Posts by Lynn Webster, M.D.
How Government Shutdowns Worsen the Opioid Crisis
Government shutdowns increase the likelihood that opioids could find their way past our borders. And our ability to treat people with opioid addiction may also be compromised.
Read MoreInnovations in Healthcare
Innovations in healthcare such as Virtual Reality Neuropsychological Therapy (VRNT) and dozens of other technologies bring hope to pain patients.
Read MoreHollywood Romanticizes Addiction
We all love good storytelling. Cinema can mirror the real world or create a universe of its own. Movies can transport us to another world, beyond ordinary consciousness and emotions. It can be an agent for positive cultural change, or it can spread false narratives that are largely adopted by society. It can help solve…
Read MoreEyes Wide Open
So Much I Don’t Know The New York Times article by Alex Berenson, “What Advocates of Legalizing Pot Don’t Want You to Know,” reminds me of Sabrina Carpenter’s song, “Eyes Wide Open,” that includes these lyrics: “Better keep my eyes wide open/There’s so much I don’t know.” There may be “so much I don’t know”…
Read MoreA Daughter’s Pain and Healing
This is an article by Reggie W. Greening. I offer it with the author’s permission for informational purposes. The author and I have no financial involvement. THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE HIS OWN AND DO NOT REPRESENT MY VIEW OR MEDICAL ADVICE. Some people with pain have benefited from alternative therapies. In my…
Read MoreFive Consequential Issues for People with Pain in 2018
As 2018 comes to a close, I have reflected on legislation, polices, and a critical report that will likely continue to have an impact on the pain community in 2019. In no particular order, I have listed 5 issues that I feel were highly consequential for 2018. 1. CMS Decides to Impose Opioid Limits Beginning…
Read MoreAmerican Society of Anesthesiologists Oppose Oregon’s Opioid Prescribing Proposal
Oregon Chronic Pain Task Force’s Proposal I previously posted a letter written by Dr. Sean Mackey that discusses the problem with the Oregon Chronic Pain Task Force’s proposal that would leave many Medicaid patients without adequate pain therapy. The proposal would force providers to lower, or eliminate, the use of opioids despite the benefits patients…
Read MoreThe 2018 Farm Bill Changes Everything for Hemp
Farming Hemp May Be Legal Congress just reached an agreement on the 2018 Farm Bill that could make farming hemp in the United States legal for the first time in nearly a century. The legislation has had bipartisan support. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) is a cosponsor of the legislation. It has been a major goal…
Read MoreOregon Chronic Pain Task Force Revised Proposal Regarding Opioids
A Painful Proposal Unfortunately, according to the Portland Business Journal, the scaled-back Oregon opioid proposal has moved closer to reality. The Task Force has taken a very harsh position for prescribing opioids to control pain in the Medicaid population. Potentially, the proposal could hurt 1 million Oregonians who are in that position. Response to Oregon…
Read MoreShould Access to Scientific Research Be Free?
Federally-Funded Research Might Someday Be Free A New Scientist article by Graham Lawton predicts that, by January 1, 2030, all biomedical research will be free to read. That might be an overly ambitious goal. It might not be a good idea, either. If research is federally funded, then perhaps — as Boingboing suggests — the…
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