Posts by Lynn Webster, M.D.
Acceptance with Resilience – Living with Chronic Pain
Several years ago, I happened to be reading a research article about people who had lost limbs in landmine explosions, when I ran across a psychological distinction that I’ve seen validated many times since then. It seems that one of the major factors determining the quality of recovery for someone who has suffered this kind…
Read MoreClinical Pain Advisor: Report on Opioids During Pregnancy Harms Pain Community
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on Clinical Pain Advisor in response to an earlier story titled: Opioids During Pregnancy Affect Birth Weight, Respiratory Health. Vanderbilt University Medical Center reported a well-known link between opioid use during pregnancy and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) in a recently published study that is quickly gaining traction online. It is sparking a great deal of controversy — in part because there is…
Read MoreIneffective Treatment Associated with the Chronification of Pain
By Barby Ingle, President Power of Pain Foundation As a leader in the pain community and someone who personally advocates for pain patients on a daily basis, I strongly believe that we can combat the issues of abuse while still giving patients who need pain relief a safe, effective and accountable access to these medications.…
Read MoreJennifer Aniston’s Oscar-Worthy Performance Shows Life With Chronic Pain
Lynn R. Webster, MD Tinseltown does not generally have much in common with medicine, but the big screens will occasionally reflect what is happening in society. It’s been more than two decades since Tom Hanks won his first Best Actor Oscar award for his role in “Philadelphia,” a movie that contributed to a national social…
Read MoreDEA Inflicts Harm on Chronic Pain Patients
In an effort to curb opioid drug abuse and addiction, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has issued new rules that limit the accessibility of hydrocodone, putting chronic pain sufferers who rely on the drug in an impossible situation. The DEA’s new restrictions come after the decision to relabel hydrocodone as a Schedule II drug, making…
Read MorePrescription Drug Monitoring Programs – Much Promise But Limited Progress
by Lynn Webster, MD The Problems of Opioids During roughly the past two decades there have been significant increases in the prescription of opioid analgesics for helping millions of patients with pain disorders. At the same time, the United States is in the midst of an epidemic of misuse of these drugs and related abuse,…
Read MoreInterview with Dr. Steven Passik – Question #6
Question #6: Why has the CDC not recognized pain as an epidemic but says opioids should not be used for chronic non-cancer pain? Dr. Lynn Webster [Dr. Webster]: Hello, this is Dr. Lynn Webster. Thank you for listening to the Pain Topics series of interviews on LynnWebsterMD.com. Today I am joined by Dr. Steve Passik…
Read MoreInterview with Dr. Steven Passik – Question #5
Question #5: Can you tell me what a pain specialist is and what training should be required for a pain doctor? Dr. Lynn Webster [Dr. Webster]: Hello, this is Dr. Lynn Webster. Thank you for listening to the Pain Topics series of interviews on LynnWebsterMD.com. Today I am back with Dr. Steven Passik to…
Read MoreInterview with Dr. Steven Passik – Question #4
Question #4: Can you envision a cultural transformation as called for by the Institute of Medicine? Dr. Lynn Webster [Dr. Webster]: Hello, this is Dr. Lynn Webster. Thank you for listening to the Pain Topics series of interviews on LynnWebsterMD.com. Today I am back with Dr. Steve Passik to continue our discussion. Dr. Passik is…
Read MoreInterview with Dr. Steven Passik – Question #3
Question #3: Why do you think the US and Canada use so many more opioids than other countries? Dr. Lynn Webster [Dr. Webster]: This is Dr. Lynn Webster. Thank you for listening to the Pain Topics series of interviews on LynnWebsterMD.com. I am back with Dr. Steve Passik to ask him another question which many…
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