levels. For example, you might aim to get active three times a day for 10 minutes each.

Medications that help women ease chronic pain

Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of highly effective treatments for chronic pain. But Jamison shares a few medications worth discussing with your healthcare provider:

Opioids

These medications are effective for short-term, acute pain but not recommended for chronic pain because your body develops a tolerance over time, Jamison notes.

Cymbalta or gabapentin

The antidepressant Cymbalta and seizure medication gabapentin have been shown to help ease nerve pain.

The bottom line on chronic pain in women

While women may experience pain more intensely than men, the good news is that they’re also more likely to seek help and benefit from treatment, observes Jamison. By working with a healthcare provider you trust, learning to challenge catastrophic thinking, and finding the right balance of relaxation and movement, you can regain a sense of control over chronic pain.

Ready for more inspiration? Subscribe to our YouTube channel for video podcasts, health tips and uplifting stories designed for women 40, 50, 60 and beyond

This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.

The Surprising Reason Your Chronic Pain Won’t Go Away—and How To Fix It

Carissa Mosness — Fri, 15 May 2026 18:00:10 +0000

Are you dealing with ongoing discomfort, such as back twinges or frequent headaches? You may not need pills or surgery to feel better. That’s because many types of chronic pain come from overactive neural circuits that keep sending the brain pain messages even when there’s no physical injury, says Howard Schubiner, MD, founder and director of the Mind Body Medicine Program at Providence Hospital in Michigan and author of Unlearn Your Pain. Here’s why that’s good news: You can retrain those signals, allowing your body to finally let go of the ache. Here, Dr. Schubiner’s five-step retraining strategy for lasting relief.

5 steps to healing chronic pain

If traditional pain management techniques haven’t worked and you’re tired of dealing with long-term discomfort, Dr. Scubiner’s mind-body treatment plan may be a good fit for you. Here’s how to get started and reduce pain:

Step 1: See your doctor

Before you can retrain neural circuits to silence chronic pain, it’s essential to get a medical evaluation, says Dr. Schubiner. “You want to be sure you’re not overlooking anything serious, such as a fracture, an infection, a tumor, an autoimmune disorder or other health condition.” Find out what the diagnosis is and try treatments, he advises. If tests come back clear or if medication or physical therapy doesn’t provide lasting pain relief, you’ve answered an important question: “Is the pain coming from a structural problem in the body—like physical damage or disease—or could it be generated by my brain?” If it’s the latter, you can begin using the tools in the next steps to retrain those pain pathways.

Step 2: Spot signs of ‘neuroplastic’ pain

“All pain starts in the brain,” says Dr. Schubiner. When you break a bone, pull a muscle or have another physical injury, the brain turns on pain to protect you from further harm. What may surprise you is that emotional stress—like worry, grief or sadness—can activate those same pathways even when your body is physically fine. “This is ‘neuroplastic’ pain,” he explains. “It’s real discomfort caused by the brain’s alarm system trying to keep you safe.” Unfortunately, when difficult emotions are intense or ongoing, this alarm can become overly sensitive, creating aches even when there’s no injury. So, how can you tell if your discomfort is neuroplastic? Look for these telltale clues:

Pain shifts with emotions: Your symptoms flare during worry, conflict or exhaustion, then the acute pain eases when you’re relaxed or distracted.
Aches are inconsistent: They may change in intensity, come and go or feel different from day to day.
Discomfort appears during harmless daily activities: Simple movements like sitting, standing or bending trigger soreness even though nothing is physically wrong.
Certain cues are triggers: Specific places, smells, foods or situations seem to spark symptoms.

If these patterns sound familiar, your brain may be sending “false alarm” signals that trigger this type of pain. The tools in the next steps can help quiet them.

Step 3: Turn off the chronic pain danger signal

Whether your chronic pain has been around for weeks or years, you can retrain the brain’s neural circuits with an effective treatment known as pain reprocessing therapy (PRT), says Dr. Schubiner. “This process shifts the brain into a ‘safety’ mode, rather than a ‘danger’ mode,” he says. When the brain feels safer, it stops sending the alarm signals that keep chronic pain going. These PRT exercises can help:

Recognize false alarms: Notice when your brain may be sounding an alarm even though your body is okay. “Your brain is watching your reaction to pain to decide whether to keep creating [pain signals] or calm down,” says Dr. Schubiner. If you respond with fear, it amps up its pain response. But when you respond with stillness, it reprograms neural circuits to stay quiet, making aches fade. Instead of bracing when a familiar twinge pops up, remind yourself that the sensation isn’t a sign of damage—it’s a protective reflex that’s gotten too sensitive. Then say, “This feels uncomfortable, but I’m fine. This will pass and I’m not in danger.”
Repeat affirmations: Say positive, comforting phrases to yourself throughout the day. “Affirmations have been shown in an fMRI study to change the brain by reducing threat,” Dr. Schubiner says. Tell yourself something like, “My body is strong,” “This sensation will pass” or “I’m safe in this moment.”
Return to movement: If you’ve linked certain body positions (like bending) or activities (such as hiking) with fear, your brain may automatically trigger discomfort when you do them. Gently reintroducing those movements teaches your neural circuits they’re safe to do again. When doing an activity you associate with pain, start small while reminding yourself, “My body knows how to do this.” Over time, your brain relearns that these actions are harmless.

Step 4: Tune into your emotions

Unprocessed anger, guilt, sadness or negativity can keep your brain stuck in danger mode. “Releasing these bottled-up emotions removes that trigger,” says Dr. Schubiner. Fortunately, you can free your feelings with Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET), which works by strengthening these three key skills:

Build agency: “This means believing you have the right to assert your needs and make decisions in your life that matter to you,” says Dr. Schubiner. Grab a pen and paper, then take five minutes to write about a situation where you wish you’d spoken up. End by jotting down one small boundary you can set this week.
Strengthen connections: Sharing your feelings and being vulnerable with people you trust helps you feel more supported. Tell a friend, “I’ve been carrying a lot lately. Can I talk something through with you?”
Honor self-integrity: This is the sense that you matter, you deserve self-compassion and you’re worthy. Place a hand on your heart and say, “I’m doing my best, and my feelings are valid.”

