Cannabinoids constitute the active compounds found in marijuana and are chemicals that are similar to chemicals produced by the body involving appetite, memory, movement, and pain. Marijuana has shown to be useful in treating nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy to epilepsy and...

Antidepressants are a broad range of drugs that treat depression by altering brain chemicals to reduce restlessness, anxiety, and sleep disorders. These drugs work by altering the functioning of brain regions that are controlled by neurotransmitters, which transfer messages between brain cells...

Massage is a part of complementary and integrative medicine that can help reduce a patient’s muscle tension, pain, and stress. A trained and certified professional manipulates a patient’s soft tissues including muscles, tendons, and ligaments with varying degrees of pressure and movement to...

Nerve block injections are used to diagnose a pinched, compressed or inflamed nerve. They can also be used to provide pain relief for chronic lower back and severe leg pain. They are generally most effective when a single nerve or small group of nerves is causing pain.

Facet joint injections help diagnose the cause and location of pain while providing pain relief in the spine joints. Facet joint injections involves injecting a small amount of local anesthetic (numbing solution) and/or steroid medication, which can help block pain from reaching the brain.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation is an implanted stimulator that stimulates the vagus nerve with electrical impulses. The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve, running from the brainstem to the colon. It’s function can be divided into: sensory and motor. Sensory functions include: providing sensation...

A spinal cord stimulator (SCS) is a small implanted device that sends electrical pulses to the brain to mask pain signal from reaching the brain, and has been used for almost 30 years to help patients reduce chronic pain and opioid usage.

A pain pump is surgically implanted device designed to deliver medication directly to the spinal cord reducing the dosage required for pain relief, and limiting the side effects of oral medication. Pain pumps interrupt pain signals to the brain and are used when oral medications and other...

Supporting someone who lives with chronic pain is not easy. Chronic pain can be easily misjudged by those who are not experiencing the pain first-hand. Others may assume that an individual is sounding better or looking healthy but in reality, that person is struggling to seem normal. Loved ones...

A pharmacy may seems like just a place to get medication from a pharmacist. The pharmacist can act like a gatekeeper, which can cause frustration for individuals with chronic pain. Pharmacists seem to take too long filling prescriptions, ask too many questions, and interfere in doctor/patient...