Pain Management
September Is Pain Awareness Month: How YOU Can Help Now
According 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 MoreUsing Pulses Instead of Pills to Control Pain
By 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: What It Is and Why It Matters To Me
Pachyonychia 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 MoreWhy You Need to Know About the New Prescription Drug Monitoring Act
Minnesota 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 guest Richard L. Martin
The 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 MoreWhy You Need to Sign the White House Petition for National Pain Strategy
I’m pleased to say that I’ve signed the White House Petition that was recently launched by the National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association (NFMCPA) with Consumer Pain Advocacy Task Force (CPATF). The petition asks the White House to implement and fund the National Pain Strategy (NPS) toward a better future for people with debilitating, life-altering…
Read MoreThe Reasons Democracy Invites All Perspectives
According to a Baltimore Sun article, Dr. Mary Lynn McPherson, who teaches in the School of Pharmacy and specializes in hospice and end-of-life care, was removed from an FDA medical advisory panel along with three other doctors. The panel was organized by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Grants and Funding Although the…
Read MoreThe Truth About Treating Pain in Senior Citizens
Objections to Senior Citizens Receiving Opioids According to a recent report by the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, opioids are commonly prescribed for senior citizens in pain. Almost 12 million Medicare beneficiaries received at least one prescription for an opioid painkiller last year. The report goes on…
Read MoreThe CDC and the DEA Want to Be Your Ghost Doctor
What Is a Ghost Doctor? It is not uncommon for politicians, celebrities, and other ordinary people to hire a talented writer — who is called a “ghostwriter” — to compose a story or book. Ghostwriters are supposed to write in the author’s words, voice, and style, and they do not take credit for their authorship.…
Read MoreLet’s Agree to Prioritize the Needs of Patients When Treating Pain
Treating Pain — The Stats In a recent Consumer Reports article on pain, “Prince’s Death and the Addiction Risk of Opioids,” Teresa Carr writes, “In fact, as many as one out of four taking a prescribed opioid for several months or longer becomes addicted, according to the CDC.” Carr doesn’t provide a reference, so I’m…
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