The FDA recently held a meeting (July 10-11, 2017) to discuss ways to decrease the frequency and patterns associated with opioid misuse and abuse. In this interview, pain management expert, Beth Darnall, PhD, talks about the crisis of opioid addiction and how to create safe, effective non-opioid pain management strategies.

About the Expert

Beth Darnall, PhD, is clinical associate professor in the department of anesthesiology, perioperative and pain medicine at Stanford University. Past roles include president of the Pain Society of Oregon and cochair of the Pain Psychology Task Force at the American Academy of Pain Medicine. Her NIH-funded research investigates mechanisms of pain catastrophizing, cognitive behavioral therapy for pain, and a targeted intervention she developed. She is also investigating the impact of an online psychological intervention she developed on postsurgical pain and opioid use in various surgical populations, including cancer and orthopedic trauma. Finally, she is investigating effective opioid tapering strategies in community-based outpatients with chronic pain.

Darnall is author of The Opioid-Free Pain Relief Kit and Less Pain, Fewer Pills: Avoid the dangers of prescription opioids and gain control over chronic pain, and the forthcoming book from the American Psychological Association titled Psychological Treatment for Chronic Pain. She is owner of Optimized Psychology Consulting. Her work and viewpoint has been featured by multiple media outlets, including the San Francisco Chronicle, New York Magazine, MORE magazine, Forbes, and Scientific American. For more information visit her website at bethdarnall.com.

While vitamin C may seem like a straightforward topic, it's actually rather complicated. In this interview, leading integrative medical expert Russell M. Jaffe, MD, PhD, describes some of the clinical complexities associated with this popular nutrient. Jaffe describes the different forms, dosages, and synergy with other nutrients. He ends with a description on how ascorbate helps with toxic mineral removal. 

Approximate listening time: 18 minutes

About the Expert

Russell M. Jaffe, MD, PhD, is CEO and Chairman of PERQUE Integrative Health (PIH). He is considered one of the pioneers of integrative and regenerative medicine. Since inventing the world’s first single step amplified (ELISA) procedure in 1984, a process for measuring and monitoring all delayed allergies, Jaffe has continually sought new ways to help speed the transition from our current healthcare system’s symptom reactive model to a more functionally integrated, effective, and compassionate system. PIH is the outcome of years of Dr. Jaffe’s scientific research. It brings to market 3 decades of rethinking safer, more effective, novel, and proprietary dietary supplements, supplement delivery systems, diagnostic testing, and validation studies.

About the Sponsor

PERQUE Integrative Health (PIH) is dedicated to speeding the transition from sickness care to healthful caring. Delivering novel, personalized health solutions, PIH gives physicians and their patients the tools needed to achieve sustained optimal wellness. Combining the best in functional, evidence-based testing with premium professional supplements and healthful lifestyle guides, PIH solutions deliver successful outcomes in even the toughest cases.