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Are Pain Medications Preventing You from Healing?

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2 years ago

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We all know that pharmaceutical painkillers are much stronger than nearly anything you can find in nature. There’s no comparing cannabis, cloves, or magic mushrooms to powerful drugs like fentanyl and isotonitazene. So why are a growing number of people turning away from opioids in favor of milder treatment options? Aside from obvious safety issues with the former, the answer to that lies in part in how we, as a society, view pain in the first place.

Is pain something that should be immediately and completely masked, or are there some healing components to allowing our bodies to feel discomfort? Is our culture of hiding from anything that feels bad, keeping us in a perpetual state of illness?

Pain defined throughout history

Pain is not a condition in and of itself, but rather a symptom of many other diseases or disorders, indicating something is wrong with our bodies. Pain is incredibly complex and can vary significantly between people, even those who share similar illnesses or injuries. Pain can also range in severity, as well as in the way it’s felt. Some variations of pain can include pricking, tingling, stinging, burning, soreness, aching, and many other unpleasant sensations.

The entire spectrum of pain consists of hundreds of different types of disorders and syndromes. For instance, you can experience pain following an injury, or chronic pain related to aging. Pain can also be neurological, like migraines. Heart attacks, cancer, and childbirth all cause different forms of pain. When it comes to clinical diagnoses, healthcare providers typically group pain into one of two categories: acute or chronic. Acute pain comes on suddenly and intensely, and is usually the result of a traumatic injury or surgery.

Chronic pain persists over a longer period of time, and can be difficult to manage. Chronic pain affects very 50 million American adults, and it’s one of the most common reasons people seek medical care. Although some medical professionals consider chronic pain to be its own medical disease, there is always an underlying cause.

Again, pain is our natural warning sign that something is not right. The purpose of feeling pain is to change our course of actions – be it limiting certain activities, eating different foods, doing certain exercises, and so on. It’s remarkably specific in letting us know what activities will further aggravate an area, and in preventing us from doing said activities.

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What the research says

Pain is something that has long-confused physicians, so in an effort to better understand it, they started tracking their patients’ discomfort at all times. For a while, pain was even referred to as “the fifth vital sign”, officially declared so in 1999, but the move was met with great controversy and continues to be a point of contention in the healthcare industry to this day.

Regardless, the goal was for doctors to take more cognizance of pain because it can be an important factor in determining the overall health and mental state of a patient. The problem was that, the quest to gain a better understanding of pain eventually turned into a mission to mask pain entirely, not necessarily treat its root causes.

Some issues come along with masking pain, the most obvious being that if you don’t feel any pain, you may not take the correct actions to manage and heal your ailment, leading to further injury. Another problem that is rarely discussed, is the role of pain management medications in the actual treatment of pain. For a long time, it was commonly believed that pills helped, but recent studies show that many frequently used pharmaceuticals actually hinder the healing process.

It is well established in scientific literature that NSAIDs can impede the healing of broken bones, damaged ligaments, and other musculoskeletal tissues. Many surgeons many avoid suggesting or prescribing these medications because of the growing concern in how they negatively impact callus formation and decrease the activity of COX isoenzymes that decrease the synthesis of prostanoids.

Another drug of great controversy – opioids. How much are these incredibly dangerous drugs that have caused hundreds of thousands of overdose deaths over the last decade, even aiding in the healing process? Short answer, not very much at all – according to recent studies.

A study published in 2017 found that patients who were treating wounds with opioid doses over 10mg per day exhibited slower rates of healing than patients who took less than 10mg or none at all. Other studies have also suggested that opioid use may negatively impact wound healing by reducing immune activation, impacting tissue oxygenation and angiogenesis, and altering myofibroblast recruitment as well as impacting keratinocyte cytokine production, endothelial proliferation and angiogenesis.

