“EMPOWERED PATIENTS” in pain is a powerful marketing message. But where is data that Stanford’s Pain Program delivers? How does Beth Darnell’s program separate out placebo effects and magical thinking?
Comments that opiates have a place in pain management seem authentic. Didn’t Mother Nature magically place plants on earth that absolutely relieve pain? Those benefited by opiates seem universally opposed to unproven contrarian testimonials of opiate dangers.
Unfortunately, we have entered a time warp wherein bureaucratic pressures & governmental policies are focused on denigration of scientific principles of opiate & cannabinoid efficacies for chronic pain management.
Within altered reality of vested interests controlling regulatory sway over national chronic pain management policies, institutions towing an alternate bent, no matter how effete, readily gain influence over grant monies, perceptions, & frail research of orthodox medical science.
Bottom line is that the US Constitution warrants “pursuit of happiness”. Relief from pain is a happiness pursuit. If the government prohibits individuals from growing their own plants for their own pain relief, then the government directly obstructs the “pursuit of happiness”.
Stanford pain research advises psychological methods whereby functional mental processes can be seduced to ignore organic pain experience. These theoretical promises might gain governmental research largess, but they are misplaced.
Better allocation of research efforts would be to finally admit that Opium & Cannabis are natural non-toxic means to chronic pain management. All that is needed is firm administrative foundation, based on clinical medical science, for controlled use of these natural substances.
Forces opposed to efforts to use natural substances for chronic pain management seem to be alliances of Protestant ethic proponents, Big Government, & Big Pharma; wherein natural substances, which are not candidates for monopoly-driven patents, are verboten.
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