Epidural Interventions in the Management of Chronic Spinal Pain: American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP) Comprehensive Evidence-Based Guidelines Background: Chronic spinal pain is the most prevalent chronic disease with employment of multiple modes of interventional techniques including epidural interventions. Multiple randomized controlled trials (RCTs), observational studies, systematic reviews, and guidelines have been published. The recent …
Review of the Current State of Urine Drug Testing in Chronic Pain: Still Effective as a Clinical Tool and Curbing Abuse, or an Arcane Test?
Regardless of experience or training background, physicians and healthcare providers can much more adequately assess opioid therapy with the aid of Urine Drug Testing, which often requires confirmatory testing by a laboratory for clinical and therapeutic prescribing decisions. It has become a strongly recommended aspect of pain care with controlled substances locally, regionally, and nationally. …
Expert Perspective: The Opioid Crisis and COVID-19
The ongoing 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted care provision for patients with pain disorders, as well as those with opioid use disorder. As a result, public health experts have voiced concern that the COVID-19 pandemic may worsen the opioid crisis in the United States, and the populations affected most seriously by both crises …
Dr. Paul Christo Talks Telemedicine As a Remedy For Opioid Addiction During the Covid-19 Pandemic
As the Covid-19 pandemic rages on — the stealthy virus which, since the start of 2020, has claimed more than 1.5 million lives worldwide — a bright light is being shone on another group of people sickened not by the highly contagious and potentially deadly virus, but by coping with this historic devastation in the …
Broaden Your Horizons and Balance Your Life by Engaging in a New Hobby
Participating in a hobby is good for your well-being. It’s a chance to add balance to your lifestyle and help you to stay on track. You can engage in new activities with the help of technology, developing your skills and interests by yourself or with your friends. Opportunities abound for virtually all levels and abilities. …
The COVID-19 Pandemic and Opioid-Related Deaths
The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has forced states across the US to implement lockdown measures. As a result, authorities have reported increased cases of opioid-related overdoses and deaths. Although there is no precise estimate as to how many individuals have overdosed on opioids this year, there is an expectation that the figure will surpass …
Is Telehealth Effective for Treating Chronic Pain?
Telehealth or telemedicine refers to the various ways healthcare professionals can provide their services to people through telecommunication and other technologies. With regards to pain treatment, perhaps the most impressive application of telehealth right now is the use of virtual reality (VR) to distract burn patients when they are having their wounds cleaned as well …