Return to Work Program Benefits & Strategies

February 25, 2020

Developing successful return to work (RTW) plans is instrumental to efficient and effective workers’ compensation claims management. Such initiatives integrate individual considerations for all injured employees that go beyond simply treating the initial injury, including comorbidities, psychosocial issues, light-duty options and pain management protocols.

The Future of Pain Therapy in Workers’ Compensation

January 28, 2020

As we move into a new decade, we continue to look for solutions to address the opioid crisis and discover alternative ways to treat pain. From a drug-therapy perspective, current alternatives to opioids include NSAIDs, anticonvulsants and occasionally certain antidepressants. Non-drug therapies include physical therapy, home exercise programs and electrical therapy treatments.

What's the difference between a drug allergy and a side effect?

January 27, 2020

Drug allergies and side effects present differences that are often misunderstood. They are commonly discussed  in overlapping terms that can understate the importance in how each should be managed (Eg. “I think I’m allergic to Aspirin, it upsets my stomach”).

Disaster Recovery and Work Comp

In just the past few years, natural disasters have generated startling headlines and produced enormous challenges for many, including for workers’ compensation systems.

Gabapentinoids in Workers’ Compensation

January 14, 2020

Nearly 20 percent of U.S. adults suffer from chronic pain. This is especially vital in the workers’ compensation world that is now asking, ‘are gabapentinoids the answer to that pain?’ Current increases in prescribing of gabapentinoids and the drugs’ less addictive qualities as compared to opioids may initially suggest so.

WHY USE ANTICONVULSANTS TO TREAT PAIN?

January 6, 2020

A fuller awareness of the risks, costs, and consequences of opioid medication use in clinical pain management is growing, and the search for safe, effective, and affordable alternatives to them has taken on new urgency. The quest for opioid alternatives that offer a measure of effective analgesia (without craving, tolerance, and addiction) is taking on an increased priority in discovery laboratories and across the ranks of practicing clinicians and other health care professionals. Beyond new discovery, another potential source of such alternatives is in reevaluating existing medications approved for pain as well as those approved for other uses that may also hold promise for use as analgesics.