New advances in chronic pain management show promise

Janet Wertheimer
Janet Wertheimer does a back hyperextension exercise at Boston Sports Club in Wellesley, Mass. Regular exercise has helped control her chronic back pain.
Ellen Webber for NPR

Treating chronic pain, especially if you're trying to avoid opiates, can be difficult. But new research shows promise for improvement in treatment that avoids highly addictive drugs.

Dr. Stephani Sutherland a neuroscientist and freelance journalist, recently wrote about the latest developments in the field for Scientific American. Sutherland joins The Daily Circuit along with Dr. Yves De Koninck, professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Laval University, also joins the discussion.

Learn more about chronic pain:

Pain in America (National Institutes of Health)

Nerve Damage Might Explain Chronic Pain (Scientific American)

For Those Suffering Chronic Pain, The Hardest Part Is Convincing Others (NPR)

As with addiction, chronic pain is epidemic too (Boston Globe)

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