Chronic Pain Expert Christina Lasich, MD shares Chronic Pain management news and commentary at ChronicPainConnection.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/23153 http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/23153/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/23153 http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/23153/94644/beds-happen Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:45:00 -0500 Christina Lasich, MD "Over the hill and through the woods to grandmother's house we go..." The problem is that grandma has beds that were made in the 1960's: lumpy, bumpy, and hard as a rock. A bad bed can put such a damper on holiday festivities. Waking up in pain throughout the night, flare-ups of painful conditions, and the lack of sleep can turn anyone into a cranky scrooge. Instead of avoiding the family fun just because of a bad bed, try these three... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/23153/94644/beds-happen http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/23153/93894/stimulation Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:23:00 -0500 Christina Lasich, MD Failed Back Syndrome can be devastating after spinal surgery offers such hope to those with none.  Unfortunately, some end up with a "failed" surgery. Failure to improve pain. Failure to improve quality of life. Failure to help.  Where does a person turn when the pain mercilessly continues? Some turn to a futuristic treatment called spinal cord stimulation which is gaining more and more popularity.  This operative procedure places... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/23153/93894/stimulation http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/23153/93022/chronic-pain Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:45:00 -0500 Christina Lasich, MD As if chronic pain were not enough, some people have double the trouble. Some people are recovering addicts and have chronic pain. Some people have mental illness and have chronic pain. And some people have no insurance and have chronic pain. Yikes! All these additional problems add up to double the trouble when it comes to effectively treating chronic pain.A recovering addict with pain creates a treatment dilemma for any physician who attempts... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/23153/93022/chronic-pain http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/23153/92035/goblins-pain Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:36:00 -0400 Christina Lasich, MD Booo! Halloween is here. The scary ghosts, goblins, and ghouls will be out, but these frightful creatures are not half as frightening as all of the candy that is consumed by those who partake in a little "Trick or Treat". In fact, some folks completely leave out the "trick" and go straight for the "treat". Now, bags of tiny morsels are to be found at every grocery store in town. The temptation is strong. And the mind grows weak at the slightest... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/23153/92035/goblins-pain http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/23153/91401/communing Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:34:00 -0400 Christina Lasich, MD Imagine your most painful day. You remember that day when someone or something ripped your guts out, threw them on the floor, stomped on them, and shoved them back inside your agonizing body. What did you do? How did you survive that day? You might have curled up in a ball on your bed with the room completely dark like a cavernous cave. You might have cuddled next to your favorite pint of ice cream or a box of Oreo cookies. Maybe you called a... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/23153/91401/communing http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/23153/90215/catch-cheater Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:22:00 -0400 Christina Lasich, MD The envelope read: "Department of Justice: Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement". I opened it with trepidation because this report tells me if someone is cheating on me or not. No one likes to be crossed and doctors are no different. Sure enough, the person that I suspected was in fact getting medications from different doctors, in different towns, from different pharmacies. I felt so betrayed and sad. The trust that I gave this patient, who said she... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/23153/90215/catch-cheater http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/23153/89554/thoracic Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:47:00 -0400 Christina Lasich, MD Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS) is nothing short of an elusive condition that baffles many doctors. Two types of TOS exist. One type is caused by an intermittent irritation to the nerves at the point of the thoracic outlet. The other type is caused by a disruption of the normal blood flow into the arm at the point of the thoracic outlet. This discussion will focus on the "neurogenic" thoracic outlet syndrome, not the vascular thoracic outlet... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/23153/89554/thoracic http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/23153/87326/10-facts-gout Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:23:00 -0400 Christina Lasich, MD Anyone who has waken-up in the middle of the night with a severely painful gout attack will know that this disease is no fun. Gout is a disease in which tiny crystals (urate crystals) deposit in all the wrong places like joints and soft tissue. The quintessential gout picture is a swollen, big, red toe. However, many joints can be affected by gouty arthritis including the ankle, foot, knee, wrist or hand. Crystals deposit in these places when a... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/23153/87326/10-facts-gout http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/23153/88408/satisfied Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:00:00 -0400 Christina Lasich, MD Most customer service businesses are very concerned about consumer satisfaction, or else the businesses would risk failure. The practice of medicine is no exception to the rule: the customer comes first. Beyond the bottom line, patient satisfaction insures quality healthcare by a primary mechanism called "continuity of care". If an unsatisfied patient bounces from one doctor to the next, the lack of continuity can increase the risk for a missed... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/23153/88408/satisfied http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/23153/85623/cholesterol Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:55:00 -0400 Christina Lasich, MD Raise your right hand if you are taking a cholesterol-lower medication like Crestor or Lipitor. Now, raise your left hand if you have chronic pain. Those of you with both hands in the air should listen up. Cholesterol-lowering medications can cause pain and Lipitor is the most prescribed drug in America. Yikes! Now ask yourself these questions: did the pain start within a year or two of starting the offending drug? Did the pain get worse within... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/23153/85623/cholesterol