Treating Chronic Pain and Managing the Bills

Mind Reading: Neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran on 'Unlearning' Pain

Qualitest Pharmaceuticals Announces a Voluntary Recall of Hydrocodone with Acetaminophen and Phenobarbital

A Nephrologist and Patient: A Conversation With Julian L. Seifter
By Claudia Dreifus
The New York Times

Military and Veterans with RSD/CRPS Facebook Group

Kaiser Resources For Medicare Open Enrollment Period

FDA: Fentanyl Transdermal System: Recall - Potential for Active Ingredient to Release Faster Than Specified

The Problem of Pain: An interview with author Melanie Thernstrom
By William Van Ornum, American Magazine

Veteran to fight for benefits in DC on behalf of RSD sufferers

In the Face of Pain® Launches New Resource Guide for People with Pain and Advocates (PDF)

Macy's Shop for a Cause
By Sue Pinkham

Love really is a drug—and it can work a treat with pain relief
By Steve Connor, Science Editor
The Independent

Health Sense: Flawed pain science blurs question of he felt, she felt
By Judy Foreman, Special to the Los Angeles Times

RSD/CRPS Awareness Quilt

New career direction for Stamford chef: Former Chef Paul Gileno Leaves Stamford Food Business to Create The Connecticut Pain Foundation

Combined Federal Program (CFC)
The RSDSA participates in the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), a program that allows pledges made by Federal civilian, postal, and military donors during the campaign season (September 1st to December 15th) to support eligible not-for-profit organizations that provide health and human service benefits throughout the world.

If you are a federal government or military employee and would like to support the work of the RSDSA, please take part in the CFC by entering RSDSA and/or code #11045 on your pledge card.

In the Face of Pain: A Purdue Pharma E-Newsletter (PDF)
Team RSDSA at the Achilles Walk for Hope & Possibility is profiled on pages 11-12.

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome on The Answer Page

Author: Bruehl S
Title: An Update on the Pathophysiology of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Source: Anesthesiol. 2010;113(3):713-725.

2011 Rachel Tobias Young Pain Research Investigator Award

INvisible Project: Creating Awareness Through Photography

Kakkis EveryLife Foundation Launches RareArtist.org

NORD: Dorman Testifies Before Senate HELP Committee

CRPS: Where We Are Today?
Official Satellite Symposium of the 13th World Congress on Pain of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP)

Final Progress Report: RSDSA and RSDhope Grant
(Related: RSDSA and American RSDHope Award Research Grant to the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles)

Write your U.S. Representative today asking that he/she cosponsor the Improving Access to Clinical Trials (I-ACT) Act (H.R. 2866)

Medtronic Announces Clinical Trial For Breakthrough Technology In Neurostimulation Therapy For Intractable Chronic Pain

ResearchMatch is a not-for-profit effort that brings together researchers and people who are willing to learn more about research studies via a secure and convenient online web portal.

ResearchMatch has a simple goal - to bring together two groups of people who are looking for one another: (1) people who are trying to find research studies, and (2) researchers who are looking for people to participate in their studies.  It is a free and secure registry that has been developed by major academic institutions across the country who want to involve you in the mission of helping today's studies make a real difference for everyone's health in the future.

Smoothing the Way
By Tanya Mohn
The New York Times

People with disabilities never have an easy time traveling, but a rash of recent improvements, including more wheelchair-accessible taxis and rental vehicles - and even Web sites for people with dexterity or vision problems - have made it easier.

