In the Media

An excerpt from the blog "In my clinic, I have a large patient population of chronic pain patients, and it is common to have the chronic pain issues overwhelm these patients' lives. When I ask most of these patients what is their biggest stressor in their life, they usually will answer that the pain is what demands most of their time and energy and affects them the most." a link to the post is provided below http://www.huffingtonpost.com/julie-chen-md/pain-affecting-behavior-_b_1027659.html?ref=chronic-pain

Eleven years ago carpenter Bob Harris was in an accident at a work site that severely damaged his knee, leading him to eventually need two complete knee replacements, two total hip replacements, as well as 12 more surgeries. Despite visiting 20 didfferent doctors, Harris still battles pain daily. He has begun to find relief using an Empi Active knee TENS system, as recommended by pain specialist Dr. Tony Lababidi, which sends electric pulses into his knee intercepting the pain signals before they reach the brain. Harris now speaks out to raise awareness for his condition known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, [...]

"At one time or another, the misery of lower back pain is felt by everyone, which is no surprise. Our upright spine is as unique to being human as having an opposable thumb. But where anyone can see that using our hands involves every aspect of life, we don't say the same about our backs. But it's just as true. You can read a great deal standing behind someone, reading victory or defeat, success and failure, pride or shame and every degree of self-esteem. More hidden are the stresses that shape the back. On the day that you feel that first [...]

Movie icon, dancing star and patient advocate Jennifer Grey has joined forces with Partners Against Pain to launch a new national initiative called Hands On Approach for Pain Management. The program highlights the importance of open and honest communication between people living with chronic pain and their healthcare professionals in developing an individualized treatment plan. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/actress-jennifer-grey-spearheads-national-initiative-to-promote-effective-communication-between-people-living-with-pain-and-healthcare-professionals-2011-09-28

The review article titled “Improving the Pharmacologic Management of Pain in Older Adults: Identifying the Research Gaps and Methods to Address Them” was recently published in Pain Medicine and is available now online. The review article looked to focus on the findings from last year’s NIH conference on pain titled “Expert Panel Discussion on the Pharmacological Management of Chronic Pain in Older Adults”, in which the panel experts discussed various methods and strategies that could be implemented to address the research gaps in the Pharmacological management of chronic pain.

The NPR blog posted information from a recent study that discovered that specific pain medications had different effects on different people. Therefore suggesting that the pain medication that works for one person may not be as effective for another. This discovery points to a unique correlation between pain and genetics, in which pain relief and pain severity are both heavily influenced by the personal genetic makeup of an individual. As Dr. Perry Fine states in the blog post “Human beings, person to person to person, are very different in the way they respond to drugs, and one size does not fit [...]

Professor Dan Gottlieb recently wrote an amazing post on the huffington post's chronic pain blog site. The post discuss Dr. Gottlieb's fight with his disability and pain and how he manages to remain proactive despite both. He presents a very honest depiction of his situation and does so in a manner that I am sure the majority of us all could relate to. A copy of the link is listed below. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-gottlieb-phd/love-and-pain-strange-bed_b_956054.html?ref=chronic-pain

Those suffering from chronic pain often find the costs of care extensive. This condition, based purely on patient perception, poses challenges to patients that range from dealing with insurance companies, financing regular visits to multiple doctors, and deciding which medications will most be most effective. Armed with the right tools, chronic pain patients can manage their care in a more cost-effective way. Finding a primary care doctor who can develop a comprehensive treatment plan can save patients unnecessary visits to different specialists. In order to maximize therapy sessions that are covered by insurance, Dennis Turk, a professor of anesthesiology and pain [...]

Despite being young and active, Melanie Thernstrom, writer for New York Times Magazine, began suffering from chronic pain many years ago.  Her struggle inspired her to write the book, "The Pain Chronicles: Cures, Myths, Mysteries, Prayers, Diaries, Brain Scans, Healing, and the Science of Suffering."  To research the topic, Thernstrom shadowed doctors and talked with patients about their experiences with pain.  The result is an interdisciplinary account of pain that explores the phenomenon through science, history, philosophy, and memoir.  Hers is a solid attempt to make sense of something that many of us experience, but very few understand. For full article [...]