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Medical Marijuana for Nerve Pain

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 16:10:06 +0000

Well, we found something else medical marijuana can help: chronic nerve pain. This comes from the International Anesthesia Research Society, or IARS. Using a compound similar in makeup to marijuana, they were able to significantly reduce neuropathic pain symptoms in adults. What's even better is that this compound, currently called MDA19, successfully treated chronic nerve pain without the usual painkiller side effects.

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Happy Independence Day!

Sun, 04 Jul 2010 15:37:05 +0000

Today we celebrate Independence Day. This is a holiday filled with celebrations, gatherings and of course lots of explosives. Having recently had a baby, however, this is a holiday during which my husband and I will be leaving the party early so that we can put our daughter down in time for her bedtime. And our plan to still join in the celebration, minus the fireworks, got me thinking: anyone with any chronic pain condition can still enjoy a holiday. You just have to moderate!

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Coping Strategies for Chronic Pain

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 08:45:19 +0000

I talk about coping strategies for chronic pain pretty often. In fact, I have an entire page devoted to coping strategies for chronic pain shared by readers. And today, I have three new strategies to share.

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Spotlight on Neuropathy

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 08:28:46 +0000

What is neuropathy?

Neuropathy is one of six main types of chronic pain. It's pretty common, so chances are good that you or someone you know has one of the many different types of neuropathy. Neuropathy is another term for neuropathic pain, a condition that occurs when the body's nerves are damaged or simply not functioning properly.

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Painkillers and Heart Disease

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 08:49:38 +0000

Listen up: if you take NSAIDs for day to day aches and pains, you may be increasing your risk of heart disease. According to a recent study, this may be true even if you are healthy and have no history of heart disease.

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Pain Doctors Charged in Painkiller Overdose Deaths

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 08:33:56 +0000

Things are pretty bad when you can't even trust your own pain management doctor.

This article describes the terrible case of a pain management clinic under investigation. Apparently, their patients have an unusually high chance of dying from a painkiller overdose. In their service area, nearly 20 percent of all deaths from painkiller overdose were patients from their clinic. The clinic, which is run by a husband and wife doctor team, is also being investigated for health care fraud and money laundering.

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Back Pain: Is Surgery the Right Option?

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 08:56:37 +0000

It's unfortunate, but true: surgery does not always fix back pain.

I can't tell you how many patients I work with who are disappointed following their back surgery. Many wake up in worse pain than they had before their surgery. Granted, some of this is a result of normal post-surgical pain. For some, however, pain persists long after the surgery should have healed.

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In Pain? Try Acupuncture.

Sat, 12 Jun 2010 08:43:49 +0000

I've never been a giant fan of needles. I've tried acupuncture, but I have to admit that the anxiety and anticipation of the needles piercing my skin probably outweighed any of the potential benefits. I can't say that the needles caused me pain; more like a great deal of distress and discomfort. For many, however, they bring a welcome sense of relief.

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Beware of Contaminated Supplements!

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 17:01:42 +0000

I'm not trying to scare you here, but this is serious news: a recent article in the New York Times reports that many dietary supplements contain some undesirable substances. In your ginko biloba, for instance, you might find such extra ingredients such as mercury, lead and pesticides. While most of the supplements tested did not contain dangerous amounts of the heavy metals, over a third of them contained more than the legal amount of pesticide.

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Bono's Back Injury

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 16:48:55 +0000

Add Bono to the list of celebrities who suffer from back pain. A recent article in the LA Times reported that Bono's back injury caused U2 to postpone it's upcoming tour of America, which was due to begin this month. Apparently, he had a ligament tear and a herniated disc that was causing severe nerve compression: so severe that it warranted emergency surgery.

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