Blog
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Oct
10
Mea Culpa, Our web page needs updating
Dr. Vincent Johnson left our practice two years ago yet his picture and profile remain on our webpage. We love Vince and he's doing well in his practice in New York, but we should have updated. I've been slow to manage the site. For now we will enjoy...
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Jan
3
Marijuana and Chronic Pain
Missouri has now become one of the 33 states in the USA to legalize medical marijuana. Ten states and Washington DC have legalized marijuana for recreational use for adults over the age of 21. The use of marijuana (cannabis sativa) the proper...
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Jul
12
Opioids Addiction and Chronic Pain
Nearly every day there is another story in the news about the tragedy of addiction in America. Much of the focus on this deadly disease is on opioids. Addiction and overdose results in tens of thousands of deaths annually in the United States....
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Aug
8
Drug Soup and Doctoritis
The current opioid crisis requires pain specialists to use caution and navigate carefully when prescribing pain medications. Along with opioids we are often faced with another medication problem that we are seeing more frequently. I’ve taken...
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Feb
19
IV Hydromorphone
In 1979 during my psychiatry rotation in medical school I was sent to the Methadone clinic in Kansas City. I still remember talking about drug addiction with the clients. One comment stuck with me. A guy trying to stay clean told me "If God made...
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Jan
12
Stress
Nearly everyone I see in the clinic talks about stress. Certainly the challenges of facing serious illness and dealing with chronic pain can generate tremendous fear and anguish. This stress has no socioeconomic borders. Winning the...
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Sep
3
The unplanned journey
When I set up this website a couple of years ago I envisioned that I might be blogging with some regularity, not daily, but at least more often than once a year! I’m going to give it a go again with a post here and there and I hope my partners...
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Jan
8
Treating Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is a challenging condition that is estimated to affect 15 -20% of the adult population of the United States. One of the most critical questions about any specific treatment for chronic pain is, “does it work?” The answer to...
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Aug
27
Opioids and Chronic Pain Shifting Sands
This letter went out to Physicians at St. Joseph Medical Center August 27, 2014. It's a little long for a "blog" but here it is: Opioids and Chronic Pain: Shifting Sand The FDA has reclassified Hydrocodone from a Schedule III opioid to Schedule...
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Jun
12
Remembering
I just had a remarkable conversation with one of the most stoic dying gentlemen I've ever met. He has been calmly going about making plans for his remaining days both in regards to his physical life and stuff, as well as saying goodbye to the people...
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