PAINClinician :: Pain Medicine Commentary

Pain Genomics

Debra A. Schwinn, MD

Alex Cahana, MD, PhD

Patients may have genetic alleles that affect pain sensitivity or increase the risk for chronic pain development.

Using Tools to Risk Stratify Patients for Long-term Opioid Therapy

Howard S. Smith, MD

Standard of care requires that patients being considered for long-term opioid therapy are assessed for the risk of medication misuse and abuse.

Advancing Pain Research in Private Practice

Alex Cahana, MD, PhD

Clinical trials often fail to represent cohorts observed in general practice, which at times can leave clinicians frustrated with calls for evidence-based medicine.

A Theoretical Role for the Genomic Oxidative-Reductive Balance in the Development of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Howard S. Smith, MD

The endogenous antioxidant system consists of a number of proteins (eg, antioxidant enzymes) and small molecules that maintain the reducing environment of the body and prevent potentially damaging reactions initiated by reactive oxygen species.

Physician Enhancement: The Value of Physician Extenders in Pain Medicine

Eric J. Grigsby, MD

Physician extenders in pain medicine generally include physician assistants and nurse practitioners, as well as, at times, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, and medical assistants.

How Does Your Pain Practice Measure Up? Lessons Learned from Commercial Insurance Claims Data

Steven Delaronde, MPH, MSW

Rates of lumbosacral and cervical injections for the treatment of patients with musculoskeletal pain have increased significantly over the last decade, despite at times conflicting evidence regarding their efficacy.

Epidural Injections—Pros and Cons: A Comprehensive Review of Evidence, Epidural Cytokine Therapy, and Complications in the Treatment of Chronic Pain

Salim M. Hayek, MD, PhD

Despite the limited long-term evidence, epidural steroid injections remain the most commonly performed procedure in pain clinics across the United States.