2010 Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities (WRP)
The WRP is a recruitment and referral program that connects federal sector employers nationwide with highly motivated postsecondary students and recent graduates with disabilities who are eager to prove their abilities in the workplace through summer or permanent jobs. Co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and the U.S. Department of Defense with the participation of many other federal agencies, the WRP has provided employment opportunities for over 5,000 students since 1995. Read more and register here: https://wrp.gov/ 

CNN Heroes: Mackenzie Bearup
Mackenzie Bearup, a person with RSD, will be the CNN Hero announced April 8, in a segment on Larry King Live on CNN, 9 to 10 PM EST and 12 to 1 AM EST. They will discuss how her RSD led her to collecting books for the homeless. On Friday, the segment, a CNN Heroes Profile, and a text article and photos will be available at: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/  

Social Networks a Lifeline for the Chronically Ill
By Claire Cain Miller
The New York Times

Untangling the Web - Patients, Doctors, and the Internet
By Pamela Hartzband, MD, and Jerome Groopman, MD
From The New England Journal of Medicine

How the Health Care Overhaul Could Affect You
From The New York Times

Long-term use of popular osteoporosis drug may harm bone

Feedback and Response Regarding ACOEM’s Practice Guidelines

Temporary Extension Act Affects Medicare Therapy Cap Exceptions Process, Medicare Physicians' Payments And Other Programs

PAN Works to Extend Exceptions to Medicare Therapy Caps

Author: Moskovitz P
Title: An Overview of CRPS: A brief overview of some of the principles and components of the evaluation and management of CRPS
Source: Pract Pain Manage. 2010 Jan/Feb.

To Our Health: One advocate's battle against insurance companies and a culture of denial (PDF)
By Lary Bloom
Connecticut Magazine

Washington State Advocacy Alert

Team RSDSA at the Achilles Walk for Hope & Possibility

Botox and Chronic Pain: A New Research Study

Medtronic Seeking Long-Distance Runners Benefiting from Medical Technology

McNeil Consumer Healthcare Voluntarily Recalls Certain Over-The-Counter (OTC) Products Manufactured in the U.S. and Other Countries

Giving Back
People from all over the country and the world responded to RSDSA’s
recent e-mail regarding volunteering with CRPS, and confirmed what I had
suspected: people with CRPS might experience physical limitations, but are unlimited in their energy and desire to be part of the world. These responses were as varied and unique as the paths of CRPS. Underlying each response was the common need to interact, to be of assistance, and to put something or someone ahead of their CRPS—even if only for a few moments. From the plethora of unique ideas, the possibilities seem endless! These testimonials are an excerpt from our upcoming brochure on giving back.

Our Basic Human Pleasures: Food, Sex and Giving
By Nicholas D. Kristof, The New York Times

NORD: Share Your Story for Rare Disease Day!

Updated: CRPS Slide Kit (PDF)
By Karsten Bartels, MD, and Srinivasa N. Raja, MD

Gifts For You – Make A Donation To Any Pain Organization

NORD Runs Full-Page Ad Calling For an End to Lifetime Caps

Thoughts About Balance When You Have Chronic Pain
From HowToCopeWithPain.org

More pain means real gain in complex regional pain syndrome treatment
New research published this week in Clinical Rehabilitation

NIH ANNOUNCES FIRST NATIONAL RESEARCH STUDY RECRUITMENT REGISTRY
Nationwide Registry to "Match" Volunteers with Researchers

APF Staff Member and POPAN Leader to be Featured on Monday's National Public Radio

RSDS Fall Festival Fundraiser

AVON Fundraiser for RSDSA

Illinois: RSDS legislation signed into law

RSDSA Launches Major Study on the Natural History and Long-Term Health Effects of CRPS

NorthFulton.com: Alpharetta student awarded 'Very Best in Youth'

From NORD: Please Help Us Educate Members of Congress About Lifetime Insurance Caps!

Deadline Extended: 2010 Rachel Tobias Young Pain Research Investigator Award

Kakkis EveryLife Art Contest: Empowering Artists Affected by Rare Diseases

2nd Annual Philly Bike Ride for Pain Relief

Last Chance to Register for the 2nd Annual Philly Bike Ride for Pain Relief

2010 Rachel Tobias Young Pain Research Investigator Award

Follow RSDSA on Twitter

August Currents: Pain Management News and Research

FDA Issues Final Rules to Help Patients Gain Access to Investigational Drugs

Please join us in telling Consumer Reports to test disability supplies and equipment

Author: Cacchio A, De Blassis E, Necozione S, di Orio F, Santilli V
Title: Mirror Therapy for Chronic Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type 1 and Stroke (Letter to the Editor)
Source: N Eng J Med. 2009;361(6):634-636.

