Pain Goes to Pot
Does medical marijuana deliver on its pain-relieving promises? Every day, Samantha is in pain. Her elbows and knees feel inflamed. Her ankle aches. She gets cramps in her abdomen. Her lower back hurts. She suffers from fibromyalgia, gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and irritable bowel syndrome. To feel better, Samantha uses medical cannabis — also […]
Controlling Chronic Pain
A shift in approach delivers a dose of hope Pain has always played a role in Kristen Willard’s life. She was born with a congenital defect in her back — a fusing of two vertebrae that made her more susceptible to back injuries. She first hurt her back at 16 and has had ongoing issues […]
Chronic pain: The ‘invisible’ disability
Sometime back in 2010, a good friend of mine from college who had since become a pediatrician posted a complaint on Facebook about “made up” health conditions. “Fibromyalgia, I’m looking at you,” she wrote. At this time, pain was more of an occasional visitor in my body rather than the permanent tenant it has since […]
Specialists in pain management help patients cope with chronic pain
Mayo Clinic Q&A DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’ve had persistent headaches for about six months. Medication sometimes helps, but not always, and the pain just keeps coming back. My doctor checked to see if another medical problem could be causing the headaches, but she didn’t find anything. She now recommends I see a pain management specialist. […]
Where Does It Hurt?
Untreated or mistreated chronic pain can lead to the pangs of depression By Morgan Lord When Bill Lipscomb, 60, was in the tightest grips of chronic pain, he couldn’t stand up for more than a minute at a time, and his right leg was so red, hot and sensitive that wearing long pants was out of the question—which […]
