Start The New Year Pain-Free with Dr. Kramer’s Help – Step Out Buffalo

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• A Primer on Pain and Parkinson’s September 21, 2020 Introduction Studies show that between 60 and 83% of people with Parkinson’s report experiencing pain, and chronic pain is twice as common in people living with Parkinson’s than it is in those without Parkinson’s. Several different types of pain are associated with Parkinson’s, and effective management requires coordination with your care team and implementation of pharma- and non-pharmacological treatments. In…
• Is Pain a Symptom of Parkinson’s Disease? August 27, 2019 Pain is a common but overlooked problem in Parkinson’s disease. Pain is an often overlooked non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Studies show that between 40-80% of people with PD report pain, which is likely why it is often suggested as a topic for this blog. (Please feel free to suggest a topic for future blog posts.) One of the…
• PAIN: Does Parkinson's Cause Pain, or Does Pain Make Other PD Symptoms Worse? July 17, 2019 Is pain a symptom of Parkinson’s? Or do the motor symptoms of PD directly or indirectly cause pain? Or is pain a symptom of something else? Arthritis? Aging? Or is pain a result of lack of exercise? Over exercise? Improper exercise form? Improper exercise instruction? Some combination of factors? Those are interesting questions, but more importantly does pain contribute to…
• Deep Brain Stimulation: The Answer to Chronic Pain? January 15, 2021 Chronic pain affects 1 in every 4 adults in the United States, many of whom are resistant to pharmacotherapy.1 It is a significant burden to both individuals and healthcare systems, affecting mental health, cognitive function, and promoting opioid dependency.2 However, researchers are hot on the heels of discovering new ways to treat the condition — including via deep brain stimulation…
• Managing Chronic Pain in Parkinson’s Disease February 17, 2019 “Behind every beautiful thing, there’s some kind of pain.” Bob Dylan “You feel your strength in the experience of pain.” Jim Morrison An Aging Population with Chronic Pain: The definition of chronic pain is pain that continues beyond the expected time of healing. Chronic pain can increase frailty, and it’s linked to falls, sleep disruption, depression, anxiety, and reduced physical…
• Parkinson’s Medications Relieve Central Pain Better than Other Types of Pain, Study Finds May 17, 2019 Treatment with standard Parkinson’s therapies, such as levodopa or dopamine agonists, can provide effective relief of central parkinsonian pain, but they may fail to manage motor symptoms in these patients, a study has found. As many patients with Parkinson’s disease experience some type of pain, these findings suggest that clinicians should take an integrated approach to ensure adequate care for…
• Finding Words to Describe Parkinson’s Pain February 1, 2019 Parkinson’s disease (PD) pain is unique, so finding words to describe it is difficult. Not all those with a diagnosis experience pain. But for some, like me, pain is the major, disabling symptom. It is important to find words that describe the pain experience as clearly as possible. There is no “grin and bear it,” nor is this “a pity party.”…
• Poor Sleep Most Common in Patients with Central Parkinsonian Pain, Study Finds July 16, 2019 People with generalized pain related to their Parkinson’s are prone to disturbed nighttime sleep, a reason these two disease symptoms — central parkinsonian pain and poor sleep — are common together and may imply shared mechanisms, a study reports. The study, “Sleep disturbances in Parkinson’s disease are associated with central parkinsonian pain,” was published in the Journal of Pain Research. Most…
• Chronic Pain Common in Parkinson’s Patients and Weighs Heavily on Quality of Life, Study Reports September 21, 2018 Chronic pain is prevalent in Parkinson’s disease patients and its severity considerably impacts their daily life, work, and social relationships, a  study aiming to guide physicians in better managing this symptom reports. It also links chronic pain to such psychological ills as depression, low self-esteem, frustration and sleep deprivation. The study, “Negative impact of severity of pain on mood, social life…
• I have Parkinson’s and am experiencing X. Who should I see? February 10, 2020 We receive emails every day from people wondering who they should see for a wide variety of issues that often go hand-in-hand with Parkinson’s. Since it comes up often enough, we decided to create a guide that answers exactly that.    To put this piece together, we gathered up the 15 most frequently asked questions we’ve received from our community members…
• Managing Chronic Pain, Part 1: Understanding a Shift in Perspective July 26, 2019 Pain and suffering are not the same. An internet search for “difference between pain and suffering” yields dozens of sites for writers and practitioners, like Ashley Pennewill and Ann Marie Gaudon, who extol the benefits to be gained from this conceptualization. The repeated message is that pain is the physical experience connected to insult and injury, while suffering is the…