Step 5: Make life changes

The final step is creating a daily life that supports emotional healing and an improved quality of life. Look at the patterns that keep pressure high, such as overworking, people-pleasing, perfectionism, unresolved conflicts or nonstop stress. This doesn’t mean overhauling everything. Instead, create realistic changes that lower tension and boost joy: Set boundaries, ask for help, reconnect with hobbies or carve out moments of rest. “Even small shifts can send powerful safety signals to the brain,” assures Dr. Schubiner.

PRT often beats standard care for chronic pain relief

A study in JAMA Psychiatry found that the majority of participants with chronic backaches who tried pain reprocessing therapy (PRT) had significantly greater relief than those who received a placebo or usual treatments like medication or physical therapy. In fact, two-thirds of PRT users were pain-free or nearly pain-free after four weeks.

Ready for more inspiration? Subscribe to our YouTube channel for video podcasts, health tips and uplifting stories designed for women 40, 50, 60 and beyond.

This article originally appeared in the June 1, 2026, issue of Woman’s World.

This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.

This 20-Minute Journal Habit Helped End Her Debilitating Migraine Attacks

Rachel Cosma — Wed, 13 May 2026 15:00:50 +0000

For years, Anna Holtzman had suffered from frequent and debilitating migraines. After trying everything she could think of to ease the chronic pain, she stumbled upon a cure she had never suspected would work: starting a migraine journal. By putting pen to paper to get her frustration out, she soon discovered that her pain and flare-ups were dissipating. Keep reading to see her inspiring story and the unexpected migraine treatment that changed her life.

Anna suffered intense migraines before discovering journaling

Closing her office door, Anna shut off the lights and stretched out on the floor. She prayed the pain medicine she took to dull the intense throbbing in her head would kick in fast. Having a coworker—or her boss—find her this way would be too embarrassing. But when a migraine took hold, this was Anna’s only hope of getting relief.

Anna’s migraines began 10 years ago as a once-in-a-while occurrence, striking once a month or so. But as the stress of working a high-pressure job as a video editor in reality TV grew, so did the frequency of her migraines. Soon, they were striking one to three times a week. Along with excruciating pain, she’d experience intense nausea and dizziness.

When she left her job and enrolled in grad school to fulfill her dream of becoming a therapist, Anna hoped her migraine attacks would ease. But they continued to grow in intensity and frequency to the point where she was running out of her prescription painkillers each month.

Anna tried everything she could to prevent migraines. She made sure to eat and drink water on a regular schedule and avoided common migraine triggers like bright lights and loud noises. I don’t know what more I can do, she despaired.

What Anna learned about the mind-body connection

One day, while searching online, Anna came across an app called Curable. The program offers users audio lessons on pain science and teaches them how to apply a wide range of science-backed techniques to reduce symptoms. Experimenting with an app wasn’t something Anna would have normally thought helpful for reducing migraines, but she was desperate.

Using the app’s free trial, Anna learned pain is a danger signal that’s created in the brain when our nervous system feels unsafe. Sometimes, the danger is physical (like a broken arm), sometimes, it’s emotional (like a stressful relationship) and sometimes, it’s a learned association (similar to a trauma trigger). But regardless of the cause, the nervous system needs to feel safe to turn off that pain signal.

The app’s team of experts offered several techniques to help achieve a sense of safety, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), guided meditation and visualization. But Anna was most intrigued by something called JournalSpeak, a form of expressive writing that also helps with stress reduction.

How journaling finally freed Anna from migraine pain

Developed by Nicole Sachs, LCSW, JournalSpeak involves spilling out your raw, unfiltered emotions on the page for 20 minutes every day. Anna dove in head-first. As the pages of her journal filled with her unprocessed feelings of frustration, sadness and anger, she was amazed to find her migraine pain lessened and her nausea and dizziness were less frequent.

Anna learned our emotions are like people: They all have something to say, and if we don’t listen to them, they may eventually throw a tantrum in the form of physical symptoms to get our attention.

“My emotions threw a fit that manifested in migraines. But as I practiced daily journaling, the headache pain and other symptoms continued to improve. And after a year of daily writing, my migraines have become a rarity,” Anna happily reports. “It’s wonderful. I no longer live with the desperation, and even isolation, of life with chronic migraines. Journaling has been a game changer!”

A version of this article originally appeared in the print edition of Woman’s World.

This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.

What Causes Migraines? A Yale Doctor Reveals Sneaky Triggers

Rachel Cosma — Tue, 05 May 2026 15:30:21 +0000

If you deal with chronic migraines, you’re all too familiar with the debilitating pain, sensitivity to bright lights and queasiness that come with them. But what actually causes migraines in the first place? Knowing the culprit behind your head pain is the first step toward preventing migraine attacks in the future. Pinpointing the underlying cause helps you and your doctor figure out the best treatment options, whether it’s migraine self-care remedies you can try at home, prescription pain relievers or a combination of both. Here, a neurologist reveals the most common triggers you need to know.

What are migraines?

Migraines are moderate to severe throbbing headaches that typically occur on one side of the head. Often, they’re accompanied by sensitivity to light and sound as well as nausea and/or vomiting, explains Nicholas Tzikas, MD, a neurologist with Yale Medicine and an assistant professor of clinical neurology at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, CT. “The pain can also switch sides, migrate or involve the entire head,” he notes. “Left untreated, migraines can last anywhere between four to 72 hours.”

If you’re prone to migraines, you’ve got plenty of company. In fact, 40 million Americans suffer through these debilitating headaches, according to the American Migraine Foundation. And while you might think of a migraine as a more severe headache, they’re actually a type of neurological disorder and a disruption of the nervous system. The pain and sensory sensitivity happens when there’s an external or internal trigger that causes brain neurons to fire abnormally.

