The UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry has received a major five-year, $9.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate how the jaw joint and surrounding facial muscles influence and create pain. The study's findings could help lead to safer drug alternatives to opioid painkillers, helping to curb addiction.

For years, Ali Seifi could not get the idea of curing hiccups out of his mind. He spent hours daydreaming of air pressure, flow, enervation and throat tissue flaps. Finally, after talking with a patient who had been up all night with hiccups after surgery, Seifi decided to turn his idea into a working prototype.

“ReCollections — Art Conversation to Stimulate the Mind” is a free, monthly discussion open to the public. The program provides a welcoming environment for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers to connect through artwork.

A commitment to healthy living is a goal many people set as their New Year’s resolution. Quitting tobacco is a top resolution across the U.S. because of its negative impact on a person’s finances, lifestyle and health. Those looking to make a change can schedule an appointment with a primary care provider to learn about resources that may help.

Creating time to incorporate muscle activity at work is critical for those with desk jobs. Bradley Tragord, PT, DPT, DSc, suggests taking mini breaks each hour to get up, move or change position. He also recommends five exercises that can be done in the office to add physical activity into any daily routine.

How do we turn discoveries into lifesaving health care? From fighting disease to making research breakthroughs, we do everything it takes to lead the way to develop new therapies and treatments to care for you.

See how we’re changing lives and find a provider.

Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez, MD, professor and chair, Rehabilitation Medicine, was interviewed for this CNN podcast.

Barbara Robles-Ramamurthy, MD, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, was interviewed for this news segment.

Jan Patterson, MD, Infectious Diseases, was quoted in this article.

Tess Barton, MD, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, was quoted in this story.

Rachel Pearson, MD, PhD,  Pediatrics and Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics, is quoted in this article.