PRO CONNECT
Lynn Webster M.D., FACPM, FASAM is Vice President of Scientific Affairs at PRA Healthsciences and Past President of AAPM. He is board certified in anesthesiology and pain medicine and also is certified in addiction medicine.
Dr. Lynn Webster has dedicated more than three decades to becoming an expert in the field of pain management. A leading voice in trying to help physicians safely treat pain patients, Dr. Webster actively works within the industry to develop safer and more effective therapies for chronic pain and addiction. He is board certified in anesthesiology and pain medicine, and is also certified in addiction medicine. Dr. Webster lectures extensively on the subject of preventing opioid abuse and criminal diversion in chronic pain patients and has authored more than 300 scientific abstracts, manuscripts, journal articles and a book entitled Avoiding Opioid Abuse While Managing Pain: A Guide for Practitioners, many of which are the basis for training physicians who are studying pain.
Dr. Webster has played an instrumental role in his industry as a strong advocate for safe and effective pain resolution methods. The Opioid Risk Tool (ORT), which he developed, is currently used as the standard in multiple countries and thousands of clinics worldwide. He spends most of his time now developing safer and more effective therapies for chronic pain and campaigning for safer use of medications.
He received his doctorate of medicine from the University of Nebraska and later completed his residency at the University of Utah Medical Center’s Department of Anesthesiology. Dr. Webster has been quoted by multiple media sources, including in the Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal, and has given over 250 presentations across the United States and internationally. He is the author of The Painful Truth: What Chronic Pain Is Really Like and Why It Matters to Each of Us.
“An eye-opening look at the current status of those suffering from chronic pain.”
– Kirkus Reviews
An eye-opening look at the current status of those suffering from chronic pain.
Webster’s (Avoid Opioid Abuse While Managing Pain, 2007) first book was geared toward clinicians who prescribe opioids for otherwise intractable pain. Here, the author aims at a much broader readership as he discusses myriad topics involved in pain treatment, such as methadone versus opioid use, societal prejudice toward pain sufferers, the overreaching influence of big pharma, and the complex legal issues and medical conundrums associated with dispensing opioids. Along the way, he cites stupefying facts: “Around 100 to 111 million people in America have chronic pain,” he says, and “the national economic cost associated with chronic pain is estimated to be well north of half a trillion dollars per year.” The book includes compelling stories about several of his own patients, chronicling the path from the moment of injury through the trials and tribulations of various treatment plans. With unwavering compassion and sensitivity, he details some of the heartbreaking ways that chronic pain has affected his patients’ relationships, employment, education, and simple day-to-day living. In addition, he describes how such suffering can complicate family dynamics—often breaking them apart but sometimes drawing them closer. He advocates increased funding for research and providing adequate insurance coverage for those in need: “The fact that 50 percent of all people with chronic pain consider suicide at some point suggests that their pain is not being treated nearly well enough.” He also contends that attitudes toward sufferers must progress from prejudice and stigma to deeper understanding, pointing out that people often view those in pain as “lazy whiners, malingerers, and drug seekers” and that this attitude “is a root cause of the inadequacy of our present pain care system.” He even dramatically relates an incident in which Drug Enforcement Administration agents suddenly showed up at his clinic.
An intelligent, provocative, and inspiring call to arms for those who simply want relief and a return to normalcy.
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2015
Publisher: Webster Media, LLC
Review Posted Online: June 16, 2015
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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