Migraine symptoms to watch for

A migraine can send you specific warning signs it’s on its way. “Migraines have various phases, but the two which typically precede a migraine are the prodromal phase and aura,” says Dr. Tzikas. “The prodromal phase can kick in hours or days prior to a migraine, warning of an impending attack.” Signs and symptoms of the prodromal phase include:

Excessive yawning
Concentration difficulties
Irritability
Gastrointestinal disturbances

The aura phase, on the other hand, can temporarily cause symptoms such as:

Visual disruptions, including seeing “stars”, zig-zags or sparks in your vision
Numbness or tingling in the body

This phase typically lasts five to 60 minutes, the American Migraine Foundation reports.

Types of migraines

It’s important to know you can experience a migraine headache following the prodromal or aura phase, or you can get migraine and aura symptoms simultaneously. When the two occur at the same time, it’s known as a migraine with aura, or a “classic migraine.”

The most common type of migraines, however, are those that occur without symptoms of aura. This migraine is known as a migraine without aura, or a “common migraine”. About 75 percent of people with migraines don’t experience aura, reports the National Institutes of Health.

Finally, though uncommon, you can also experience an aura without a migraine headache. This affects only about four percent of people who get migraines.

What causes migraines?

There are many different things that can bring on a migraine, but the two most common causes in women are hormonal changes and stress, explains headache specialist Susan Hutchinson, MD, a board-certified family practice physician, director of the Orange County Migraine and Headache Center in Irvine, CA, and author of The Women’s Guide to Managing Migraine. Here we take a look at those top migraine causes, plus other sneaky triggers.

Hormone changes

Estrogen changes throughout a woman’s lifetime, whether during menstruation or perimenopause (when your body begins to transition into menopause), can increase the risk of having a migraine and make them more severe. “During perimenopause, there’s an increase in migraines due to widely fluctuating estrogen levels,” Dr. Hutchinson explains. “But once a woman is post-menopausal, there can be improvement, since hormones are no longer fluctuating. Studies have shown that keeping estrogen (estradiol) levels steady can help prevent hormonally triggered migraines.”

Dr. Tzikas agrees there’s a strong connection between hormones and migraines. “Many women will note they get migraines around the time of their menstrual cycle as estrogen levels drop. In line with that connection, many women have noted an improvement in their migraines during pregnancy when estrogen levels rise,” he says.

The fix: If you noticed your migraines began or worsened during perimenopause, ask your doctor if menopause hormone therapy (previously called hormone replacement therapy, or HRT) might be right for you. It helps regulate your estrogen levels, which could help stave off the underlying cause of your migraine attacks.

Stress

The American Migraine Foundation found that everyday stress is a trigger for up to 70 percent of migraines. “There are multiple reasons stress can aggravate or trigger a migraine, including anxiety, insomnia, poor eating habits and other factors that often co-exist with stress,” says Dr. Hutchinson.

One way stress may bring on migraine pain is by spurring the release of certain hormones. When you’re experiencing a stressful event, your body releases the stress hormone cortisol as well as adrenaline, responsible for your “fight or flight” response. In increased amounts, these hormones can spark vascular changes (such as constricting blood vessels in the brain) to bring on a migraine headache. Worry, anxiety, and fear can also create muscle tension, potentially making a migraine more severe.

The fix: Work on bringing your cortisol levels down. We know it’s easier said than done, but these smart tips to lower your cortisol naturally—like simple relaxation techniques, sipping holy basil tea and socializing with friends—can help.

Lifestyle changes

Dr. Hutchinson says other migraine triggers can come from food, lifestyle factors and our environment. She notes that foods with certain preservatives, artificial sweeteners or monosodium glutamate (MSG), alcoholic beverages and drinking too much caffeine can all bring on a migraine. Inadequate sleep as well as changes in barometric pressure can also contribute to a migraine attack.

The fix: Start a migraine journal. Each time you feel a migraine coming on, log what you ate or did in the days leading up to it. This can help you pinpoint triggers so you know what to scale back on or cut out of your diet. And of course, prioritizing sound sleep helps too.

Genetics

If you suffer from migraines, you may have your genes to blame, too. “Migraines have a tendency to run in families,” says Dr. Tzikas. “Heredity can count for up to 50 percent of a person’s susceptibility to migraine. And one study found the risk of migraine in patients who had relatives with migraine was three times greater than that of people who didn’t have a family history of migraine.”

The fix: You can’t change your genes. But there are prescription medications that help reduce both the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. They include triptans (a sumatriptan like Imitrex), ergotamines (Ergomar) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) inhibitors (Ubrelvy). Ask your doctor what might be right for you based on the underlying cause of your migraines.

Ready for more inspiration? Subscribe to our YouTube channel for video podcasts, health tips and uplifting stories designed for women 40, 50, 60 and beyond.

This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.

Could a GLP-1 Drug Cut Your Migraine Days in Half? Research Says Yes

Cailey Griffin — Fri, 01 May 2026 13:30:31 +0000

If you’ve ever had to draw the curtains, silence your phone and crawl into bed because a migraine has taken over your day, you know this isn’t “just a headache.” Migraines can steal hours, derail plans and leave you exhausted long after the pounding finally stops. Now, promising new research suggests that the same class of GLP-1 medications making headlines for weight loss and blood sugar control may also bring real relief to women who struggle with chronic migraines.

What new research on GLP-1s and migraines found

In a 12-week study published in Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, researchers tracked adults living with both obesity and chronic migraines who added the GLP-1 medication liraglutide (brand name Victoza) to their usual migraine treatment. The results were striking:

Nearly half cut their pain days in half. A full 48 percent of participants saw their monthly migraine days drop by 50 percent or more.
About 1 in 4 saw dramatic improvement. Some 23 percent experienced a 75 percent reduction in migraine days per month.
One participant’s migraines fully resolved. That’s a remarkable outcome for anyone who has spent years searching for relief.

For women juggling the very real demands of midlife, the prospect of reclaiming even a handful of pain-free days each month is no small thing.

