Pain

New Advice for Treating Chronic Pain With Opioids

April 6, 2020 / Heroin and Opioids, Pain, Public Health

Physicians and patients alike have been concerned by the seemingly restrictive opioid prescription guidelines issued recently by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The argument is that the guidelines limit access to prescription painkillers and actually hurt patients who need opioids to stay functional. Authors have been quick to argue back, stating that they acknowledge opioid effectiveness in certain instances, but that they don’t want physicians to see them as their first or only option for treating pain. Opioids have been shown to be ineffective for most types of chronic pain and can actually cause more, generalized pain …

New Advice for Treating Chronic Pain With Opioids Read More …

Doctors Can Do More to Fight Addiction

April 6, 2020 / Heroin and Opioids, Medical Consequences, Pain, Prescription Drugs & Cold Medicines, Public Health

Physicians are being asked to change their practices and their mentalities regarding prescription painkillers. Opioids have revolutionized the way we treat pain in America, but they have also brought on a plethora of dangers and negative consequences. Doctors need to consider each patient’s addiction risk factors and medical needs thoroughly before pulling out the prescription pad. Monitoring and follow-up care should be required for every patient, and access to anti-addiction medication (such as Buprenorphine) must be made available to all who need it. Until physicians make these changes, the opioid endemic is going to continue. Read more here: http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2016-03-31/doctors-can-do-more-to-fight-addiction

Commentary: When it Comes to Opioids, Doctors Need to Focus on People, Not Pills

April 6, 2020 / Addiction Science, Heroin and Opioids, Pain, Prescription Drugs & Cold Medicines

Medicine cannot be considered a strictly formulaic field; medical professionals must consider each individual holistically in order to make appropriate decisions regarding opioids. There are physicians on both sides of the spectrum: some are “pill-pushers” who prescribe opioids for every case of pain they encounter, while others are so stingy about prescribing painkillers that they deprive their patients of care they desperately need. It is important for doctors to find a middle ground between the two extremes in order to provide the highest quality and safest treatment plans possible. Opioid prescription rates are too high right now, yes, but they …

Commentary: When it Comes to Opioids, Doctors Need to Focus on People, Not Pills Read More …

HHS Releases National Pain Strategy

April 6, 2020 / Heroin and Opioids, Pain, Public Health

The Department of Health and Human Services has issued a plan to lessen the prevalence and encumbrance of chronic pain in the United States. The report addresses necessary improvements in the realms of education, prevention, and overall treatment. For example, medical students receive an astoundingly low level of education about pain and prescriber precautions, so curriculums are slowly being implemented to fix this deficit in knowledge. The Department is also issuing recommendations on prevention strategies, such as workplace regulations to avoid injury. Of course, one of the biggest issues facing the chronic pain community is the misuse of opioids, which …

HHS Releases National Pain Strategy Read More …

Teen Athletes More Likely To Abuse Painkillers

April 6, 2020 / Heroin and Opioids, Pain, Prescription Drugs & Cold Medicines, Public Health, Young Adults/Teens/College-Aged

Teen athletes are frequently prescribed narcotics for sports-related injuries, making them prime candidates for opioid addiction and abuse. One study indicated that this demographic is 50% more likely to abuse prescription painkillers than their non-athletic peers. This shocking statistic can be attributed in part to their desire to get back to the sport as soon as possible after injury in order to please the coach, their family, etc. Additionally, the area of the brain responsible for reasoning and impulse control is not yet fully developed in teenagers, leaving them more susceptible to engaging in risk-taking behaviors such as opioid abuse. …

Teen Athletes More Likely To Abuse Painkillers Read More …

Link Between Chronic Pain and Depression

April 6, 2020 / Addiction Science, Pain

If you suffer from chronic pain, you certainly know what that feels like. Whether it’s your lower back that aches, your shoulder that gives you trouble or your entire body that hurts from head to toe on a regular basis, it’s no fun being in agony. After a while, you may feel like giving up, and feel like there’s no solution to the pain that wracks your body on a day-to-day basis. And that may be when depression sets in – when you feel like there’s no end in sight to the pain you’re experiencing. Furthermore, you may be finding …

Link Between Chronic Pain and Depression Read More …

Care Plans for Chronic Pain

April 6, 2020 / Holistic Care and Treatment, Pain

The ongoing opioid overdose crisis has prompted the CDC to take action in the form of developing new guidelines for qualified prescribers. First and foremost, the CDC stresses that opioid therapy should be utilized only if all other treatment options have been exhausted. Opioids can vastly improve functionality and quality of life, but the benefits must be weighed against the risks of tolerance, addiction, overdose, etc. If opioids are absolutely necessary, the prescribing physician and patient should work together to formulate a safe plan of approach and establish realistic treatment goals before starting therapy. These goals should be re-assessed throughout …

Care Plans for Chronic Pain Read More …

November 2015’s Dream Journal

April 6, 2020 / 12 Steps, Addiction Science, Alcohol, Art Therapy, Chicago, Co-Occurring Disorders/Comorbidity, Criminal Justice, Dream Journal, Drug Testing, Drugs and the Brain, Heroin and Opioids, Holistic Care and Treatment, Inpatient, Intensive Outpatient, Intervention, Medical Consequences, Mental Health, Mindfulness, New Orleans, Outer Banks, Outpatient, Pain, Prescription Drugs & Cold Medicines, Prevention, Recreation, Research/Trends/Statistics

Dream Journal Volume XXXIV / NOV 2015 Note from Dr. B. The ongoing opioid overdose crisis has prompted the CDC to take action in the form of developing new guidelines for qualified prescribers. First and foremost, the CDC stresses that opioid therapy should be utilized only if all other treatment options have been exhausted. Opioids can vastly improve functionality and quality of life, but the benefits must be weighed against the risks of tolerance, addiction, overdose, etc. If opioids are absolutely necessary, the prescribing physician and patient should work together to formulate a safe plan of approach and establish realistic treatment …

November 2015’s Dream Journal Read More …

Step Three – March Dream Journal 2013

April 6, 2020 / Dream Journal, Heroin and Opioids, Mental Health, Pain, Prescription Drugs & Cold Medicines, Research/Trends/Statistics, Substance Abuse in Military Life

VOLUME III / MAR 2014 Two Dreams is a wellness program led by Andrea G. Barthwell, MD, FASAM that provides individualized care for those who dream of recovering a healthy lifestyle. NOTE FROM DR. B. Our best wishes were with Dr. Barthwell this past month as she was called into a four week intensive Spinal Rehabilitation Program. After three surgeries, multiple hospitalizations and emergency room visits, she took the necessary steps to confront her pain and has experienced pain-free days for the first time in years. Follow her full story of recovery here. VOLUME III / MAR 2014 Two Dreams …

Step Three – March Dream Journal 2013 Read More …

Call us at (708) 613-4750

or message us below and one of our caring counselors will reach out to you.

Scroll to Top