Pat Anson

By Pat Anson An Australian study highlights some of the benefits and unintended consequences of efforts to limit the prescribing of opioid pain medication. Like the United States, there’s been a fair amount of controversy in Australia about opioid medication and the role it played in the so-calle

Hundreds of ketamine clinics have opened across the United States in recent years, offering infusions of the anesthetic for a variety of medical conditions – from anxiety and depression to PTSD and chronic pain. Ketamine is only FDA-approved for depression and anesthesia, so its use in treating pain is considered “off-label.”

By Pat Anson Insomnia patients taking medical cannabis reported better sleep quality, as well as less anxiety, depression and pain, according to a new study published in PLOS Mental Health . The study is notable because it showed sustained improvement in symptoms over 18 months of treatment wi

Most medical guidelines that limit the use of opioid pain medication are intended only for patients suffering from “non-cancer” pain. The CDC opioid guideline, for example, says that its recommendation “does not apply to patients undergoing cancer-related pain treatment” because the potential for addiction and overdose “might not be relevant” to patients at risk of dying.

There’s some truth behind that cliché about growing old, according a novel study in Canada that found many older adults in poor health -- due to chronic pain and other chronic conditions -- can fully recover within just a few years.

By Pat Anson Medical cannabis is most effective for managing neuropathic pain, but doesn’t work as well for migraine, headache and acute pain, according to a new report that is one of the first to look at the efficacy of cannabis in treating different types of pain conditions. The comprehensive

By Pat Anson The DEA’s recent decision to classify concentrated forms of the kratom alkaloid 7-OH as an illegal controlled substance has resurrected an odd argument: Is kratom itself an opioid? Kratom comes from the leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa tree in southeast Asia, where it has