What ‘half the migraine days’ actually looks like

Sometimes, statistics on a page can feel abstract until you translate them into real life. If you currently lose 16 days a month to migraine—a common reality for chronic sufferers—a 50 percent reduction means roughly eight days back. Eight more mornings you’re not squinting at the light. Eight more dinners you don’t have to cancel. Eight more chances to be present for the people and moments that matter.

For the smaller group who saw a 75 percent reduction, that same 16-day month could shrink to just four migraine days. The difference between living around your head pain and simply living is, for many people with migraines, the difference between surviving and thriving.

Why might a weight-loss drug help a headache?

GLP-1 receptor agonists were originally designed to help manage type 2 diabetes and, more recently, have become widely known for their role in weight loss. So why would they ease migraine pain?

According to the researchers behind the study, the GLP-1 liraglutide appears to work on migraines through two possible pathways. First, the drug may help lower intracranial pressure—the pressure of fluid surrounding the brain—which has been linked to certain types of head pain. Second, it may reduce a brain chemical that plays a role in migraine attacks. In other words, the medication may be quieting the very signals that set off a migraine in the first place.

It’s also worth knowing that GLP-1 drugs are considered anti-inflammatory, and inflammation has long been a suspect in chronic pain conditions. While more research is needed to fully understand the connection, the early-stage findings are encouraging.

What this could mean for your migraines

If you deal with frequent bouts of head pain, you’ve likely tried a long list of remedies—prescription migraine medications, over-the-counter pain relievers, dietary tweaks, sleep adjustments, stress management and more. Some help. Some don’t. And many come with side effects that can feel almost as disruptive as the migraines themselves.

This study doesn’t suggest that GLP-1 drugs are a stand-alone migraine cure. The participants took liraglutide alongside their usual migraine treatment, not in place of it. The research also focused on adults with obesity, so the findings may not apply to everyone. Still, it opens a door: A medication many of us are already taking for other reasons may quietly be doing double duty.

How to ease head pain right now

What can you do if you have a migraine attack but aren’t taking a GLP-1? These home remedies can help dull the ache:

Apply ice. Slip a cooling pack like the calming TheraICE Headache Hat over your forehead, eyes and temples for 10 to 15 minutes to calm inflammation and dull pain signals naturally.
Or try heat. If your migraines respond better to heat, consider gentle warmth for 15 to 20 minutes to relax tense muscles and boost healing blood flow. One option: The RENPHO x Headspace Eyeris Zen Eye Massager, which pairs heat with a soft massage and guided meditation.
Drink ginger tea. The herbal brew helps reverse a burgeoning migraine fast. (Discover more of the best migraine self-care remedies you can try at home.)

Talk to your doctor about GLP-1s for migraines

Before making any changes to your treatment plan, talk with your healthcare provider. If you’re already considering a GLP-1 medication for weight management or blood sugar control—and you also live with chronic migraines—this study may give you and your doctor one more reason to discuss whether it’s a good fit for you.

The bigger takeaway? Researchers are still uncovering surprising benefits of GLP-1 drugs, and migraine sufferers may have new reason to hope. After years of “less pounding” feeling out of reach, more peaceful days might finally be on the horizon.

This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.

Dry Needling Ended Her 28 Years of Back Pain and Saved Her From Surgery

kmastrocola — Fri, 01 May 2026 11:45:07 +0000

When Massachusetts-based attorney and fitness and weight loss blogger Charlene S. Bazarian, 61, injured her back nearly three decades ago, she couldn’t have known it would lead to a lifetime of chronic pain. Determined to find relief, the married mother of three tried just about everything—only to come up empty. That finally changed when she discovered dry needling. Here, she and a leading physical therapist explain why the increasingly popular treatment may work for back pain, how it differs from acupuncture and why it could be worth asking your physical therapist about.

Charlene’s 28-year battle with chronic back pain

“I joke that I come from a long and distinguished line of people with bad backs,” says Charlene. “So I think I was predisposed to having some back issues. But about 28 years ago, I had a horseback riding accident where my saddle came off and I landed flat on my back.” At the time, doctors diagnosed a hairline fracture and told her they couldn’t do anything to fix it.

“Then, over time, it just started to really ache. I got MRIs done, and they found the L4 and L5 vertebrae were protruding, and stenosis and compression were causing nerve pain that would shoot down my leg like hot lava.”

The desperate search for relief

She tried to manage the pain with every remedy she could think of: ibuprofen, cupping, acupuncture, foam rolling, lidocaine patches, decompression therapy, even gyrotonics (spring-based machines similar to Pilates). The list went on and on—but nothing helped.

A few years ago, Charlene reached a crisis point. The pain became so intense that doctors recommended a spinal fusion. “But I really didn’t want to go that route,” she says.

How Charlene discovered dry needling for back pain

“I talked to everyone and I tried everything,” Charlene says. “Out of desperation, even though I hate needles, I started considering [dry needling] because my issues were causing a lot of sciatic pain. A few people told me, ‘My husband had really bad sciatica, and this was the only thing that helped.’ After hearing that two or three times, I thought I needed to try dry needling treatment.”

What is dry needling—and how does it work?

The term “dry” means just that—the needle is inserted without any substance to inject, explains Derek Clewley, PT, DPT, PhD, a physical therapist and associate director at the Duke Center of Excellence in Manual and Manipulative Therapy. “What differentiates dry needling from other forms of needling, such as injections, is that nothing is delivered into the tissue. It truly is a ‘dry’ needle.”

“Another difference is the shape of the needle. Because there’s no need for a hollow tube to deliver medication, dry needles tend to have more of a conical shape rather than a beveled one,” he says. “This allows it to penetrate the skin and reach the intended tissue with slightly less discomfort than a traditional needle.”

Dry needling vs. acupuncture: What’s the difference?

One major distinction between dry needling and acupuncture? Intent, says Clewley. “For me personally, when I do dry needling, I’m trying to find some sort of either a trigger point, something that is tight or something that I feel needs to calm down. Whereas acupuncture is a different approach in terms of the theory around why it actually works. A lot of that has to do with the energy fields and the energy lines.”

