Health Expert Will Rowe shares health management news and commentary at HealthCentral.com. 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/profiles/c/3025/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/3025/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/3025/index http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/3025/86400/acetaminophen Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:26:00 -0400 Will Rowe An FDA Advisory Committee recently recommended some changes regarding the use and availability of the very common pain medicine acetaminophen.  The Advisory Committee was acting on concerns over the incidence of acetaminophen overdosing that have resulted in serious harm to the liver and sometimes death.  To address these concerns the Committee made several recommendations including limiting the recommended cumulative daily dose of... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/3025/86400/acetaminophen http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/3025/86111/pain-awareness Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:40:00 -0400 Will Rowe Excitement is Building –September Pain Awareness Month-EVERYONE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!   Together with the pain community, the American Pain Foundation has been developing a project called “Conquering Pain Together” to mobilize efforts for this year’s September Pain Awareness Month. Organizations and advocates around the country have been gearing up for their community events, media outreach and legislative... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/3025/86111/pain-awareness http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/3025/70849/battleground Wed, 13 May 2009 15:56:00 -0400 Will Rowe I don't like to appeal to war analogies to describe the experience and situation of people in pain in this country but sometimes they seem completely accurate.  Think of a person in pain...maybe a condition that resulted from an injury, in addition to some degenerative condition, in addition to something like diabetic neuropathy----three very prevalent conditions.  This person will probably encounter self doubt and recrimination for... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/3025/70849/battleground http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/3025/69656/medicines Mon, 04 May 2009 12:26:00 -0400 Will Rowe Three Facts:  1- There is absolutely no question that when it comes to moderate or severe pain, opioid medicines are one of the safest and most effective means to relief. 2- There is also absolutely no question that misuse and abuse of opioid medicines is a significant public health problem. 3- That because of number 2, there is significant undertreatment of pain in America.  Prescribers are enormously hesitant to prescribe opioid... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/3025/69656/medicines http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/3025/60301/medications Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:29:00 -0500 Will Rowe The FDA has a very tough job.  With respect to medicines, they require and examine documents that attempt to demonstrate that proposed medicines are safe AND effective. This is part of the approval (FDA –Approved) process.  Now, since the new FDA Amendments Act, they have to monitor and implement safety measures for medicines after the approval process.  They have to monitor and require safety plans for after medicines are... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/3025/60301/medications http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/3025/60295/fibromyalgia Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:56:00 -0500 Will Rowe The Food and Drug Administration recently approved a third drug indicated for treatment of fibromyalgia.  Milnacipran, made by Forest Laboratories and Cypres Bioscience, is a selective serotonin and norepinephrine dual reuptake inhibitor.   It will be available to consumers in March.  The two other medicines approved by the FDA for fibromyalgia are Lyrica, produced by Pfizer, and Cymbalta, produced by Lilly.  From my... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/3025/60295/fibromyalgia http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/3025/46948/apf-creativity Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:03:00 -0400 Will Rowe Congratulations to everyone who shared their incredible artwork and creativity this year.  In no particular order, you can see the finalists below.  Be sure to check out the slideshow of the finalists' artwork! Joani BurtardPoetry: Dialogue with Pain SqueegiImage: Sidewalk of Healing Powers Suzanne K. LeowPoetry: Out of the Shadows SwtstickPainting: Migraña (Migraine) Emma RiveraDrawing: A Las Al Viento Robert... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/3025/46948/apf-creativity http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/3025/38410/chronic-pain Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:33:00 -0400 Will Rowe In 45 BC Marcus Tullius Cicero wrote a text he entitled "De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" (The Extremes of Good and Evil). A line from that text has been used since the 1500s by print and typesetters as the standard sample print text which is popularly known as the "Lorem ipsum." When you see a mock layout for a printed text, often it will include the line from Cicero just as a space saver for future text.   Here's what is interesting... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/3025/38410/chronic-pain http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/3025/37029/national-pain Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:01:00 -0400 Will Rowe Great News! On July 31st, Senators Hatch (Utah) and Dodd (Connecticut) introduced in the Senate the National Pain Care Policy Act. This is the first time the bill has been introduced in the Senate and, except for some minor changes, the language is the same as the bill that is in the House of Representatives. We all need to come together now and TAKE ACTION to generate support for this bill in the Senate. The identifying number for the bill... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/3025/37029/national-pain http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/3025/35790/pharmacies Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:38:00 -0400 Will Rowe Increasingly, people are turning to the internet to shop for many of the luxuries and necessities. This is also true about the use of Internet Pharmacies. Clearly, there are the usual advantages of internet shopping--convenience, sometimes price, sometimes variety. But purchasing medicines online presents some significant risks that we should all know about and should avoid. All too frequently, online pharmacies announce themselves as "FDA... http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/3025/35790/pharmacies