Other drugs that can slow wound healing are cytotoxic antineoplastic and immunosuppressive agents, corticosteroids, and anticoagulants. Additionally, all drugs in the pain relief category can theoretically interfere with healing by masking pain and thus allowing you to continue to hurt yourself without immediately realizing it.

My personal experience with pain

To not sound completely tone-deaf here, I do understand that certain levels of pain can make life unbearable. I’ve been blessed in not having to experience chronic, debilitating pain personally, but I have had a handful of injuries and surgeries in my life that left me in pain or discomfort for a few weeks to a few months at a time.

I also suffer from frequent migraines and cluster headaches, which come on strong and fast. Normally, I try to take it easy, drink a lot of water, eat food, and avoid smoking until it goes away. Admittedly, I’ll pop an Excedrin occasionally if I don’t have time to tend to naturally, but I try to avoid that as the regular use of any acetaminophen-based drug can cause significant damage to the body, particularly the liver.

Right now, I’m drawing from my experience of giving birth, comparing how it went when I received epidural versus a natural birth. First, it’s important to note that babies whose mothers receive an epidural are more likely to develop respiratory distress syndrome once the child is born. Epidural anesthetic is sometimes combined with opioid drugs as well, which can cross the placenta and add to the risk of developing respiratory depression.

Babies who have are exhibiting such problems likely end up going to the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). While staying in the NICU may not seem harmful on the surface, it means that mother and baby are separated immediately after birth. And when you use epidural, you can’t move your legs for a couple of hours after giving birth, so if the baby is not in the same room with you, that’s even longer spent away from them during their first moments on this earth, and this can have profound effects on the emotional and physical well-being of both baby and mom.

This is what happened to me when I gave birth to my first son with epidural. The labor was about 10 hours, I had to be put on oxygen at numerous points during the process, and my baby was born with some breathing issues that made it difficult for him to breathe through his nose while eating. He was taken to NICU right away, but even while there he had issues for a couple of weeks. At one point during a feeding, he stopped breathing completely for a few seconds and turned blue, it was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever experienced.

Were these issues causes by the epidural? It’s hard to say, but very possible. Especially when comparing that ordeal to the birth of my second son, which was done completely naturally. No problems during the labor which last less than one hour from start to finish, baby had absolutely no issues, and we were discharged in about 1 day.

In my opinion, that’s very telling of the types of complications that can arise when unnecessary medical intervention is at play.

Final thoughts

Pain management is a complicated and sensitive subject for many people, patients and medical professionals alike. Pharmaceuticals have their place in modern medicine, but it’s important to take a closer look at their overall role in treating pain over the long term. These recent discoveries place greater importance on treating the root causes of pain, in order to get patients off their medications as quickly as possible.

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alcohol

The Best Tariff Friendly Cocktails

Published

3 days ago

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April 4, 2025

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The weekend is for fun, so here are some affordable cocktails to kick back and relax

There has been a buzz about tariffs and the global stock markets are quaking. But most don’t realize at the end of hte day, as people settle down, their favorite cocktails will be hit. Foreign alcohol is significantly impacted by tariffs imposed by the current adminstartion. These tariffs include a 25% levy on all beer imports, additional tariffs on aluminum used in beer cans, and varying tariffs on wines and spirits from different regions. Popular brands such as Guinness stout (produced by Diageo), Italian Campari liqueur, and imported beers like Corona and Heineken are directly affected. Tequila has been on the list, but currently has escaped.  To help the wallet and the throat, here are the best tariff friendly cocktails.

RELATED: Beer Sales Flatten Thanks To Marijuana

Strawberry Bourbon Basil Smash

What better way to relax than with some good, old-fashioned bourbon.  This cocktail combines the rich flavor of barrel aged bourbon with spring treats like strawberries and fresh basil.