Another difference: “While acupuncture is certainly used to ease pain, it’s also used for a number of other potential issues that are not musculoskeletal conditions. So I’ll say that there’s a little bit of a difference around that in terms of the intent.”

Dry needling costs can vary widely by provider and location, but an average session can range anywhere from about $40 to more than $150. It’s not typically covered by insurance or Medicare.

Charlene’s first dry needling session

Before her first appointment, Charlene had no idea what dry needling actually was or how it differed from the acupuncture she’d already tried. In her case, the thin needles are placed in targeted areas, then an electrical current—similar to a TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) unit—is attached to them. “If you’ve ever had those TENS unit pads on, it’s a very similar feeling,” she explains, “only it goes below the surface of the skin.”

Not all dry needling involves an electrical current, however. “The use of electrical [stimulation] really depends on what the clinician wants to do with the needle,” Clewley explains. “While it can also be placed into other tissues like tendons or nerve sheaths, most clinicians use dry needling primarily in muscles.”

“One of the things you find when you put a needle into muscle is you get that little muscle twitch. The muscle kind of grabs onto the needle,” he adds. “That’s actually the intent of dry needling: to try to stimulate what we call a [myofascial] trigger point response, so that the muscle will twitch a little bit and may actually contract around the needle itself.”

The results that changed everything

Charlene felt relief immediately. “Even after the first session, I noticed it did something,” she says. “That was definitely a ‘eureka’ moment after trying so many things that didn’t work.”

For her, “better” means a dramatic reduction in her debilitating sciatica—what she describes as “the stabbing in the middle of your left butt cheek and hot lava pouring down the back of your leg.”

After completing about 10 sessions, Charlene became a believer. “To be honest, I’m a little afraid to stop completely,” she admits. “Now I go once a month for a little tune-up, because it’s so much better and I don’t want it to get worse.”

Before dry needling, any prolonged activity would trigger pain: walking too long, standing too long, especially on hard surfaces like cement floors at the mall. “I used to have to stop and say, ‘Oh my God, my left leg is just killing me,'” she recalls. The lower back compression from standing on hard surfaces has also improved significantly. “All of that is so much better now,” she says.

The success with her back pain led Charlene to try dry needling for another issue. When her foot doctor recommended surgery for persistent foot problems—a procedure she wanted to avoid—she turned to dry needling again. “It was helpful as well,” she reports. “Now when I go, it’s actually more for my foot.”

What the science says about dry needling for back pain

The research on dry needling? “Studies are inconclusive,” Clewley acknowledges. “While some show positive effects, others find no difference compared to traditional treatments—though importantly, they don’t show harm either.”

So why the disconnect between research and clinical success stories? “In a clinical trial, you’ll always have some people who respond really strongly and others who don’t—or even have negative outcomes,” he explains. “What you end up with is an average that doesn’t fully reflect those individual differences.” He believes clinicians may be better at identifying which patients are more likely to benefit from the effectiveness of dry needling.

One surprising factor that may predict success is patient interest. “A pretty good indicator is when a patient asks about dry needling,” he says. “We’re seeing more patients come in requesting it, and when they do, they already believe it will help. That expectation, that sense of hope, can make a real difference, and it’s something research doesn’t always capture.”

That said, some conditions show stronger evidence. “There are areas where the evidence is a bit more conclusive,” Clewley notes. Dry needling for reducing “back pain, for example, seems to have more support.”

Ultimately, Clewley views dry needling as an adjunct to, not a substitute for, other physical therapy interventions. “What we hope is that it acts as an amplifier—helping people engage in other parts of rehab they might not have been able to tolerate without that stimulus from dry needling,” he explains.

The bottom line on dry needling for back pain

For Charlene, dry needling has been life-changing. After 28 years of chronic back pain that limited her daily activities and range of motion, she can now walk, stand and move freely without that debilitating “hot lava” sensation shooting down her leg. If you’re struggling with chronic pain and want to explore dry needling, talk to your physical therapist or doctor about whether it might be right for you. As Charlene’s story shows, sometimes the solution you’ve been searching for is closer than you think.

Ready for more inspiration? Subscribe to our YouTube channel for video podcasts, health tips and uplifting stories designed for women 40, 50, 60 and beyond

This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.

How To Relieve Back Pain Fast With These Easy At-Home Fixes

Cailey Griffin — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 01:30:03 +0000

If your back has been giving you trouble lately, you have plenty of company. Most of us deal with back pain at one time or another, and more than 40 percent of women over 40 suffer from it, according to research in the Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy. That’s why we asked the experts how to relieve back pain using home remedies, easy regular exercise and inexpensive drugstore painkillers. Read on to discover what really works.

How to relieve back pain with stretching and exercise

When your back is aching, the last thing you may feel like doing is moving—but gentle, consistent movement keeps muscles and joints limber and can ease stiffness faster than rest alone. You don’t need a gym membership or fancy equipment to get started, either.

Take a walk

“Motion is lotion” for lubricating stiff back muscles and spinal joints, says spinal and orthopedic surgeon Ken Hansraj, MD, author of Watch Your Back. He recommends moderate physical activity like walking for 30 to 45 minutes a day—even 10-minute increments of movement can help relieve back pain.

Tip: Walking on a slight incline can be especially helpful. “When we walk uphill, our body tilts forward and our spinal joints open up to make more room for nerves, easing tightness and relieving back pain,” says Dr. Hansraj.

Try chair exercises

If mobility is limited, chair exercises or back pain are a great option to help reverse the effects of poor posture and loosen tight muscles. A seated forward bend releases tension in the lower back, while shoulder rolls improve posture and reduce strain. “There is a chain reaction of what the shoulders are doing that translates to the lower back,” says Denise Etter, PT, DPT, franchise regional consultant at FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers.

Do ‘wall angels’

‘Wall angels’ are another simple move that can help relieve back pain. “Wall angels open up your chest and bring your shoulders back, alleviating a major source of pain between the shoulders and neck,” says Dr. Hansraj. Stand with your back flat against a wall, slowly raise your arms overhead, then lower them. Repeat five to 10 times, three to five times a week.

