Medical pain management is in crisis; from the pervasiveness of pain to inadequate pain
treatment, from the escalation of prescription opioids to an epidemic in addiction, diversion
and overdose deaths. The rising costs of pain care and managing adverse effects of that
care have prompted action from state and federal agencies including the DOD, VHA, NIH,
FDA and CDC. There is pressure for pain medicine to shift away from reliance on opioids,
ineffective procedures and surgeries toward comprehensive pain management that includes …