Blog Archive
The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered dramatic changes throughout everyday life — and in the medical community as well. Not only are providers across the country postponing elective procedures, but many are also encouraging people to avoid in-office appointments to reduce their risk of exposure to this highly contagious coronavirus.But what...
Raise a glass to good health? Not so fast. While alcohol can help you relax and unwind, it can also have negative effects on your chronic pain management. Living with chronic pain is no picnic. It can be a daily struggle that affects every aspect of your life. It's understandable...
PainTracker: A New Tool for Pain Management Chronic pain is a pervasive and challenging condition that impacts many aspects of a person's life. Effective pain management often requires a comprehensive approach that includes medical treatment, exercise, and lifestyle changes. To aid in this endeavor, a team of psychologists has developed...
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been making waves in recent months, but many of it’s various applications are not immediately apparent. In medicine, AI has been used to search medical data and uncover insights to help improve health outcomes and patient experiences. In pain management, there are very promising uses of...
A recent study by Dr. TU Yiheng and his research team at the Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences found that chronic pain lasting for over three months, such as arthritis, cancer, or back pain, can increase the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. The study revealed...
If you are one of the millions of people who suffer from chronic pain, you may have heard about CBD as a possible alternative to opioids. Unlike opioids, CBD, which stands for cannabidiol, is non-intoxicating and doesn't cause a "high" or psychoactive effect. Recent research has highlighted the safety of...
Chronic pain rehabilitation programs have five goals: Reduce pain Return to work or some other regular, meaningful activity Overcome problems that occur as a result of living with pain, like anxiety, irritability, depression, sleep disturbance, stressed relationships Reduce reliance on the use of narcotic pain medications Reduce reliance on...
It’s been five months since the first Coronavirus case was reported in the US. As we enter July, one of the hottest months in Southern California, it may be tempting to ditch the mask or neglect social distancing at some of the newly reopened beaches, bars and restaurants. Here is...
Tip #1: This pain is not your fault, but you are responsible for taking care of it. In other words, own your pain. Hear me out on this one. Too often, we get caught up in existential rumination like why we have this pain or what we did to deserve...
Our bodies are constantly being bombarded everyday from wifi, cell phone signals, and radio waves. Have you ever wondered if this constant stimulation could cause any sort of effect on the human body? Well interestingly enough, physicians have found a way to use radio waves to treat pain in the...
The Human body is an amazing machine with outstanding healing capabilities. Did you ever wonder as a child how when you scraped your knee that after a few days to a week, it would just magically heal on its own? Well this of course is not magic, its your body's...
Addiction is a very serious and challenging problem to work with for many people. Memories, sights, even smells can trigger an individual into a relentless craving for a drug. It is also important to realize that it is not the drug itself that the addict craves but the feeling that...
Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence, and Blockchain. Probably the three biggest technology "buzz-words" being used today. Also the three biggest buzz-words that many would never think to be associated with Pain Management and preventing Addiction. A new company called Virtual Rehab is spear heading this movement by combining these three up...
It is unfortunate, but our society is experiencing a major health concern with the abuse of opioid medications. It is a very complex issue and in order to identify the causes takes a very multi-angled approach. The solution to the epidemic, an even greater multi-angled approach. Many of us...
Yoga, a mind-body exercise practice that people have done for literally thousands of years. But did you know that this now popular exercise could be used to help treat pain? "Annals of Internal Medicine" published a study that followed 313 individuals with lower back pain. They found that a...
6 Tips for People with Lower Back Pain that have a Desk Job Is sitting in front of a screen all day starting to take a toll on your back? You may not be able to change your job, but changing your habits can be done easily. it just...
What condition is nearly as common as the cold and significantly more treatable? If your guess is “back pain” then you probably read the title of this article. We don’t specialize in bonus points, but we’re happy to give you a little bonus advice. So just how common is back...
With the current opioid crisis on the rise, doctors and pharmacies have been getting a large bulk of the blame. But at the end of the day, insurance companies hold just as a great of a responsibility. They have continued to authorize the sale of opioid medication while making doctors...
Recent studies affirm that physical activity is key to reducing pain in patients with arthritis. Along with certain self-management education interventions, targeted physical activities can work to alleviate pain and improve quality of life. #Arthritis #Pain Physical Activity Key to Easing Arthritic Pain, Decreasing Drug Dependence
Recent studies suggest that compared to CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), interactive reading activities such as small, shared reading groups, may actually prove more effective at treating chronic pain. While this may seem unusual, the shared reading process evokes memories of prominent positive moments in one's life, subsequently encouraging a positive...
New studies are finding conclusive evidence that marijuana can be used to effectively treat patients with a variety of complaints, thus forever altering our definition of the term #chronicpain.Marijuana Effective in Treating Pain & Other Ailments
Are you familiar with the Opioid Epidemic?This article represents a sample of the debate going on now within the medical community regarding the usage of opioid medication for the management of chronic pain. Recent data as evidenced by the 160,000 deaths per year demonstrates that we have had not had...
The #sciatica experience can be different for any patient. To learn more about what's causing sciatic pain, check out this article. #LowBackPain #LegPain http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/sciatica/truth-about-sciatica?source=enews
Sometimes a slight touch can hurt even when it shouldn't. Check out this very interesting TED talk by Elliot Krane that looks deep into the phenomenon known as allodynia and demystifies the neurological roots of chronic pain. #Allodynia #PhantomPain https://www.ted.com/talks/elliot_krane_the_mystery_of_chronic_pain#t-425002