pain

‘Life Is Pain’: Living Day by Day With ALS

Months after my husband, Todd, was diagnosed with ALS, our church’s worship leader asked us to participate in a Sunday morning service with “Cardboard Testimonies.” We watched an example on YouTube in which music played while people stood in front of the congregation and shared their stories. Presenters didn’t…

I Hate the Feeling of Knowing What’s Coming

I pleaded. I bargained. I threatened. But it was no use. My dog would not back away from the woods behind the shed, where he had been sprayed by a skunk just two weeks earlier. I was more panicked when he got skunked than I was now. I frantically searched…

Mighty Mind Strategies for Managing Pain 

Over the past year, I have become an expert in pain — something I never wanted to be. However, daily severe muscle spasms, cramping, one surgery, and an emergency room visit later, here I am. Despite my plethora of pain medications, I still suffered. Then, I realized that…

Pain in ALS Patients is Common but Not Studied Enough, Review Finds

People with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are frequently in pain, yet few studies focus on this aspect of the disease, according to an analysis by researchers at Italy’s University of Turin. Their study, “Pain in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,” recently appeared in the journal The Lancet Neurology. A comprehensive overview of published data,…