Consider Pilates

A review in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science found that people with lower back discomfort who did Pilates regularly saw significant improvements in back pain relief.

How to relieve back pain with lifestyle changes

Sometimes the smallest changes in your daily routine bring the biggest relief. From how you breathe to how you unwind at the end of the day, a few easy home treatments can help you figure out how to relieve back pain without a lot of extra effort.

Pencil in couch time

Enjoying a “gravity break”—lying on your back on a couch or bed for 10 to 20 minutes—helps decompress the spine after a long day, says Saloni Sharma, MD, a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician at the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute.

Take a deep breath

“Taking deep, diaphragmatic breaths quiets the stress response, a major trigger of back pain,” says Dr. Hansraj. Inhale through your nose for a slow count of five, hold briefly, then exhale through your mouth for a count of five.

Grab a tennis ball

According to a study in the Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research, a twice-daily tennis ball massage tames muscle tension to reduce back pain by 66 percent in four days. Learn how to do the back pain massage here.

Relax in a warm bath

Soaking in a baking soda bath helps as well. A study in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice found that people who soaked in a baking soda bath for 10 minutes daily experienced marked reductions in back pain after one week. The baking soda has an alkaline effect that reduces inflammation, while the warm water improves blood flow. No time for a bath? Place a heating pad over the affected area to find relief.

How to relieve back pain while sleeping

A good night’s sleep can be hard to come by when your back is hurting—but the way you position yourself matters more than you might think. A few simple adjustments to your sleep setup can mean waking up refreshed instead of stiff and sore.

Sleep on your side

“In general, I like to have people try to lie on their side with a pillow between their knees to help keep their hips in good alignment, which in turn can take pressure off the lower back,” says Christynne Helfrich, DPT, a consultant at Hinge Health.

Or grab an extra pillow

Another option is sleeping on your back with pillows under your knees to keep your spine neutral. What to avoid? Sleeping on your stomach, which can affect the natural curve of your spine.

How to relieve back pain with OTC painkillers

When exercises and lifestyle changes aren’t quite enough on their own, an over-the-counter painkiller (including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs) can offer extra support. Knowing which type to reach for can help you manage discomfort more effectively. Reshma Kapadia Patel, PharmD, founder at WiseMedRx, breaks down the best picks:

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) works well for mild, everyday aches
Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) is especially helpful for muscle strain or inflammation
Naproxen (Aleve) is a good option for ongoing pain, since it requires fewer doses
Diclofenac gel (Voltaren) targets localized pain directly at the site

“The goal is not to rely on them long-term, but to use them thoughtfully to manage symptoms and improve function,” says Patel.

When to see a doctor about how to relieve back pain

If back pain lasts longer than a couple of weeks or includes severe numbness, weakness, loss of leg function or loss of bowel/bladder control, seek urgent medical care.

Ready for more inspiration? Subscribe to our YouTube channel for video podcasts, health tips and uplifting stories designed for women 40, 50, 60 and beyond.

Best Over-The-Counter Painkillers for Back Pain That Offer Fast Relief

Cailey Griffin — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 22:00:55 +0000

When back pain flares up, you want fast, effective relief. So you open your medicine cabinet in search of pain medicine and then it hits you: Which over-the-counter (OTC) painkillers are actually best for back pain? Most of of us just grab whatever’s handy or perhaps a familiar bottle, but it turns out not all OTC pain relievers are created equal—and knowing how to find the best one for your needs can make a world of difference. We asked experts to break down everything you need to know.

What causes back pain?

While some people can point to a specific condition like osteoporosis for back pain, sometimes the cause isn’t always clear. Reshma Kapadia Patel, PharmD, deprescribing pharmacist and founder at WiseMedRx, says a few of the most common causes include:

Muscle strain
Poor posture
Minor acute injuries
Arthritis
Nerve irritations
Disc problems (issues with the cushioning discs between the bones of the spine)

“In many cases, especially with acute back pain, it’s due to inflammation or muscle tension rather than something serious. But the cause can vary depending on age, activity level and overall health,” adds Patel.

Richard Riemer, DO, a neurology specialist and professor at Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine, says much of back pain is considered “mechanical,” meaning it arises from structures in the lower back like muscles, joints, ligaments or discs. He adds it often develops after physical activity that exceeds what the body is used to, such as lifting, overuse or starting a new routine too quickly.

The benefits of over-the-counter painkillers for back pain

If you typically rely on holistic methods like a heating pad or stretching for back pain relief, you may feel hesitant about adding medication to your routine. But Patel says it can be a valuable tool in your overall treatment plan, especially if you haven’t been getting the relief you need.

“It’s okay to feel cautious about medications,” says Patel. “The goal is not to rely on them long-term, but to use them thoughtfully to manage symptoms and improve function. Medication can be helpful, especially in the short term, because it can reduce pain enough to allow movement, stretching and healing.”

Best over-the-counter painkillers for back pain

Targeting your OTC remedy to your specific type of back pain can speed relief, and Patel notes that not all back pain is the same. Some types are driven by inflammation, while others are more related to muscle tension or general pain, which is why certain medications may work better than others. Here’s what works best:

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) for mild, everyday aches

Patel says acetaminophen, which is a pain reliever, is often a good first option for mild to moderate pain or general achiness. She explains it works by reducing pain signals in the brain rather than inflammation itself. It’s generally well tolerated, but she cautions against taking high doses due to potential liver risks.

Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) for muscle strain

Ibuprofen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), is especially helpful for pain due to muscle strain or inflammation. Patel explains it works by reducing both pain and swelling, but notes it’s best used short term since it can irritate the stomach and may affect blood pressure or kidney function in some people.

She adds it should be used with caution in older adults and those with kidney disease, heart conditions or who take blood pressure medications.

Naproxen (Aleve) for chronic pain

This longer-acting NSAID works similarly to ibuprofen, but lasts longer in the body, Patel explains. She says it can be a good option for ongoing pain since it requires fewer doses, but notes it comes with a risk of side effects including stomach irritation.

