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1 month ago | 
kevinmd.com | Myles Gart |Amy Mae Baxter |Janet Tamaren |Gary Call
I’ve witnessed what’s possible when we rethink pain management. By implementing a multimodal assessment approach at my hospital, I achieved a 50 percent reduction in inpatient opioid use, measured in morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs). The Numeric Pain Scale (NPS)—that 0-10 score we’ve leaned on too much—drives overuse when it’s the only guide, and with the U.S. consuming 80 percent of the world’s opioids as just 4.4 percent of its population, that’s a problem we can’t ignore.
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2 months ago | 
kevinmd.com | Amy Mae Baxter |Gary Call |Julie Craig |Janet Tamaren
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!Amelia Bueche, an osteopathic physician, discusses her KevinMD article, “This perspective will change how physicians address pain and recovery.” Amelia explores the interconnectedness of trauma, pain, and recovery, emphasizing the importance of addressing pain’s root causes on physical, mental, and emotional levels.
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Jan 19, 2025 | 
kevinmd.com | Richard A. Lawhern |Gary Call |Julie Craig |Janet Tamaren
As a health care writer and patient advocate for over 27 years, I have interacted with thousands of patients who experience chronic severe pain, caregivers who support struggling family members, and clinicians who treat painful conditions. Depression and anxiety are very common in these patients and may significantly complicate treatment. Untreated depression – or under-treated pain – can cause increases in healing times, suicidal ideation, and even suicide itself.
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Jan 11, 2025 | 
kevinmd.com | Amelia L. Bueche |Amy Mae Baxter |Gary Call |Julie Craig
I implore all physicians to watch the film Tipping the Pain Scale. Invited by a friend to view from the perspective of recovery, I accepted in support and out of curiosity for the proposed approach to the treatment of pain. As an osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine physician, this is the chief complaint of many patients seeking care, often addressed with hands-on treatment considering structure and function and the unity of body, mind, and spirit.
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Jan 6, 2025 | 
kevinmd.com | Gary Call |Julie Craig |Janet Tamaren
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!Join us as we dive into the complexities of autoimmune diseases with family physician Pamela Buchanan. Discover the profound connections between chronic stress, systemic inequities, and immune health, particularly for women and Black women. Learn practical self-care strategies, the importance of emotional liberation, and how to challenge harmful societal narratives. Pamela Buchanan is a family physician.
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Dec 6, 2024 | 
kevinmd.com | Richard A. Lawhern |Gary Call |Julie Craig |Damane Zehra
On May 9-10, 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held a workshop titled “Training health care providers on pain management and safe use of opioid analgesics — exploring the path forward.” I attended the workshop in person to offer comments on behalf of chronic pain patients. A summary of my observations at the time was published by the now-defunct Pain News Network. The following extended extract is from workshop proceedings published on May 9, 2017, by the FDA.
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Dec 3, 2024 | 
kevinmd.com | Gary Call |Julie Craig |Toni Bernhard
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!We delve into the powerful narrative of patient vulnerability and resilience. Our guest, writer Rachel Litchman, shares her deeply personal experience of being hospitalized, highlighting the disconnect between patient needs and systemic responses. We explore the profound moments of empathy that came not from the highest authorities in health care, but from those on the frontlines and in overlooked roles.
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Nov 14, 2024 | 
kevinmd.com | Arianne Grand-Gassaway |Janet Tamaren |Gary Call |Julie Craig
As a patient advocate, I have witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of policies leading to untreated and undertreated pain. As a mother who has lost a child to drug poisoning, I have also witnessed how drug policy is driving an increasingly lethal street drug supply. With overdose deaths rising, well-intentioned policies have left many suffering without the medications they need for quality of life. Tragically, some patients, overwhelmed by unrelenting pain, are taking their own lives.
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Nov 13, 2024 | 
kevinmd.com | Richard A. Lawhern |Amy Mae Baxter |Janet Tamaren |Gary Call
For years, the U.S. public has been hearing that prescription opioid pain relievers are always and forever a bad thing—and that doctors and big pharma companies are supposedly responsible for an epidemic of addiction and drug overdose-related deaths. However, these assertions are outright lies. Both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Veterans Administration know it.
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Nov 11, 2024 | 
kevinmd.com | Christopher Doan |Gary Call
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!We dive into the pain care crisis in the United States with Cindy Perlin, a social worker and chronic pain expert. We explore the epidemic of chronic pain, the limitations of conventional treatments, and the risks of opioid addiction. Cindy shares insights on alternative therapies, including mind-body approaches, nutritional medicine, and emerging technologies that offer hope for those suffering from chronic pain.
