I’ll never tire of watching Schoolhouse Rock! As a kid in the 1970s, I looked forward to each episode as much, if not more so, than the Saturday morning cartoons that surrounded them… with my parents taking in a few in between the chores that I would soon partake in as well. With a budding interest in math and science, these short three-minute videos were effective enough to this author that not only do I remember the topics decades later,…
Last week, there was post on this website discussing how to create a community contagion. The point of the contagion post was to think through ways the community can begin to work together and spread their message. While this remains the challenge, let’s take this a step further. Let’s begin to consider the role of engaging the community and community empowerment. According to the World Health Organization (WHO): “Community empowerment refers to the process of enabling communities to increase control…
I resent that we pain patients are essentially being called liars by the anti-opioid brigade, as they refuse to believe our pain is as extreme and debilitating as we claim. Some of the non-opiate medications they propose instead have more dangerous side effects than opiates, even while being much less effective. Research has shown that chronic pain itself causes brain damage and hormonal disruptions, but this factor is conveniently ignored. Whatever the initial cause, pain can take on a life…