Diclofenac gel (Voltaren) for localized pain

Patel says diclofenac gel, which is a topical NSAID applied to the skin, can help reduce inflammation directly at the site of pain. She explains it’s a good option for more localized back pain or for people who prefer to avoid oral medications, though it may cause mild skin irritation.

Lidocaine patches for nerve pain

Another good over-the-counter painkiller for back pain is lidocaine patches, which are topical numbing agents that can be helpful for localized or nerve-related pain. Patel explains they work by blocking pain signals in the nerves, though some people may experience mild skin irritation.

When to see a doctor for back pain

While over-the-counter painkillers can be a helpful tool when treating occasional back pain, they’re not meant to be a long-term solution. Seek medical care if you experience any of the following symptoms, which could be signs of a more serious underlying condition:

Severe pain or pain lasting more than a few weeks
Weakness, numbness or tingling
Loss of bowel or bladder along with back pain
Back pain secondary to an injury or a fall
Fever
Unexplained weight loss
Worsening pain at night
Pain that doesn’t improve with rest

The bottom line on over-the-counter painkillers for back pain

Medication can bring welcome relief when back pain strikes—but it’s just one tool in your wellness toolkit. The key is choosing the right option for your specific symptoms and using it safely.

“As a deprescribing pharmacist, I always remind patients that more medication isn’t always better,” says Patel. “Choosing the right treatment and knowing when to stop is just as important as starting. Back pain is very common, and in many cases, it improves with time and supportive care. The goal is to manage symptoms safely while allowing the body to heal. The goal isn’t just to relieve pain, it’s to do it safely and in a way that supports long-term health.”

Ready for more inspiration? Subscribe to our YouTube channel for video podcasts, health tips and uplifting stories designed for women 40, 50, 60 and beyond.

This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.

Peripheral Artery Disease Treatments That Ease Leg Pain When Walking

Alexandria Brooks — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 16:40:00 +0000

It’s no secret that as we get older, our bodies start to react differently to the same activities. Clutching the pages of a paperback can cause cramping in the hands. Retrieving groceries from shopping bags can trigger back pain. But if your legs ache every time you walk, it could be peripheral artery disease (PAD). Here we break down what the condition is and who’s most at risk, plus share the best peripheral artery disease treatment options to ease the ache and help ward off serious complications.

What is peripheral artery disease?

PAD occurs due to plaque buildup in the artery walls of the legs and starts to restrict blood flow. “Over time, fatty deposits occur in the blood vessels and can progress to more complex areas of stenosis, or blockages,” adds vascular surgeon and PAD expert Britt Tonnessen, MD, an associate professor of surgery (vascular) at the Yale School of Medicine.

“In peripheral artery disease, the legs or arms—usually the legs—don’t receive enough blood flow to keep up with demand,” adds cardiologist Evelina Grayver, MD, director of the Women’s Heart Program at the Katz Institute for Women’s Health in Queens, NY, and assistant professor in the Department of Cardiology at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra University/Northwell. “This may cause leg pain when walking [claudication] and other symptoms.” (Learn more about the symptoms of PAD.)

Peripheral artery disease risk factors

“The incidence of PAD increases with age, especially over 65,” says Dr. Tonnessen. “It afflicts 12 percent of the U.S. population over the age of 40,” and jumps up to 25 percent of women over 80. Other risk factors for peripheral artery disease include:

Diabetes
Obesity
Smoking
High cholesterol
High blood pressure
A family history of PAD, heart disease or stroke
High levels of the amino acid homocysteine, which can increase the risk for coronary artery disease

Why PAD is harder to diagnose in women

“Women are more likely to have asymptomatic (silent) peripheral artery disease or to present with atypical symptoms, which can lead to underdiagnosis,” Dr. Tonnessen says. “Only about 50 percent of those with PAD have pain in their legs.”

There are also some conditions, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, that can be mistaken for or confused with PAD. This includes arthritis, vein problems, or nerve issues like sciatica. “Symptoms of pain, aches or cramps with walking claudication can happen in the buttock, hip, thigh or calf,” adds Dr. Grayver. “So PAD often goes undiagnosed by healthcare professionals.”

If the disease is suspected, a doctor will use your health and family history, as well as any symptoms, to decide whether or not to test for peripheral artery disease. Once your doctor determines that a test is necessary, it is relatively simple to diagnose PAD.

“An examination of the legs and feet will check for pulses,” Dr. Tonnessen says. “Then the best screening test for PAD is an ankle-brachial index study. This is a test which uses blood pressure cuffs to compare pressure in the legs to the arms. Normal readings are >0.9 (essentially, 90 percent circulation in the lower legs). The lower the reading, the more serious the PAD.”

Lower readings may warrant additional tests. “Your doctor may also do imaging tests such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), and computed tomographic (CT) angiography,” says Dr. Grayver.

Peripheral artery disease treatment options

Sounds obvious, but a healthy lifestyle is the most effective strategy for managing PAD and its symptoms, says Dr. Grayver. The good news: It doesn’t have to be a chore! These smart peripheral artery disease treatment tips ease pain and keep symptoms in check.

Take a daily aspirin

“I recommend my patients to take aspirin or other similar antiplatelet medicines to prevent serious complications from PAD and associated atherosclerosis,” says Dr. Grayver. According to the American College of Cardiology (ACC), both aspirin and clopidogrel (another antiplatelet medication) are recommended to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events or stroke in patients with PAD. Your doctor can determine the best daily dosage for you, but the ACC reports taking 75 mg to 325 mg of aspirin is generally a safe and effective treatment dose for peripheral artery disease.

Walk this way

“The Society for Vascular Surgery and many other medical societies endorse walking as a way to improve vascular health,” says Dr. Tonnessen. “There is good evidence that walking can train the leg muscles in patients with PAD.” Engaging in a walking program can help folks build up to walking farther and longer without pain. The trick: Turn it into a game of red light, green light. Walk until you feel pain, then stop for a break. When the ache subsides, resume your stroll.

