Collaborative Approach Encouraged for Patients with Pain
The treatment goal should not be to “cure” pain but rather to restore function.
PAINWeek 2014
Challenging Issues in Treating Patients with Depression and Pain
Acute pain is lessened with opioid treatment but depression is associated with reduced response to acute opioid treatment.
Site of Pain Not Always the Source
For orofacial pain of nondental origin, the pain could be originating from elsewhere.
Know Thyself First When Addressing the ‘Difficult’ Patient
Understanding why some patients can be more “difficult” than others can involve understanding
personality differences.
Patient-Centered Opioid Agreements Key
Informed consent is critical to decision making, and clear goals permit assessment of treatment.
Patients in Pain Need Compassion, Not Regulations
It is imperative that the United States finds more effective ways to deal with the growing availability and utilization of opiates and other drugs for pain that is compassionate and grounded in medicine.
Testing Promising for Personalizing Pain Medicine
Pharmacogenomic testing can identify how genetic variations affect drug responses, and help guide treatment strategies for patients suffering from chronic pain.
Seeing Person, Not the Addiction Key to Treating Patients
One of the most difficult “dread to treat” populations is patients with substance use disorders.
Prescription Drug Abuse, Overdose On the Rise
Providers must balance risks of under-treatment, abuse and overdose.
