| Podcast
This presentation will outline 3 sustainable stepwise approaches for providing chronic pain care within the patient centered medical home (PMH). Treatment of chronic pain is going through a systemic transformation (see 2016 National Pain Strategy from HHS and the 2009 VHA Stepped Care Model). The...
| Podcast
Managing risk is an essential part of medical practice, particularly in light of the reported increase in morbidity and mortality associated with the use of opioids. Recent anecdotal data indicate that as a result of the "opioid crisis," patients are being told by their prescribers that they can no...
| Podcast
During this 2-hour Master Class, participants will learn the pathoetiology of central pain syndromes (CPS). Six specific CPS will be described and clinical aspects will be discussed: multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, phantom limb pain, spinal cord injury, poststroke pain syndrome, and...
| Podcast
Opioids are the most powerful tool we have in our arsenal for the management of moderate to severe pain, yet great care and attention to detail in dosing is necessary to prevent patient suffering and death. This presentation is a "boots on the ground" approach to selecting, dosing, titrating, and...
| Podcast
Historically, pain has been viewed as a symptom of perturbations in the tissues of the body, such that effective treatments would address the damage to the affected body region and pain relief would ensue. However, both clinical experience and the scientific literature are replete with examples of...
| Podcast
Several studies from both pain clinics and primary care have found that regional myofascial pain is the most common presenting pain condition. Yet the lack of awareness of it is surprising. Everyone, at some point in their lives, has experienced acute muscle pain associated with overuse or...
| Podcast
Pain science education has gained international praise as an underutilized clinical intervention for treating pain. Research supports teaching patients about pain using a neurophysiology framework, rather than explaining pain in biomedical or biomechanical terms. To "explain pain, not anatomy" is...
| Podcast
The science of drug testing in chronic pain has advanced rapidly over the past few years. Yet there is still confusion around optimal test choices, frequencies, and what test results actually provide. Today's definitive drug testing technology can help to identify more than the simple "presence or...
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The prescription drug problem in America has led to many guidelines and, in some cases, regulations aimed at stemming the tide of prescription drug abuse. Some are evidence based, but most are driven by fear and an overwhelming need to do "something." Unfortunately, while these guidelines have...
| Podcast
Effective pain management has been deemed a human right, but some chronic pain patients perceive that to mean they are entitled to opioid analgesics for prolonged pain control. In response to these expectations, providers may feel pressured to say "Yes" and continue prescribing opioids, thereby...