Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Join L. Joseph Parker, a research physician, as we explore recent breakthroughs in gene editing, including its use in curing deafness and treating sickle cell anemia. Jose…
Opioids work through the mu opiate receptors throughout the body and brain, dampening pain signals being sent through the peripheral nervous system and spinal cord. It also acts on the ventral tegmental area, causing the release of dopamine in the nucl…
Since the Civil War, there have been seventy-four wars and conflicts America has fought in. But as bad as previous wars had been, there has never been anything in American history like the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. While America’s direct interve…
In an article I recently wrote about a new calcium channel-blocking medication that could be effective in treating central chronic pain, I mentioned that medications like lidocaine block sodium channels to prevent the transmission of pain through the p…
The opioid addiction crisis has escalated into a formidable challenge within the U.S. health care system, causing widespread devastation. The opioid epidemic has not only devastated communities and individual lives but has also inflicted a substantial …
This article is sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pain is a deeply personal experience and one of the most common reasons why individuals seek medical care in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reco…
A groundbreaking discovery in pain management could revolutionize how we treat chronic pain. In a report from a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at New York University, in collaboration with colleagues…
As a non-clinician patient advocate and health care writer, I am frequently reminded of a quotation attributed to Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain): “Figures don’t lie. But liars figure.” I am also aware of a second quotation from economist…
I want to draw your attention to two fairly recent studies. One of these is the BIND study. I love it when studies use easy-to-remember acronyms because it really helps to keep them straight. The BIND study found that “Many prolonged symptoms sub…
The universe can be a very confusing place. Quite often, things will happen together or one-after-another that will cause even learned people to connect two events as causative when they are not. These misattributions are not just of academic concern. …
