| Podcast
The field of pain management has undergone a circuitous adventure, much like a rabbit hole. As the economic, mental health, and medical consequences of prescribing opioid medications have mounted, the prevailing logic regarding the usefulness of prescribing opioids for chronic pain has shifted. The...
| Podcast
Patients suffering from chronic pain commonly experience comorbid problems that can further impair quality of life. These include psychological and medical comorbidities and fatigue and sleep disorders. Greater than 50% of patients with pain disorders experience sleep disturbance, with estimates as...
| Podcast
The Institute of Medicine stated in 2011 that one of the health professional's primary roles for chronic pain should be guiding, coaching, and assisting patients with day-to-day self-management of their pain condition and, along with National Institutes of Health, have established research involving...
| Podcast
As we acknowledge the recent increases in deaths and other negative outcomes associated with chronic opioid use, abuse, and overdose, we as clinicians are faced with very important questions: Can opioids be rationally prescribed for chronic pain? For whom? How? For how long? Recent CDC guidelines...
| Podcast
Chronic pain affects 100 million US adults. It is the #1 reason people are out of work. It is the leading reason that people seek medical attention, costing the nation upwards of $635 billion annually--more than heart disease, cancer, and diabetes combined. Given the burden of unmanaged pain in...
| Article
New research led by a medical sociologist from University at Buffalo, New York, concludes that older Americans who are less educated and poorer are much more likely to be impacted by chronic pain than their wealthier, better-educated counterparts. The findings deliver bad news on several fronts...
| 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
The prescription drug problem in America has led to many guidelines and, in some cases, regulations aimed at stemming the tide of prescription drug abuse. Some are evidence based, but most are driven by fear and an overwhelming need to do "something." Unfortunately, while these guidelines have...
| Podcast
Effective pain management has been deemed a human right, but some chronic pain patients perceive that to mean they are entitled to opioid analgesics for prolonged pain control. In response to these expectations, providers may feel pressured to say "Yes" and continue prescribing opioids, thereby...