“Walking regularly 20 to 30 minutes a day at least five days a week is what I advise,” Dr. Tonnessen adds. “For those who can only walk short distances due to the claudication, include the rest times in the total walk times. Stop, stand and then go again when the pain improves. Over a period of six to eight weeks, a person with PAD may be about to double her walking distance.”

The proof: A review in the Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention found that regular walking helped PAD patients walk up to 420 ft. farther pain-free within 12 weeks. And a separate study in the Journal of Vascular Surgery found that when people with claudication walked as little as two to three times per week until they felt pain (then stopped before resuming), they were able to walk more than twice as far. What’s more, their blood vessels were up to 82 percent more dilated within 12 weeks, a sign of improved blood flow.

Try the Mediterranean diet

Enjoying more low-fat (or healthy fat) foods is a smart strategy for improving your cardiovascular health, says Dr. Grayver. Whenever possible, replace foods like butter, fatty cuts of meat and high-fat cheeses with healthier fare such as olive oil, fish and grains and beans. Better yet, consider adopting a Mediterranean diet to help treat peripheral artery disease.

A review in Circulation Research that looked at 45 studies confirmed that the evidence in favor of a Mediterranean diet is “large, strong and consistent” and is associated with better cardiovascular health outcomes. That translates to a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke and total cardiovascular disease, all of which can worsen peripheral artery disease symptoms.

Savor chocolate

A study in Circulation Research found that people with peripheral artery disease who drank a cocoa beverage daily for six months could walk farther than those who didn’t. Researchers credited this benefit to cocoa’s antioxidants, which improve blood flow to the legs to ease pain. To make getting the benefits easy, try adding a protein powder made with cacao to your morning smoothie. One to try: Just Ingredients Chocolate Protein Powder, which also contains 100 percent grass-fed whey protein from New Zealand.

Opt for ‘hot-cold’ therapy

A spa-inspired treatment that boosts blood flow and eases peripheral artery disease symptoms: heat and cold therapy. “A more ‘out of the box’ treatment may include sauna treatments followed by cold plunges, allowing for more blood flow to develop,” says Dr. Grayver. A study in Physical Therapy confirms that the combination of hot and cold treatment improves the speed at which blood is able to travel through the arteries.

No access to a sauna? No problem! You can achieve the same benefits in the shower using hot and cold water. The researchers found that the optimal ratio is three minutes of heat followed by one minute of cold.

Supplement with gingko bliloba

A review of studies in the The American Journal of Medicine suggests that ginkgo biloba extract may help reduce intermittent claudication, a type of leg pain caused by poor blood flow that affects about one in three people with PAD. While researchers acknowledge that more research is still needed, it’s worth asking your doctor if this may be right for you.

The importance of peripheral artery disease treatment

PAD treatments can do more than just improve your symptoms—they can also boost blood flow throughout your body, which may help reduce your risk of heart attacks and prevent blood clots. If the above lifestyle remedies don’t provide as much relief as you’d hoped, your doctor may prescribe medication such as statins or drugs to prevent blood clots. In severe cases, your doctor may recommend a stent or bypass surgery to improve blood flow.

The bottom line: Talk to your doctor about what’s right for you. Treating peripheral artery disease can make a big difference in your overall health.

This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.

Woman's World

Plantar Fasciitis Treatment That Works in Seconds: What Doctors Swear By

What is plantar fasciitis?

Woman's World Answers

Best at-home plantar fasciitis treatment options

Stretch the plantar fascia

Slip on a splint

Sip anti-inflammatory tea

Try an NSAID

The 2 best types of shoes for plantar fasciitis

Best shoes for plantar fasciitis when you’re in the house

Best shoes for plantar fasciitis when you head outside

The bottom line about speedy plantar fasciitis treatment

Why Chronic Pain in Women Hits Harder—and Ways To Calm It Naturally

Why women are more sensitive to pain

Woman's World Answers

How women can tame chronic pain naturally

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Relaxation and activity

Medications that help women ease chronic pain

Opioids

Cymbalta or gabapentin

The bottom line on chronic pain in women

The Surprising Reason Your Chronic Pain Won’t Go Away—and How To Fix It

5 steps to healing chronic pain

Step 1: See your doctor

Woman's World Answers

Step 2: Spot signs of ‘neuroplastic’ pain

Step 3: Turn off the chronic pain danger signal

Step 4: Tune into your emotions

Step 5: Make life changes

PRT often beats standard care for chronic pain relief

This 20-Minute Journal Habit Helped End Her Debilitating Migraine Attacks

Anna suffered intense migraines before discovering journaling

Woman's World Answers

What Anna learned about the mind-body connection

How journaling finally freed Anna from migraine pain

What Causes Migraines? A Yale Doctor Reveals Sneaky Triggers

What are migraines?

Woman's World Answers

Migraine symptoms to watch for

Types of migraines

What causes migraines?

Hormone changes

Stress

Lifestyle changes

Genetics

Could a GLP-1 Drug Cut Your Migraine Days in Half? Research Says Yes

What new research on GLP-1s and migraines found

Woman's World Answers

What ‘half the migraine days’ actually looks like

Why might a weight-loss drug help a headache?

What this could mean for your migraines

How to ease head pain right now

Talk to your doctor about GLP-1s for migraines

Dry Needling Ended Her 28 Years of Back Pain and Saved Her From Surgery

Charlene’s 28-year battle with chronic back pain

Woman's World Answers

The desperate search for relief

How Charlene discovered dry needling for back pain

What is dry needling—and how does it work?

Dry needling vs. acupuncture: What’s the difference?

Charlene’s first dry needling session

The results that changed everything

What the science says about dry needling for back pain

The bottom line on dry needling for back pain

How To Relieve Back Pain Fast With These Easy At-Home Fixes

How to relieve back pain with stretching and exercise

Take a walk

Woman's World Answers

Try chair exercises

Do ‘wall angels’

Consider Pilates

How to relieve back pain with lifestyle changes

Pencil in couch time

Take a deep breath

Grab a tennis ball

Relax in a warm bath

How to relieve back pain while sleeping

Sleep on your side