Interview 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…

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Interview 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…

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Interview 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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Interview with Dr. Steven Passik – Question #1

Question #1: What do you see as the principal obstacles for people in pain to be treated with dignity? Dr. Lynn Webster [Dr. Webster]: Hello, this is Dr. Lynn Webster, and I thank you for listening to this inaugural Q&A series on LynnWebsterMD.com. Today I am with Dr. Steve Passik, a clinical psychologist and a…

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Time for a More Rational Cannabis Policy

Individuals who suffer from severe chronic pain are caught in a double bind. Opioids contribute to the enormous societal harms of unintentional overdose, diversion and addiction, and data on their long-term effectiveness are conflicting and inadequate (Chou R, Turner JA, Devine EB, et al. The effectiveness and risks of long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain:…

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A Q&A with Paul Gileno, U.S. Pain Foundation

Q: Has there been a change in the major concerns of people in pain over the past several years? If so, what are those changes? Paul Gileno: Sadly, YES! What I have seen as Founder and President of US Pain, and as an experienced person with pain — and what we hear from people with…

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A Rainbow of Hope for Chronic Pain

A rainbow is a symbol of hope and promise, its beauty connecting the earth with the sky. It is magical and spiritual. When I was growing up on our family’s farm in Nebraska, the rainbows over the wide-open landscape were breathtaking. I loved the smell of the air full of the ozone that preceded and…

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The Debate Over Running While High

The grueling sport of ultramarathon has fostered a mingling of two seemingly opposite camps: endurance jocks and potheads. “If you can find the right level, [marijuana] takes the stress out of running,” says Avery Collins, a 22-year-old professional ultramarathoner. “And it’s a postrace, post-run remedy.” The painkilling and nausea-reducing benefits of marijuana may make it…

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Study Suggests Physician Dispensing of Opioids in Florida Led to Overprescribing

Physician dispensing may have contributed to the unnecessary prescribing of strong opioids by some physicians in Florida, a recent study suggested. The Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI), an independent, notforprofit research organization, analyzed 46,192 claims from injured workers to gauge the effect of Florida’s antipill mill bill (HB 7095) on prescribing behavior. The ban, which went into effect on…

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