Chronic Pain Study Now Enrolling Patients at Local Integrative Medicine Clinic

January 27, 2015 - Grand Blanc, MI - Chronic pain affects more than 100 million Americans annually, to the tune of up to $635 billion in associated health care costs. Aside from the economic impact, chronic pain causes a severe impairment in quality of life, and forces many people to resort to seeking disability and being prescribed expensive, habit-forming prescription pain medications. These prescription pain medications, even when correctly prescribed, result in 40 deaths each day. Now, a local integrative medical clinic is enrolling chronic pain patients in a study to evaluate prescription topical pain analgesics and their ability to alleviate chronic pain.

This study, lead by Dr. Megan Strauchman, medical director of the Natural Wellness & Pain Relief Center in Grand Blanc, is currently looking for 180 participants for this study. According to Dr. Strauchman, "The study is very basic in that it is looking at how well various forms of topical prescription pain medications can work at improving pain levels and helping people regain their quality of life. Patient participation is quite simple; they come in for an initial office visit, and are prescribed a certain topical pain cream based upon their diagnosis and symptoms. Each patient fills out a pain survey at the first office visit, then reports back to the office once monthly to fill out repeat pain surveys. Patients are given enough medication to last 6 months, and they will fill out a total of 6 pain surveys in that time period."

Dr. Strauchman and her team are currently enrolling patients into this study. Patient appointments will be made on a first come, first serve basis. There is no deadline to enroll. However, once 180 patients have been enrolled, the study will be closed. Strauchman anticipates that she will meet their limit within the first 30 days. Patients looking to participate in the study must meet certain minimum criteria, including: 1) they must have commercial insurance (HMOs, Medicare, Medicaid are prohibited); 2) they must be 18 years old or older; and 3) they must have one of the following diagnoses: fibromyalgia, Lyme disease, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, failed back surgery, or spinal stenosis.

For complete rules and information about this chronic pain study, please contact the study coordinator, Katarina Legg, at 810.694.3576.