Global Pain Initiative: Changing the Way People with Pain are Treated
Christopher J. Winfree, MD, FAANS Department of Neurological Surgery, Columbia University New York, NY Pain management in American is currently undergoing a renovation. In the early 2000s, it became apparent that undertreated chronic pain was a huge health care problem. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) commissioned a detailed investigation into the status of pain health […]
The Nation’s Opioid Epidemic — Continued Advocacy Needed to Turn the Tide
Guest Post from Patrice A. Harris, MD, MA Chair, AMA Opioid Task Force Atlanta, GA It is a basic tenet of physician leadership that we run toward an emergency. We evaluate the situation, make an initial diagnosis, and pursue interventions consistent with our education and training. This is as true for clinical practice as it […]
Spotlight on Pain: Neurosurgeon’s Pivotal Contributions
Guest Post from Deborah L. Benzil, MD, FACS, FAANS Chair, AANS/CNS Communications and Public Relations Committee Mount Kismo Medical Group Columbia University Medical Center Mt Kisco, New York “The greatest evil is physical pain.” – Saint Augustine “The aim of the wise is not to secure pleasure, but to avoid pain.” – Aristotle “Of pain […]
Cross Post – Using Neurosurgical Solutions to Manage Chronic Back Pain
Back pain is one of the most common ailments patients with chronic pain face. For some, a neurosurgical approach can offer much relief and may be an alternative to long-term opioid therapy. Today’s post originally appeared in the AMA Wire, which is published by the American Medical Association (AMA). Jennifer A. Sweet, MD, Assistant Professor, […]
Cross Post – Neurosurgery Makes Pain Management Curricular Breakthroughs
From time to time on Neurosurgery Blog, you will see us cross-posting or linking to items from other publications when we believe they hit the mark on an issue. Today’s post originally appeared in the AMA Wire, which is published by the American Medical Association (AMA). Christopher J. Winfree, MD, FAANS, a neurosurgeon from Columbia […]
Drug and Opioid Abuse Prevention: An Update for Neurosurgeons
Benjamin M. Zussman, MD Neurosurgery Resident, UPMC Council of State Neurosurgical Societies, State and Regional Advocacy Committee As a junior neurosurgery resident, I have already cared for too many patients whose lives have been destroyed by drug abuse. Consider the 22-year-old being whisked to the operating room for a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused […]
Spine Surgery vs. Physical Therapy: Designing Clinical Trials to Answer Questions that Will Elevate Clinical Practice
Guest post from: Zoher Ghogawala, MD; Chairman, Department of Neurosurgery, Lahey Hospital and Medical Center; Associate Professor of Neurosurgery, Tufts University School of Medicine, Burlington, MA (top left) John Ratliff, MD; Co-Director, Division of Spine and Peripheral Nerve Surgery, Department of Neurosurgery Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA (top right) Praveen Mummaneni, MD; Co-director UCSF’s […]