Archive for the tag: Patients

CDC guidelines aimed at curbing opioid addiction causing problems for chronic pain patients

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It can sometimes be tough to talk about, but addiction is an issue that impacts every community across the country.

On a day when it’s 70 degrees and sunny outside, it’s all Kevin Brawley can do to sit on his front porch.

“I’m treated like an addict,” said Brawley. “They say I’m medically dependent.”

A tree trimmer by trade Brawley was legally disabled after an accident that took place more than two decades ago.

“I broke my neck working for a tree company,” said Brawley. “The ladder came 50 feet out of the air and hit me straight in the top of the head. It broke my neck. It blew five discs in my upper back, two or three in my lower back, and it jammed my spine into my sacrum.”

Over the years he’s been prescribed opioids to manage the pain.

“I’ve dealt with it pretty well for the last 25 years because I had the medicine to do it,” said Brawley. “Nothing ever took it away, but it made it feasible for me to get out and do stuff. Now I’ve lost everything. I lay in bed or on the couch. I don’t get out of the house unless I have to.”

In 2016, the CDC revised prescription guidelines to try and avoid opioid abuse.

“The people making these laws have probably never been in pain a day in their life much less 24/7 like I deal with,” said Brawley.

“We do a really poor job as providers with managing chronic pain and with managing opioid use disorder,” said Dr. Kanika Cunningham.

Dr. Cunningham specializes in addiction and she said there were unintended consequences for those with chronic pain.

“It did cause a lot to either immediately cut people off the opioid in which people then turned to the black market and heroin,” said Dr. Cunningham. “People went into withdrawal symptoms. A lot took place.”

“People are committing suicide every day because they can’t take the pain no more,” said Brawley. “I think about it. I think about it every day.”

While there are compassionate care clauses both Brawley and Dr. Cunningham agree it’s time to eliminate the one-size-fits-all approach.

“We definitely need to make some changes in how we approach chronic pain,” said Dr. Cunningham.

“All we want to do is live a half normal life,” said Brawley.

This story idea came from a 5 On Your Side viewer. You can pitch a story by emailing Holden at hkurwicki1@ksdk.com or text us at 314-425-5355.
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The Role of Early Life Trauma in Chronic Pain Patients

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Jennifer Pierce, PhD
Research Fellow, Anesthesiology
Back & Pain Center
University of Michigan

Opioids are still needed for many chronic pain patients | USA TODAY

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Garrett Greene takes opioid medication for pain management and has struggled to find effective treatment.

RELATED: Remember thousands of grieving parents in opioid crisis: Editorial Page editor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9yGFPyQ_MU

Drug-related deaths among people 18 to 34 soared 108% between 2007 and 2017, while alcohol deaths were up 69% and suicides increased 35%, according to an analysis of the latest federal data by the non-profit Trust for America’s Health and Well Being Trust.

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Maine has one of the highest overdose rates in the country, with a record 378 deaths in 2016. And the state has responded aggressively, by passing one of the nation’s strictest laws on prescribing opioids. It caps most patients at 100 milligrams of morphine, or its equivalent, per day.

But the law has had unintended consequences. Hundreds of chronic pain sufferers are now finding it impossible to access their typical dosage. After some Mainers pushed back on these restrictions, lawmakers said they could qualify for higher doses under the law’s palliative care exemption. Despite these assurances though, many doctors have their own interpretation of palliative care, considering it reserved for symptomatic relief at end of life. And with the medical community often blamed for causing the opioid crisis, patients are struggling to find doctors to give them the medicine they need. VICE News visits chronic pain sufferers in Midcoast Maine and one of the only physicians willing to exempt them from the new law.

This is the second installment for our series “World of Hurt,” which examines the ways different regions are impacted by the opioid crisis. If you or anyone you know would like to share their story as part of our ongoing coverage, please email Seth Dalton and Cassandra Giraldo at seth.dalton@vice.com and cassandra.giraldo@vice.com.

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Brain Changes in Chronic Pain Patients

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Brain Changes in Chronic Pain Patients

In this clip (6 of 10): Imaging studies have shown changes in brain anatomy in people who are longtime chronic pain patients, such as accelerated loss of gray matter. “Psychologically based” approaches such as meditation and yoga may be protective, although more study is needed. This clip is part of the lecture “The Neural Basis of Mind-Body Pain Therapies” by M. Catherine Bushnell, Ph.D., scientific director of the Division of Intramural Research, NCCAM, NIH. This lecture, given at NIH in 2013, is part of the NCCAM Online Continuing Education Series. Free CME/CEU credit is available to health professionals (see http://nccam.nih.gov/training/videolectures).
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Dr. Dan Clauw, the Director of the Chronic Pain & Fatigue Research Center at the University of Michigan, discusses pain that stems from your brain. He presents an overview of what is currently known about the underlying causes of chronic pain and discusses the rationale behind a variety of different treatments for chronic pain. He also shares information about a self-management tool called Fibroguide (https://fibroguide.med.umich.edu/) that has been shown to be helpful in improving the symptoms and function of people with chronic pain.
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