 Greetings,It was five years ago today that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its controversial guideline for opioid prescribing. The CDC is currently in the process of revising and possibly expanding the guideline, so we thought this would be a good time to conduct a survey to see what patients and healthcare providers think. Should the guideline be changed? Has it improved the quality of pain care or been successful in reducing addiction and overdoses? Click here to take the survey or on the banner below. A new European guideline says opioids shouldn’t be prescribed for many chronic pain conditions, including fibromyalgia, migraine and low back pain. Like the CDC, the European Pain Federation recommends that opioid doses be limited to no more than 90 MME a day. Researchers at Stanford University are seeking volunteers to enroll in a year long study on their use of opioid medication. The goal is to give patients a voice in determining whether opioids can be a safe, effective and long-term treatment for chronic pain. PNN columnist Forest Tennant says low dose naltrexone (LDN) is now the preferred, first drug of choice for people living with intractable pain syndrome. An experimental gene therapy increased pain tolerance, lowered pain sensitivity, and provided months of pain relief to laboratory animals without any apparent side effects. Researchers hope to begin clinical trials of gene therapy on humans in a couple of years. A new patient advocacy group — the National Pain Advocacy Center — has been launched by Kate Nicholson, a pain sufferer and civil rights attorney. Dozens of prominent advocates have joined Nicholson’s non-profit, hoping to change minds and shape policies about pain care. Thanks for reading and stay safe. Sincerely,  Pat Anson Founder and Editor Pain News Network |
Los Angeles Chronic Pain
Support and advocacy information for individuals dealing with chronic pain.