Steven D. Passik, Ph.D., is a Pennsylvania-based pain psychologist. I’m proud to call him a friend. He is a giant in the field of pain medicine, but that doesn’t make his family members immune to the problems that other chronic patients face. Steve lost his mother on September 14, 2016. He’s given me permission…
Read MoreIn the September 13 issue of Vice, Maia Szalavitz challenges the myth that the U.S. can solve the opioid crisis by reducing the supply. According to her biography published in Wikipedia, “[Szalavitz] has been awarded the American Psychological Association’s Division 50 Award for Contributions to the Addictions, the Media Award from the American College of…
Read MoreDetective Justin Albauer, who works for the Martin County Sheriff’s Department in Florida, pulled over Brianna Byrnes’s car in August 2015. That is a day that Byrnes will always remember. A Second Chance At Life In a poignant CNN story, we can read about what happened. Detective Albauer arrested Byrnes. She served time in jail,…
Read MoreAccording to the American Chronic Pain Association’s web site, “The month of September has been declared Pain Awareness Month. Pain Awareness Month is a time when various organizations work to raise public awareness of issues in the area of pain and pain management.” September Is Pain Awareness Month The American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA) doesn’t…
Read MoreBy Guest Blogger Russ Izzo A growing number of people suffering from all kinds of debilitating pain are experiencing relief from TENS therapy, which stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. This type of therapy may seem relatively new, but it’s actually been around for quite some time. If you can cast your mind back to around…
Read MorePachyonychia Congenita (or PC) is not just another chronic disabling pain problem for which there is no cure. This disease is personal, because my younger brother was born with it. His name is Lyle. Most people have never heard of PC. It is another one of the invisible chronic pain disorders that causes incredible suffering,…
Read MoreMinnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar co-introduced the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) which was signed into law by President Obama last month. Now she’s co-introduced the Prescription Drug Monitoring Act which would mandate that doctors use prescription drug monitoring programs when prescribing painkillers to a patient for the first time. What are Prescription Monitoring Programs…
Read MoreThe Other Side of the Pain Story By Richard L. Martin, BSPharm (retired) I was a hospital pharmacist for twenty-five years. The last four years in practice, I was involved with the cancer ward helping oncologists, recommending pain medications, adjusting pain medications, and safely switching patients from one medication to another. Even though it’s been…
Read MoreOpioids are often considered mandatory for treatment of chronic pain, but many patients would prefer an alternative. Doctors say those alternatives may also work better in some cases. Link to NPR All Things Considered
Read MoreMark Twain is quoted as saying: “If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.” What Is an FDA ADCOM? Pharma and device companies seeking approval for their products are often required to present their data to an FDA advisory committee meeting (ADCOM). They have a limited time in which to tell…
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