The quest to manage chronic pain can itself be painful, both physically and mentally. It can lead to hopelessness and, in some cases, addiction – look no further than the opioid crisis. And yet passionate scientists are delivering solutions and breakthroughs. Colorado Matters’ series “On Pain” features conversations with people whose daily lives have been shaped by pain, and with those physicians and researchers who are committed to helping them.
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Detecting & treating pain in the littlest patients
A child's earliest experiences can determine their relationship with pain for the rest of their lives. We speak with anesthesioligst Dr. Alan Bielsky, who runs the chronic pain clinic at Children's Hospital Colorado.
A fibromyalgia diagnosis can bring hope, yet raise more questions
For Kajaitani Barber, of Denver, her diagnosis was an increasingly common one: fibromyalgia. And while it was reassuring to have a name for her condition at long last, it's often an elusive one. Barber helps us quiz rheumatologist Dr. Kevin Deane about treatment and research.
An opioid alternative helps one veteran find relief from chronic pain
Jacob, an Army veteran, and his wife Meredith, have spent a decade trying to find a treatment that would work on his chronic back pain. They found help from Dr. Joseph Frank at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, with a drug that's typically used to help people withdraw from opioid medications but can also be an effective pain management tool.
People with chronic pain say a crackdown on opioids makes their lives harder
The crackdown on prescription opioids was meant to reduce the number of people addicted to painkillers. But it's caused extra pain and stress for those who legitimately need them for relief.
One woman’s decade-long search for relief
Naomi Binkley-McDonald is 48 years old and lives in Golden. She has not only been searching for relief from chronic, often debilitating pain, but for a diagnosis as well. She writes a blog called "Pain & Purpose."
Dogs suffer chronic pain just like people; could the same type of treatment work for both?
A gene therapy that is in clinical trials used to treat arthritic dogs could have implications for their human counterparts.
Understanding the connection between physical and mental pain
Pain is physical. But it's also mental. Greg Whisler had chronic pain for years until he took part in a study at CU Boulder that involved a treatment called Pain Reprocessing Therapy.
How Richard Warner (Ryan’s dad) got on and off – and on and off – pain pills
Sr. host Ryan Warner sat down with his father who needed painkillers after accidents and major surgeries – then found himself hooked. Richard Warner shares his path to sobriety and healthy pain management.
