Firstly what is a tumour? A solid tumour is an abnormal mass of cells that grows on human tissue. We call these cells ‘neoplastic’, meaning ‘new growth’ – these growths are neither requested nor required. We usually distinguish between malignant and benign tumours. Cancerous tumours can be malignant and so they can grow quickly or […]
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Cluster Headaches
A cluster headache is a type of primary headache called a trigeminal autonomic cephalgia (or TAC). Cephal- refers to the head, whilst -algia means pain. So, a TAC means pain in the head, arising from the trigeminal nerve, with autonomic (involuntary) signs. The symptoms cluster in location and time, hence the name. Cause Currently, the […]
Hemifacial Spasm
What is it? Hemifacial spasm is a rare condition, affecting on average 4,000 people in the UK. A spasm is when a muscle, or group of muscles, contracts involuntarily, when they’re not supposed to. The word ‘hemifacial’ describes the area affected by the spasm – half of the face; most commonly the left side. Both […]
Phantom Limb Pain
Phantom meaning false, or not present, phantom limb pain refers to the fascinating phenomenon wherein the mind believes a body part is still attached, and experiences neuropathic pain in that place. Neuropathic meaning due to a lesion or disease of the somatosensory system. This blog post will delve into what we currently know about the […]
Chronic and Complex Pain Syndromes
What is chronic pain? Chronic pain affects many people, across a variety of patient populations. Acute pain indicates a short duration and/or recent onset event, thought to be a protective mechanism of the body. Normally, this leads to healing and restoration however, persistent pain that lasts for over 12 weeks is referred to as chronic […]