May 2016

News from a research team studying the effects of opioids may help explain the explosion in prescription painkiller addictions of the last several years. A University of Colorado-Boulder study has found that opioid use increases chronic pain in rats. If the same result holds true in humans, it would mean that prescribed opioids aren’t only viciously addictive, they also worsen the

Spinal fusions are big business in the United States.  In 2013, over 87% of the surgical spinal procedures involved a fusion.  The US performs over double the amount of yearly fusions compared to Canada, the United Kingdom, Western Europe, and Australia.  Nearly 500,000 fusion are being performed this year (nearly 250,000 were performed in 2001).

Joint pain is one of the greatest inconveniences that can hamper our mobility and decrease the zest we feel for life as we get older. It manifests in symptoms of inflammation which is typically characterized by redness, swollen joints that are warm to the touch, loss of joint function and joint pain and stiffness. Inflammation