Two girls lean on each other for support against a rare disease

This Man CHOSE to be in a Coma
After years of excruciating pain that drove him to thoughts of suicide, John Roach decided to gamble on a controversial new treatment-a ketamine-induced coma.

July Currents: E-newsletter of the American Academy of Pain Management

Out of the fire, a phoenix emerges

The NY Times: Protecting Your Job While Coping With a Chronic Illness

The Word on Pain: PainPathways, a magazine created by WFU prof, gives hope to people who are living with pain

Project Manager for CRPS Registry

Legislative Action Alert from NORD: Support Expanded Access to Clinical Trials

The Development of a Risk Evaluation Mitigation Strategy for Extended-Release Opioids

Sparta woman’s disease causes chronic pain

The Cost Conundrum: What a Texas town can teach us about health care

Senate approves Dahl’s RSDS awareness legislation

Reflections on Triumph Over Pain By Randy Blancq

April Currents: E-newsletter of the American Academy of Pain Management

Danville, PA: Photo Show of Central PA Musicians and RSD Fundraiser

Neurology Now: More than a Feeling—New approaches to complex regional pain syndrome are helping redefine "mystery pain"

Pfizer starts to offer free drugs after lost jobs

The New Yorker: Ramachandran's Mirror Trick

American Pain Foundation—Advocacy Action Alert: Media

Wall Street Journal: FDA Approves New Warnings For Epilepsy Drugs

Register Online and Fundraise for the 2009 Achilles Walk for Hope & Possibility in NYC

Tecumseh Herald: Local teen overcomes debilitating disorder to finish high school at top of her class

Study Finds That Rents for Modest Studio and 1-Bedroom Housing Units Are Higher Than Monthly Income or People With Disabilities

Coalition for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans (CIAV): Second Annual Conference

April Currents: E-newsletter from the American Academy of Pain Management

Sleep Issues
From How To Cope With Pain

Washington Post: Drugmakers Ease Eligibility for Discounts

American Pain Foundation Special Action Request: National Pain Care Policy Act of 2009

'Take Care Recovery Plan' to Provide Take Care Clinic Patients and their Families Peace of Mind for Basic Health Care Services

A World of Hurt: In Workplace Injury System, Ill Will on All Sides

A World of Hurt: Exams of Injured Workers Fuel Mutual Mistrust

A World of Hurt: For Injured Workers, a Costly Legal Swamp

Retired physician with a disability fights for the right to get around on a Segway 

NeuroTalk Communities: RSD and CRPS

Advocacy Alert: The National Pain Care Policy Act 2009, S.660, has been introduced in the Senate

March Currents: The E-newsletter of the American Academy of Pain Management

Ohio Members: Send an E-mail Asking Your Senator to Support SB 54, the CRPS Education Act

NORD Alert: NIH Announces New "Challenge Grants" Funding Opportunity

Dahl pushing for RSD education

NORD Advocacy Alert
Health Insurance Coverage Protection Act Reintroduced

Webinar: The New Face of Fibromyalgia

RSDSA Joins Millions Around World To Observe Rare Disease Day

Clinical Trial: Feasibility Study of a Novel Device for Chronic Wounds

Success story: Chester resident makes the best of chronic pain

Yes, Pain Is In Your Brain

Woman Overcomes Tough Odds with the Help of Her Furry Friend

Drug-Free Remedies for Chronic Pain

Patient Advocation Foundation's Co-Pay Relief Program: Pain Fund

FDA panel recommends ban on the painkiller Darvon

Pain Care Act goes to the House one more time

CVS/pharmacy Announces National Contest for Stories of Extraordinary Caregiving

I feel your pain, even though I can't feel mine
Pain-insensitive people probably rely on emotional regions of the brain for empathy

