The suicide of Dave Duerson and death of hockey player Derek Boogaard have made public the kind of brain damage that sports-related repetitive head trauma can cause. Not everyone who receives knocks to the head develops chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE, but the dementia it can foster has been seen in boxers for decades. Genes may be part of the story; better helmets may part of the answer.

We all use them - acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin. Whether it is to recover from a too-active weekend, the pain of arthritis, or a little too much partying, we all turn to over-the-counter, non-prescription medications to help us cope with aches and pains and prevent heart disease. If you listen to the advertisements, these drugs are miracle cures. But using them frequently carries risks that deserve consideration.

DTI brain scans of players found the most damage in those who headed the ball the most. And the players were amateurs.

Researchers have developed a painometer — a new way to more accurately rate patients'pain without subjective self-reports.

Two types of massage were offered to back pain sufferers. Guess who got better?

People briefly taught a form of meditation experienced a 40% reduction in pain intensity, far better than with morphine.

Even if you are not a marathoner or competitive swimmer, you can benefit from the lessons of extreme nutrition. Learn what is the right balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats for various types of exercise and how much fluid you need to properly keep yourself hydrated before, during and after exercise. Lona Sandon, M.Ed., R.D. also explains why chocolate milk makes an excellent post-exercise recovery food.

Can mindfulness therapy reduce the pain experienced by people with this baffling condition?

The rising number of young athletes hospitalized for concussions may signal that the injury is finally being taken seriously.

We learn better when we change our routines, rather than doing the same thing over and over, according to a new brain study.