Pain Management
Supporting Joint Health with Willow bark, Ginger, and Boswellia serrata*
While many botanicals can be used to support healthy joint function, willow bark, ginger root, and Boswellia serrata have been clinically studied and are excellent considerations for their joint support properties
Eggshell Membrane Eases Knee Arthritis
When it comes to osteoarthritis, many patients are desperately seeking natural alternatives to NSAIDs for pain and disability. Enter eggshell membrane. Previously shown to relieve joint pain and stiffness in arthritis patients, eggshell membrane is again proving itself to be a powerful therapy for osteoarthritis, particularly knee osteoarthritis. This isRead
Anti-Inflammatories: Good or Bad for Acute Pain?
The answer to this question may seem like a no-brainer. But a new study is calling the decades-long treatment of anti-inflammatory drugs for acute pain into question. Researchers from McGill University in Montreal have turned acute pain care on its head. Their study, published in Science Translational Medicine, revealed thatRead
Neuroimaging Explains Workings of Placebo Effect and Pain
A large proportion of the benefit that a person gets from taking a real drug or receiving a treatment to alleviate pain is due to an individual’s mindset, not to the drug itself. Understanding the neural mechanisms driving this placebo effect has been a longstanding question. A meta-analysis published inRead
Dr Alex Vasquez on Vitamin D Deficiencies, Pain and Inflammation
In this webinar by Dr. Alez Vasquez, he discusses the importance of diagnosing Vitamin D deficiencies and supplementation for pain and inflammation. He emphasizes that because of “therapeutically underpowered studies, too many research articles paint a false picture of inefficacy when in fact vitamin D is or may be highlyRead
Cannabis Users Need More Anesthesia During Surgery and Opioids in Recovery
Not only might cannabis users need more anesthesia during surgery than non-users, they may have increased pain afterwards and use higher doses of opioids while in the hospital, suggests first-of-its kind research being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2020 annual meeting. Adding to the growing body of research that shows patientsRead
Veterans Study Shows Pre-surgical Acupuncture Results in Less Pain, Fewer Opioids
Veterans who have acupuncture before surgery report less pain and need far fewer opioids to manage their discomfort, according to a randomized, controlled study being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2020 annual meeting. Veterans who received acupuncture also reported they were more satisfied with their pain control than those who didRead
U Vermont’s Multi-Stakeholder Integrative Pain Pilot: Initial Reflections on Outcomes & Transferability
In recent weeks, two influential integrative health organizations each chose to feature presentations on the expansive, multidisciplinary, and remarkably patient-choice integrative pain pilot associated with the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMC). The presentations for the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health and the Alliance to Advance Comprehensive IntegrativeRead
Biological Clock Plays Crucial Role in Healing from Surgery
If you prescribe an anti-inflammatory for your patients after knee, hip or shoulder surgery, you may want to suggest they take them in the morning or at noon, but not at night. A McGill-led study shows, for the first time, that circadian clock genes are involved in healing from surgery.Read
Veterans Administration Making Significant Progress in Non-Drug Treatments for Chronic Pain
A new study based on Veterans Affairs health records finds that non-drug treatments for chronic pain given to military service members may reduce the risk of long-term adverse outcomes, such as alcohol and drug disorder and self-induced injuries, including suicide attempts. The findings were published in the Journal of GeneralRead