Archive for July 2018
Oregon’s Proposal to Deny Access to Prescription Opioids Is Dangerous
Here is the email I sent to The Oregon Health Evidence Review Commission (HERC) and its subcommittee, Value-based Benefits Subcommittee (VbBS), at the suggestion of a recent National Pain Report article: I am writing in regards to the Oregon Health Plan’s proposal to limit access to opioids for people in chronic pain. Certainly, opioid abuse…
Read MoreUnhelpful Numbers Create Misleading Political Statements
“Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics” Benjamin Disraeli reportedly said that there are three types of lies: “lies, damned lies, and statistics.” He may have been right. The Washington Post recently published an article titled, “Companies shipped 1.6 billion opioids to Missouri from 2012 to 2017, report says.” The story references a report released by Senator Claire…
Read MorePeople in Pain Speak Out
HHS Pain Task Force Holds Its Inaugural Meeting The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Pain Task Force held its inaugural meeting in May 2018 that included a public comment period. Members of the public had also been invited to submit their comments about chronic pain online, and the site received 2,530 posts.…
Read MorePostural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
What Is Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)? Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) affects between 1 and 3 million Americans, typically women between 15 and 50 years old. It is a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, or a dysautonomia disorder, which involves blood pressure, heart rate, digestion, urination, breathing, and body temperature. As the Standing Up…
Read MoreTreating Babies with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Means Babies Are Born in Withdrawal Babies who are exposed to drugs in the womb may be born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Some people mistakenly believe these infants are born addicted to opioids. In fact, babies with NAS are born in withdrawal from opioids. They are not addicted to them. If…
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