Opioid Abuse Less Than Imagined Among Pain Clients

Chronic Pain Clinical Trial : Currently Recruiting

January Pain Monitor: E-newsletter from the American Pain Foundation

FDA Public Health Advisory: Potential Hazards of Skin Products Containing Numbing Ingredients for Relieving Pain from Mammography and Other Medical Tests and Conditions

January Currents: E-newsletter from the American Academy of Pain Management

‘Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?’
Enfield couple’s nuptials to be broadcast on Style Network show

Nurse to graduate in spite of cerebral palsy

Putting pain into perspective - breakthroughs, tips and trends
Everything you need to know about the latest research, the newest discoveries and the strangest science

2009 Tobias Young Investigator Award Recipient Announced

December Currents: E-newsletter from the American Academy of Pain Management

The Pain May Be Real, but the Scan Is Deceiving

BBC News: Disabled sailor to attempt record

In a Host of Ailments, Seeing a Brain Out of Rhythm

Brain is rewired in patients with chronic pain syndrome

Therapist uses brain to help ease people's pain

Team RSD: Racing for Awareness and Research

Pregabalin Reduces Chronic Neuropathic Pain After Total Knee Replacement Surgery: Presented at ASA

One final shot for Illini's Turner

November Pain Monitor: E-newsletter from the American Pain Foundation

FDA Alert: Propafenone HCl, Isosorbide Mononitrate Extended Release, Morphine Sulfate Immediate and Extended Release, Dextroamphetamine Sulfate

In Constant Pain, but in the Game
River Hill Senior Endures Rare Disorder to Stay on Court

Lifting the Shadow of Pain

October Pain Advocacy Community E-newsletter from Partners Against Pain

October Currents: The E-newsletter of the American Academy of Pain Management

Your Unwanted Vehicle Can Help RSDSA

Webcast: Pain and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: What’s the Connection?

A painful mystery, 'miracle' recovery

Podcast: Differences in Requirement of Pain Medication

Archived Webcast for Patients on Safe Use of Opioids: When Good Medicines Become Bad Drugs

Half of Doctors Routinely Prescribe Placebos

NY Times Video: Coping With Chronic Pain

Webcast for Patients on Safe Use of Opioids: When Good Medicines Become Bad Drugs

October 2008 Pain Monitor E-newsletter from the American Pain Foundation

FDA Alert: Medtronic Neuromodulation INDURA One-Piece (IP) Intrathecal Catheters, Sutureless Pump Connector Revision Kit, and Intrathecal Catheter Pump Segment Revision Kit

New Study Proves that Pain is Not a Symptom of Arthritis, Pain Causes Arthritis

In search of ... Mentors
Local woman demonstrates how to give back

Dawn Marie's WrestlersRescue helps grapplers, sister-in-law

Pain relief to believe in
Religious faith may prompt the brain to put a hurt on pain

Gene Therapy for Chronic Pain Enters First Human Trial

Danielle clinches gold in Beijing

Andrea Emmes

Advocacy Alert from the American Pain Foundation

Nerves Tangle, and Back Pain Becomes a Toothache

RSD: An invisible disease Group joins with Dahl in fight for awareness

FDA: Manufacturers of TNF-Blocker Drugs Must Highlight Risk of Fungal Infections

Legislative Alert from NORD
Lifetime Insurance Caps Bills Introduced in the U.S. Congress

September 2008 Pain Monitor E-newsletter from the American Pain Foundation

Methadone Rises as a Painkiller with Big Risks

Wisdom for Coping with Pain: An Interview with "Jeisea"
From HowToCopeWithPain.org

Opioid Painkillers Sometimes Make Pain Worse, According To Evidence Review

August Pain Monitor: E-newsletter of the American Pain Foundation

Actavis Totowa Announces Voluntary Recall at the Retail Level of All Drug Products Manufactured at its Little Falls, New Jersey Facility