• 5 Common Sources of Parkinson's Pain and Treatment Options (with Dr. Iris Wingrove) May 28, 2019 Guest post by Dr. Iris Wingrove, MD, from Optimize Neurology Susie Lightfoot-Scherr (former CAPS President) and Dr. Iris Wingrove (Optimize Neurology) "What a Pain!"Dr. Iris Wingrove of Optimize Neurology was the featured speaker at the Capital Area Parkinson's Society. She led a fascinating discussion about the most common types of pain syndromes that many people with Parkinson's experience yet never…
• 5 Common Sources of Parkinson's Pain and Treatment Options (with Dr. Iris Wingrove) May 28, 2019 Guest post by Dr. Iris Wingrove, MD, from Optimize Neurology Susie Lightfoot-Scherr (former CAPS President) and Dr. Iris Wingrove (Optimize Neurology) "What a Pain!"Dr. Iris Wingrove of Optimize Neurology was the featured speaker at the Capital Area Parkinson's Society. She led a fascinating discussion about the most common types of pain syndromes that many people with Parkinson's experience yet never…
• 5 Common Sources of Parkinson's Pain and Treatment Options (with Dr. Iris Wingrove) May 28, 2019 Guest post by Dr. Iris Wingrove, MD, from Optimize Neurology Susie Lightfoot-Scherr (former CAPS President) and Dr. Iris Wingrove (Optimize Neurology) "What a Pain!"Dr. Iris Wingrove of Optimize Neurology was the featured speaker at the Capital Area Parkinson's Society. She led a fascinating discussion about the most common types of pain syndromes that many people with Parkinson's experience yet never…
• 5 Common Sources of Parkinson's Pain and Treatment Options (with Dr. Iris Wingrove) May 28, 2019 Guest post by Dr. Iris Wingrove, MD, from Optimize Neurology Susie Lightfoot-Scherr (former CAPS President) and Dr. Iris Wingrove (Optimize Neurology) "What a Pain!"Dr. Iris Wingrove of Optimize Neurology was the featured speaker at the Capital Area Parkinson's Society. She led a fascinating discussion about the most common types of pain syndromes that many people with Parkinson's experience yet never…
• 5 Common Sources of Parkinson's Pain and Treatment Options (with Dr. Iris Wingrove) May 28, 2019 Guest post by Dr. Iris Wingrove, MD, from Optimize Neurology Susie Lightfoot-Scherr (former CAPS President) and Dr. Iris Wingrove (Optimize Neurology) "What a Pain!"Dr. Iris Wingrove of Optimize Neurology was the featured speaker at the Capital Area Parkinson's Society. She led a fascinating discussion about the most common types of pain syndromes that many people with Parkinson's experience yet never…
• Parkinson’s Patients Have Greater Incidence, Duration, and Intensity of Low Back Pain, Study Reports September 12, 2018 Patients with Parkinson’s disease have a higher incidence, longer duration, and greater severity of low back pain than individuals without the disease, according to a study. These findings also show that Parkinson’s patients with low back pain have a greater disability correlated with the severity of motor impairments. The study, “The prevalence of chronic low back pain and lumbar deformities…
• Study Reveals Mechanisms Underlying Pain Processing in Parkinson’s Disease August 31, 2018 A novel pain-sensing brain network links pain in Parkinson’s disease to a specific region of the brain, called the subthalamic nucleus, an animal study has found. The findings illustrate why this specific brain region is a potential target for pain relief in Parkinson’s, as well as in Huntington’s disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders. The study, “Revealing a novel nociceptive network that links the…
• Study Reveals Mechanisms Underlying Pain Processing in Parkinson’s Disease August 31, 2018 A novel pain-sensing brain network links pain in Parkinson’s disease to a specific region of the brain, called the subthalamic nucleus, an animal study has found. The findings illustrate why this specific brain region is a potential target for pain relief in Parkinson’s, as well as in Huntington’s disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders. The study, “Revealing a novel nociceptive network that links the…
• Managing Chronic Pain, Part 2: Applying a Shift in Perspective August 2, 2019 Second in a series. Read part one.  Pain attacks me every day, and I set aside much of my time to manage it. Chronic pain management is now a significant part of my wellness map. Pain management techniques are rooted in the conceptualization of total pain as suffering plus pain, and that some of that suffering is connected to dysregulated…
• Pain May Be Early Detector of Parkinson’s, Study Suggests August 27, 2018 Patients likely to have prodromal, or early, Parkinson’s disease tend to have a higher prevalence of pain, according to a new study. The findings indicate that pain may be a relevant disease marker before the appearance of motor disturbances. The study, “Pain: A marker of prodromal Parkinsons disease?” was presented at the recent 2018 World Congress on Parkinson’s Disease and Related Disorders…
• Duloxetine in Trial Fails to Ease Pain, But May Help with Motor Skills April 21, 2020 Use of duloxetine, a treatment for depression and nerve pain, fails to alleviate pain in people with Parkinson’s disease, according to data from a clinical trial. However, results also showed that it may be of benefit in easing motor symptoms and improving patients’ quality of life, although more studies are necessary. The findings, “A double-blind, randomized controlled trial of duloxetine…