Pain conditions

Originally published on KevinMD.com | March 5, 2026   In Northern California and beyond, health care systems are rapidly integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools to transform how pain is recognized, measured, and managed. From algorithm-guided assessments to wearable sensors and predictive analytics, these tools promise to augment clinical decision-making and improve patient outcomes.…

Originally published on KevinMD.com | February 27, 2026   Prior authorization in pain management has long been a barrier — one I’ve fought on behalf of my patients until I became the patient myself. I write often on hurdles like restrictive opioid policy, excessive regulatory scrutiny, prior authorization, and administrative burdens that detract from patient…

Chronic pain is not one-size-fits-all. Neither should treatment be. If you live with chronic pain, you already know this. You know that your experience is unique, that what works for someone else may not work for you, and that finding the right treatment often takes time, trust, and a provider willing to listen. Unfortunately, for…

In September 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued new draft guidance aimed at accelerating the development of non-opioid pain treatment options for chronic conditions. For physicians and patients in Sacramento and beyond, this represents a welcome expansion of the treatment toolkit — providing more options for individualized care. Expanding Options, Not Restricting Them…

Originally published on KevinMD.com | December 10, 2025 In our diverse world, where everyone sees things through their own lens, shaped by life experiences, beliefs, and facts, chasing after one absolute “truth” often sparks arguments instead of solutions. But what if we aimed for something better: a “shared truth”? This is about coming together, respecting…

Originally published on KevinMD.com | December 4, 2025 California’s opioid policies reveal a stark hypocrisy, imposing draconian restrictions on prescriptions for chronic pain patients (leaving wildfire survivors and others in unrelenting agony) while allocating over $100 million annually through initiatives like the California Harm Reduction Initiative (CHRI) and Proposition 36 to provide free needles, pipes,…

Originally published on KevinMD.com | December 1, 2025 As a pain management specialist examining opioid prescribing policies, my intent is not to promote unchecked opioid prescribing or overlook the serious risks these medications pose. Instead, I advocate for viewing the full picture in patient care. Physicians, trained in medicine and its side effects, must be…

This article by Dr. Kayvan Haddadan examines the opioid crisis’s impact on chronic pain patients in Sacramento and was originally published on KevinMD.com. It explores the unintended consequences of opioid prescribing restrictions on chronic pain management.   Introduction: a crisis of pain The opioid crisis is one of the most significant public health emergencies of…

A groundbreaking study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation by researchers at the NYU Pain Research Center has identified neuropilin-1 (NRP1) as a novel co-receptor for nerve growth factor (NGF), an important protein in pain signaling. This discovery could pave the way for safer and more effective treatments for arthritis, inflammatory pain, and cancer…

Researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, have made a groundbreaking discovery in understanding how pain signals are transmitted in the nervous system. Their work focuses on calcium channels, proteins crucial for processing pain signals, and identifies a specific mechanism that could lead to the development of more effective and safer chronic pain medications. Pain signals travel…