FDA Warns Consumers About Potential Problems at Two Baltimore Pharmacies

Milford's 'mayor for the day' has what it takes to overcome adversity

A Purdue Pharma E-Newsletter For Those Who Care - July 2008

Imaging Study Of Pain Sheds Light On Mystery Condition

Eastfield student overcomes adversity with academics

Is pain all in the mind?
New research shows why some people are better at coping with pain than others

A Purdue Pharma E-Newsletter For Those Who Care - Summer 2008

Spinal implant helps Marine deal with pain from Iraq injury

At-A-Glance: The Final Ticket to Work Regulations

Extension of Therapy Cap Exceptions
Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act 2008

Study Currently Recruiting: Cerebrospinal Fluid Repository (CSF)

The Itch
Its mysterious power may be a clue to a new theory about brains and bodies

July Pain Monitor E-newsletter from the American Pain Foundation

Gambling on experimental treatment for pain

Dystonia and CRPS Study

Pain doesn't sideline determined animal lover

APF Advocate, PainAid Moderator, and Marine to Participate in LIVE Radio Show

FDA Alert: February 2008 Drug Safety Labeling Changes for 47 drugs now available on web

June 2008 Issue of Currents, the E-newsletter of the American Academy of Pain Management

FDA Alert: ETHEX Corporation Voluntarily Recalls Specific Lots of 30 mg. and 60 mg. Morphine Sulfate Extended Release Tablets Due to the Potential for Oversized Tablets NDC #58177-320-04 & 58177-330-04 Lot Numbers listed below

June 2008 Pain Monitor from the American Pain Foundation

Son honors father in fundraising RSD walk

New Ticket to Work Regulations Create Exciting New Opportunities

Veterans Pain Care Legislation Update

FDA Alert: Enbrel (etanercept) Prescribing Information Revised To Include A Boxed Warning Regarding The Risk Of Infection, Including Tuberculosis

Quadriplegic woman prepares for round Britain sail

FDA Approves Relistor for Opioid-Induced Constipation
Drug will help reduce effects of drugs like morphine on bowel function

Cheerios to feature veteran with CRPS

Walgreens pulls OxyContin

April 2008 Pain Advocacy Community E-Newsletter: Partners Against Pain

April 2008 Issue of Currents, the E-newsletter of the American Academy of Pain Management

The Mirror Cure for Phantom Pain

First of its kind pediatric rehabilitation center offers hope to chronic pain sufferers

Co-Payments Go Way Up for Drugs With High Prices

How Jersey Fails Injured Workers

American Pain Foundation April E-newsletter

Streator woman has battled symptoms for 28 years

Insurers Faulted as Overloading Social Security

Illinois Advocacy Alert: RSDS Education/Awareness Bill

Submitting articles for the Practical Pain Management Journal

March 2008 Issue of Currents, the e-newletter of the American Academy of Pain Management

Pain lingers 'long after trauma'

'Boot Camps' Treat Pain Sufferers

Rare care in Mexico eases woman's pain

Writing on Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Going to pain to meet a hero

March 2008 Pain Advocacy Community Newsletter: Partners Against Pain

House Approves Bill on Mental Health Parity

More Expensive Placebos Bring More Relief

FDA Alert: Actavis Recalls Remaining Fentanyl Patches in the US as Precaution

Disability Cases Pending, Pending...

The Truth About Painkillers
7 myths about the risks and dangers of opioid analgesics

Advocacy Alert: The Military Pain Care Act of 2008 (HR 5465) has been introduced in the House of Representatives!

Take a Look at the New Partners Against Pain® Website!

I'm Ill, But Who Really Needs to Know?

