In light of the recent broad media attention, as well as the July 2017 FDA meeting to discuss the frequency and patterns of opioid misuse and abuse, there is a call to action to evaluate and implement non-opioid pain management strategies. In this interview pain management expert and Stanford researcher Dr. Beth Darnall describes the problem, explains the recent influx of “abuse deterrent” pain relieving pharmaceuticals and describes some non-pharmaceutical solutions.
For more information about the recent FDA meeting, click here.
Audio:
If you’d like to listen to an extended interview with Dr. Darnall on this topic, click here.
Beth Darnall, PhD, is Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine at Stanford University. Past roles include President of the Pain Society of Oregon and Co-Chair of the Pain Psychology Task Force at the American Academy of Pain Medicine. Her NIH-funded research investigates mechanisms of pain catastrophizing, cognitive behavioral therapy for pain, and a targeted intervention she developed. She is also investigating the impact of an online psychological intervention she developed on post-surgical pain and opioid use in various surgical populations, including cancer and orthopedic trauma. Finally, she is investigating effective opioid tapering strategies in community-based outpatients with chronic pain. She is author of The Opioid-Free Pain Relief Kit and Less Pain, Fewer Pills: Avoid the dangers of prescription opioids and gain control over chronic pain, and the forthcoming book from the American Psychological Association entitled Psychological Treatment for Chronic Pain. She is owner of Optimized Psychology Consulting. Her work and viewpoint has been featured by multiple media outlets, including the San Francisco Chronicle, New York Magazine, MORE Magazine, Forbes, and Scientific American. For more information visit her website at bethdarnall.com.
