| Article
A new study reported by the Research Society on Alcoholism concludes that alternative pain therapies including acupuncture and electroacupuncture (EA) may be effective in reducing the incidence of hyperalgesia that may accompany alcohol withdrawal. The onset of hyperalgesia, or increased sensitivity...
| Article
It’s pretty remarkable that mindfulness meditation can be more powerful than morphine. Morphine has been shown to, on average, reduce chronic pain by about 25%. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to, on average, reduce chronic pain by about 40% and in some cases up to 93% with short-term and...
| Podcast
A common practice for treating chronic back pain includes core stabilization. There is strongly held belief in health care and fitness that back pain is related to the strength of core muscles. Where did this belief originate? Why is it so popular? What is the evidence supporting widespread use of...
| Podcast
Controversies continue to exist regarding safe and appropriate management of people with chronic pain. The "pendulum has swung in the other direction" with respect to the utility, safety, and efficacy of the use of opioids as a key component of chronic pain treatment. It seems to be unclear to many...
| Podcast
This presentation will outline 3 sustainable stepwise approaches for providing chronic pain care within the patient centered medical home (PMH). Treatment of chronic pain is going through a systemic transformation (see 2016 National Pain Strategy from HHS and the 2009 VHA Stepped Care Model). The...
| Podcast
Managing risk is an essential part of medical practice, particularly in light of the reported increase in morbidity and mortality associated with the use of opioids. Recent anecdotal data indicate that as a result of the "opioid crisis," patients are being told by their prescribers that they can no...
| Podcast
During this 2-hour Master Class, participants will learn the pathoetiology of central pain syndromes (CPS). Six specific CPS will be described and clinical aspects will be discussed: multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, phantom limb pain, spinal cord injury, poststroke pain syndrome, and...
| Podcast
Opioids are the most powerful tool we have in our arsenal for the management of moderate to severe pain, yet great care and attention to detail in dosing is necessary to prevent patient suffering and death. This presentation is a "boots on the ground" approach to selecting, dosing, titrating, and...
| Podcast
Historically, pain has been viewed as a symptom of perturbations in the tissues of the body, such that effective treatments would address the damage to the affected body region and pain relief would ensue. However, both clinical experience and the scientific literature are replete with examples of...
| Podcast
Several studies from both pain clinics and primary care have found that regional myofascial pain is the most common presenting pain condition. Yet the lack of awareness of it is surprising. Everyone, at some point in their lives, has experienced acute muscle pain associated with overuse or...