The treatment of pain by the medical community was an OpEd in the NYT today.

[CTyankee]

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/13/opinion/the-pain-medication-conundrum.html?ref=opinion&_r=0

I know this is a topic of great interest to DUers who suffer from pain and find it difficult to get a prescription for painkillers. This is written by a doctor and she is very sympathetic to patients' suffering. She outlines the problems, particularly with a difficult case.

It's a good column. I'm just thankful I am not in constant pain. But I have had restrictions on pain meds I was taking following surgery (doc didn't want me to get "addicted&quot .

[brer cat]

1. That is a good article

and explains well the conundrum physicians face. I was disappointed when my surgeon would not prescribe pain meds for the time between our initial consultation and the surgery. He said it was up to my primary care provider until the surgery. For me it wasn't a big deal: medicare and my supplemental insurance paid the cost of another visit, I can get in to see my PCP in a short time, and he knows me well and didn't question my need for pain meds. However, for many people any or all three of those could be problem and might result in NO help.

I also note this nugget: "He was most likely wondering whether I would believe him or if I would be biased because he was an African-American man with a history of drug use. Studies show that minorities are consistently undertreated for pain." White privilege once again.

[CTyankee]

2. Oh, that bias is clear. It is infuriating.

On the issue of pain management, we have a family friend who is an anesthesiologist and he told me he has a pain management specialist on his staff because he believes patients generally are undertreated for pain. I thought that was interesting coming from a doc who routinely drugs people as part of his job. He understands the body's reaction to drugs more than most docs.