pain management News

Troubling Questions Follow Closure of Sprawling Pain Clinic Chain

HANFORD, Calif. — On May 13 of last year, the cellphones of thousands of California residents undergoing treatment for chronic pain lit up with a terse text message: “Due to unforeseen circumstances, Lags Medical Centers will be closing effective May …

WCRI Study Shows No Treatment Delays Caused by COVID, but Some Care Avoided

COVID-19 did not delay medical treatment for workers’ compensation claimants, but did decrease the amount of emergency care and other services provided to injured workers, a study released Thursday by the Workers’ Compensation Institute concludes. Research by WCRI economist Olesya …

Allstate, State Farm Sue Medical Providers for Fraudulent Billing

Two insurance carriers filed separate lawsuits last week against medical doctors and their pain-management clinics, accusing them of submitting bills for unnecessary medical procedures performed on vehicle-accident victims. State Farm Mutual Auto Insurance Co. filed suit in the U.S. District …

Travelers Collaboration to Test VR, Wearables in Acute Orthopedic Injury Treatment

The effectiveness of therapeutic virtual reality (VR) and wearable technology to manage pain associated with acute orthopedic injuries of the lower back and extremities will be explored by Travelers, Cedars-Sinai, Samsung Electronics America, Bayer and applied VR. The Cedars-Sinai’s Center …

Massachusetts Pill Mill Doctor Pleads Guilty to Overprescribing Opioids

At Dr. Fathalla Mashali’s pain management clinics, the waiting rooms were often so packed with patients that people sat on the floor, leaned against walls and spilled into the hallways. That’s because, federal prosecutors say, Mashali was prescribing oxycodone and …

Critics Say Hospitals Fuel Overprescription of Painkillers

Critics of how prescription painkillers are administered in the U.S. are calling on health officials to phase out hospital procedures and questionnaires used to manage pain. They say the current system inadvertently encourages the overprescribing of addictive drugs like Vicodin …

University of Arkansas Wins $538,000 Grant to Study Opioid Prescribing Methods

A pair of researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences will study how opioids are prescribed and dispensed by doctors and pharmacists. The $538,781 grant by the National Insitute on Drug Abuse will cover three years’ of study …

Workers’ Compensation Changes Focus of Tennessee Conference

Changes to the state’s workers’ compensation system will be the focus of the Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference this week. The three-day conference begins on Wednesday at the Nashville Airport Marriot. The conference includes specific sessions on getting ahead of …

North Carolina Doctor Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering

A pain management doctor in New Bern has pleaded guilty to money laundering and fraud in federal court. The Sun Journal of New Bern reported that Dr. Michael K. Nunn entered the plea Monday before U.S. District Judge Terrence W. …