A balancing act for prescription drugs

Actavis Recalls Certain Fentanyl Patches in the US as Precaution

February 2008 Issue of Currents, the E-newsletter of the American Academy of Pain Management

Florida: Drug Summit: Prescription Drug Diversion / Pain Management

Fentanyl Painkiller Patches Recalled
Patches Containing the Prescription Painkiller Fentanyl Recalled Because of Flaw

FDA Alert: Chattem Icy Hot Heat Therapy Products
Nationwide Recall Due To Reports of First, Second And Third Degree Burns

Do You Take a Drug for an Off-Label Use? (Survey)

The First Ache

American Pain Foundation February E-newsletter

For Grace to Co-Host First Annual Women in Pain Conference With City of Hope and Southern California Cancer Pain Initiative

Chronic pain can alter the brain
Study: Scans of sufferers found activity in areas that should be at rest

FDA Alert: Information on Suicidality and Antiepileptic Drugs

January Purdue Pharma L.P. Pain Advocacy Community E-Newsletter

Swiss study in mice may lead to new pain drugs

Strange Creature Immune to Pain

Gene 'may transform pain relief'

Chronic-pain treatment without side effects: A common class of drug could be targeted to give better pain relief

Beating Back the Stigma of Pain Treatment: Paula Abdul's Stardom May Help Cut Negative Perceptions About Chronic Pain, Painkiller Use

Fibromyalgia: The Pain Is Very Real

January 2008 Issue of Currents, the E-newsletter of the American Academy of Pain Management

Letter to the Editor: Response to "Drug Approved. Is Disease Real?"

Drug Approved. Is Disease Real?

New Column on Disability Issues in the RSDSA Review

CRPS Awareness/Research Bill passes in New Jersey

Pain Relief for Some, With an Odd Tradeoff

Healthwatch: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome on NJN News (video)

Study: Free drug samples go to wealthy, insured

December 2007 Issue of Currents, the E-newsletter of the American Academy of Pain Management

Use of Opioids to Treat Pain in Emergency Departments on the Rise, But Racial Differences in Opioid Use Still Exist

On the Same Wavelength With the Doctor

The Lure of Treatments Science Has Dismissed

Nicole Biller is raising money and awareness in memory of her cousin

Faulty wiring mystifies mechanics and doctors alike

Drug trial cuts chronic pain's opiates need: Australian research is paving the way for a new class of non-addictive painkillers

Disabled Need Help Now, Not Later

Overpowering pain: Kara Loree's crippling body slams have to get worse before she can get better

Disabled, and Waiting for Justice: Editorial by The NY Times

New Jersey CRPS Education/Awareness Bill Update

WI woman with CRPS is planning a walk-a-thon to raise research dollars

Medicare Part D Off-label Lawsuit is filed

A Brochure of Hope

New Jersey CRPS Education/Awareness Bill Alert

A member with CRPS seeks others who have had spinal fusion surgery

Many Treatments Can Ease Chronic Pain

November Purdue Pharma L.P. Pain Advocacy Community E-Newsletter

Medicare Open Enrollment Starts November 15, 2007

Chronic Pain: A Burden Often Shared

Glia Stoke Morphine's Fires

Living With Pain That Just Won't Go Away

Early Intervention Is Key for CRPS Treatment, Experts Say

In India, a Quest to Ease the Pain of the Dying

Drugs Banned, Many of World’s Poor Suffer in Pain

'Beyond Praying for Death': A Physician Assistant Battles Constant Pain

Can medical miracle relieve life of pain?: Woman to undergo experimental treatment

Even with Medicare Part D, individuals are having difficulty

Pain Medicine Use Has Nearly Doubled

Stress of full-time caregiving increasingly referred to as "caregiver syndrome"

'Off-label' drugs denied to patients in Medicare D Rules keep people from 'medically necessary care'

Prolotherapy

Zero Unintentional Deaths

Urge your Congressperson "to Stop the Therapy Cap"

The 2007 Annual Enrollment Period for Medicare’s Prescription Drug Coverage Has Begun and Continues Only Through December

Pain and the Emergency Department

Depression proves treatable if different drugs are tried

Troy Grimes is raising money for CRPS research

Q & A on Methadone

Updated June 20, 2011