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup fresh strawberries, cut into chunks
  • 5 leaves fresh basil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons simple syrup
  • 3 fluid ops bourbon
  • 1/2 cup ice, or as needed
  • 3 fluid ozs sparkling water, or as needed

Create

  1. Muddle strawberries, basil, lemon juice, and simple syrup together in a cocktail glass until smashed together and fragrant
  2. Add bourbon and ice
  3. Stir to combine
  4. Top with sparkling water

Hard Ball

After a tough week or if you just want to start the evening off with a different note, consider this cocktail. The story of peanut butter whiskey, most notably Skrewball, begins with Steven Yeng, a Cambodian refugee who, after immigrating to the US, developed a love for peanut butter and later combined it with whiskey to create a popular cocktail at his bar, which eventually led to the creation of the brand in 2018. Skrewball is made in San Diego.

Ingredients

  • 1½ ozs Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey
  • 4 ozs Berry flavored Hard Seltzer

Create

  1. Combine ingredients in a highball glass
  2. Add ice
  3. Stir and enjoy

American Mule

Vodka’s history is rooted in Eastern Europe, with both Russia and Poland claiming its origins, though the word “vodka” itself is Russian, meaning “little water”. While the exact origins are debated, the earliest written records of vodka-like spirits appear in the 14th century, with the word “wódka” appearing in Polish documents in 1405.  But why not put an American spin on it using Tito’s, which is made in Texas, and have a popular American Mule.

  • 1 1/2 oz Tito’s Vodka
  • 3 oz ginger beer
  • 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
  • 1 lime slice for garnish

Create

  1. Combine ingredients in a chilled glass
  2. Add ice and stir
  3. Garnish with lime wedge

RELATED: Rainy Weather Cocktails

Cucumber Gimlet

This cocktail feels like you are diving directly into summer, skipping spring.  The cucumber brings a whole level of freshness.  Crisp, cool and completely tariff free.

Ingredients

  • 3 cucumber wheels, thickly sliced
  • 1/2 oz simple syrup
  • 2 ozs gin
  • 3/4 oz lime juice, freshly squeezed
  • Cucumber wheel, sliced thinly for garnish

Create

  1. Add the cucumber wheels and simple syrup into a shaker and muddle
  2. Add the gin, the lime juice and ice and shake until well-chilled
  3. Strain into a coupe glass
  4. Garnish with a cucumber wheel



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Cannabis Consumers Are Being Hit By The Tariffs

Published

3 days ago

on

April 4, 2025

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Tariffs are the word of the day – but marijuana consumers need to be ready to see a change also.

From apples to automobiles, hundreds of industries are trying to figure out the new tariffs.  What is clear is prices are going up on a random amount of things.  But, why is a surprise, is cannabis consumers are being hit by the tariffs also. Although cannabis itself cannot be imported or exported due to federal restrictions, the industry heavily relies on international suppliers for key components like vaporizer hardware, packaging, and cultivation equipment.

RELATED: Mixed Messages From The Feds About Cannabis

For instance, products sourced from China now face cumulative tariffs as high as 45%, including a 10% increase imposed in February 2025. Similarly, imports from Canada and Mexico face 25% tariffs. These measures have particularly affected items like vape cartridges, batteries, and specialized packaging materials, which are difficult to source domestically at competitive prices. As a result, many cannabis companies are passing these increased costs down the supply chain to consumer

The financial burden of these tariffs is substantial. Analysts estimate that most cannabis businesses lack the margin flexibility to absorb a 10%-15% cost increase. This has led to higher retail prices for products like pre-rolls and vaporizers, potentially pushing consumers toward cheaper, unregulated black-market alternatives. Such a shift raises concerns about product safety and could undermine the legal market’s growth.

Additionally, the tariffs have caused stock prices of major cannabis companies like Tilray Brands and Canopy Growth to decline by 5%-10%, reflecting investor concerns over profitability.Smaller businesses, already constrained by high taxes and limited banking access, are particularly vulnerable to these economic pressures.

