Mindfulness is not a foreign religion or threat to anyone’s religion, despite what some people may assume. We should remember that Walking the Labyrinth is a traditional process by which believers in Christianity can meditate. All religions have recognized the healing properties of meditation or mindfulness. Each religion may use its own symbols or mannerisms…
The authors of this Harvard Business Review article appropriately report an association between economic insecurity and the rise in painkiller consumption. Of course, a person’s painkiller consumption may increase for many reasons, but augmented pain due to stress certainly may be one reason. The Experience of Pain People consume painkillers primarily because of pain which…
The Importance of Family Connections This article discusses the needs of grandparents and why it is important to them that their grandchildren stay in touch. That reminds me of the movie, “The River Runs Through It,” and the impact the film had on several of my friends and me. Before I saw the movie,…
Curbing The Epidemic of Drug Overdoses Dr. Robert Califf, the new commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, is focusing his energy on curbing the epidemic of drug overdoses. He told a panel of FDA advisors last week that abuse-deterrent formulations (ADFs) may be part of the solution. However, many speakers at that panel…
Some religions call their holiest people saints. In secular speak, a saint is a person who is pure, honest, and beyond reproach, and who mostly devotes their life to benefit others. In our more common vernacular, we use the word “heroes” to describe those who sacrifice themselves for the good of others. Saints and Heroes:…
What is a natural death? That’s partly a judgment call, and it reveals our prejudice against pain patients. Pain treatment and cancer treatment are two colors of the same spectrum. They both serve the same purpose, and yet they’re perceived very differently. Pain treatment with an opioid is unacceptable to many advocating against the use…
The Icon For Cancer: The Jimmy Fund Say what you will about Boston sports teams. One of them, the Boston Braves, helped launch “The Jimmy Fund.” It all started in 1948. At that time, members of polite society rarely mentioned cancer. Fear, superstition, and ignorance caused people to whisper about cancer, steer clear of anyone…
The death of the New York Times journalist, Sarah Kershaw, reminds me painfully of too many conversations I had with my patients during the course of my career as a pain doctor, about whether or not they wanted to live. During the 30 years of my practice, countless patients told me they had no hope…
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medical treatment to cure body pain and has been considered a safe method to relieve body pain for decades. Acupuncture works by promoting the body’s natural self-healing process. This 3,000-year old traditional medical treatment has proven to be effective in most cases of chronic body pain. The method of acupuncture…
Drug and Alcohol Programs Secretary Gary Tennis of Pennsylvania is 100% correct. In a recent Reading Eagle article, he talks about changing our attitude about addiction to deal with the overdose epidemic. “The best cure for opioid addiction is seeing it as a disease,” says Tennis. Yes. Addiction is a Disease We have to see…
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