Efforts to mitigate tariff-related expenses include exploring alternative manufacturing locations in countries like Malaysia or India. However, transitioning production is complex and time-consuming due to logistical hurdles and regulatory compliance requirements. Domestic production is another option but often comes with higher costs and limited capacity.

RELATED: How To Be Discreet When Using Weed

Packaging regulations in many states exacerbate the situation by requiring child-resistant designs, further limiting affordable domestic alternatives. Some companies are exploring sustainable packaging solutions as a long-term strategy to reduce dependence on volatile international markets.

The ongoing trade tensions show no signs of easing under Trump’s administration, leaving cannabis businesses with little choice but to adapt quickly. Strategies such as diversifying suppliers, investing in automation, and innovating with local materials may help companies weather the storm. However, without significant policy shifts or financial support mechanisms, the industry faces a challenging road ahead.



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clothes

The Best Tips To Update Your Wardrobe

Published

3 days ago

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April 3, 2025

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Spring is about renewal and beauty – so why not use this time to refresh your look and wardrobe?

Winter is behind us and temperatures rising. It is time to move from heavier winter clothing to lighter, warmer-weather pieces. And maybe adding some brighter colors and lighter fabrics. But what about a refresh of your look also? While it is hard to pinpoint an exact number, a significant portion of people according to retail research, feel they need new clothes and are actively updating their wardrobes. But do you need to have to look for you? Her are the best tips to update your wardrobe.

RELATED: Tips To Develop A Better Morning Routine

We asked Harmony Arnold, an image consultant and wardrobe stylist with over two decades of experience enhancing personal and professional image, what do when looking into your closet.  With an extensive background in costume design for film, theatre, commercial advertising, and emerging mediums like VR, Harmony brings a nuanced understanding of how visual storytelling influences perception and leadership. Arnold works with executives, public figures, tech and creative professionals.

The Best Tips To Update Your Wardrobe - Harmony Arnold

Take a Hard Look at Your Go-To’s

We all have a uniform—did you know most people wear only 10% of their wardrobe on repeat? It’s time for a spring-clean refresh! Keep what makes you feel confident, retire the worn-out pieces, and swap in elevated essentials that work for you. For men, that might mean reassessing your favorite jeans and tees—are they still in great shape, or are they past their prime? Upgrade to well-fitting denim, fresh button-downs, and structured casualwear that feels effortlessly put together.

Make Sure It Fits Like a Dream

Even the best clothes fall flat if they don’t fit just right. Tailoring is your secret weapon, whether it’s hemming your trousers, wearing a blazer, or making sure your shirts skim—not cling to—your frame. A fitted (not tight) Oxford shirt, properly tapered chinos, and a blazer that defines your shoulders will instantly elevate your style and get you noticed. 

Invest in Forever Pieces

Think of your wardrobe as a curated collection—fewer, better pieces make getting dressed effortless. For men, this means a great pair of dark denim, a versatile, well-tailored blazer, and crisp white or neutral button-ups with a proper hemline. A well-made leather sneaker or a classic loafer can seamlessly take you from casual outings to business casual settings.

RELATED: The Science Behind Why Music Sounds So Much Better When You’re High

Lighten Up & Layer Like a Pro

Say goodbye to heavy winter fabrics and hello to easy-breezy layers! Swap out your wool suits for lightweight cotton or linen versions. A lightweight jacket or an unstructured blazer is a great way to add polish without overheating. Looking to refresh your palette? Soft blues, sage greens, and light neutrals are easy ways to bring a seasonal update without straying too far from what you grab in the fall and winter seasons. 

Accessorize Like You Mean It

Nothing transforms a look faster than the right accessories. Swap out your wintery dark leather belt and shoes for lighter tans or soft suedes. Consider a woven belt for a relaxed but polished feel. A statement watch, an upgraded pair of sunglasses, or even a well-chosen pocket square can bring personality to your look without going over the top. (Hint: Accessories are also the easiest way to dip into a new vibe without a complete wardrobe overhaul!).



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