Please note: This is the pharmacology version of the course: Medical and Alternative Therapy for Acute and Chronic Pain Conditions R081E. Click here to take the general version (no pharmacology CEs).

Course Summary

Expiration Date: 07/30/2028

Acute and chronic pain affect a significant portion of the population both nationally and globally. Each experiences and reacts to pain uniquely, based upon biopsychosocial factors. Pain management planning frequently involves pharmaceuticals, e.g., opioids, non-opioids, or a combination of drugs. Persons with a concern about medication side effects or inadequate pain relief often explore complementary and alternative (CAM) strategies for pain relief. CAM techniques used for chronic and acute pain, like progressive relaxation and other therapies, have gained recognition by health clinicians as potentially beneficial for alleviating pain and improving quality of life. Pain management strategies must be tailored to each person’s unique diagnosis and condition to ensure safe and appropriate pain relief.

Course Format

Homestudy

Course Syllabus

  • Introduction
  • Pain Measurement Tools and Instruments
  • Pharmacological Management
    • Premedication Assessment
    • Balanced Anesthesia
    • Preventive Approach
    • Precision Dosing
    • As-Needed (PRN) Medications
  • Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) and Local Anesthesia
  • Local Anesthesia
  • Pharmacological Agents for Pain Treatment
    • Opioid Analgesics
    • Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs
    • Muscle Relaxants
    • Anti-Seizure Drugs
    • Tricyclic Antidepressants
    • Alpha Adrenergic Agonist
  • Nonpharmacological Pain Management
    • Massage Therapy
    • Cold and Heat Therapies
    • Distraction and Guided Imagery, and Relaxation Techniques
    • Hypnosis
  • Neurological and Neurosurgical Approaches
    • Electrotherapy
    • Peripheral Nerve Stimulation versus Deep Brain and Spinal Cord Stimulation
    • Intraspinal Opioid Administration
    • Nerve Blocks
  • Complementary and Alternative Medicine
    • Herbal Therapy
    • Reflexology
    • Aromatherapy and Music Therapy
  • Homeopathy
  • Future Therapies
  • Case Study: Acupuncture and Pain
  • Summary

Author

Marilyn Lajoie, MD, DC, CCSP

Dr. Marilyn Lajoie obtained her medical degree from Saba University School of Medicine in 1999, Her residency began with one year of Anatomical and Surgical Pathology at Orlando Regional Medical Center, before transferring within the same post-graduate residency program to Internal Medicine. Upon completion of residency, she went into private practice in Orlando, where she specialized in Internal Medicine, Sports Medicine and Rehab, as well as acute and chronic pain management. Before becoming a medical doctor, she had practiced as a Chiropractic Physician, graduating from New York Chiropractic College in 1980, practicing initially on Long Island, N.Y., before moving to Florida where she had a successful chiropractic practice and physical rehabilitation center, and gained recognition as a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician. Dr. Lajoie was also the Director of Physical Therapy at Horizon Hospital, a residential and outpatient psychiatric hospital, and later, continued in the same capacity at Horizon’s sister psychiatric hospital in Brooksville, Florida. Dr. Lajoie maintained her chiropractic license and continued to practice both Internal Medicine and Chiropractic throughout private practice, until moving to the Veterans Healthcare System in 2014. Continuing in both fields, she became the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Montana VA, where she completed her service in 2021. Dr. Lajoie now works predominantly in telemedicine, and in an Expert Witness capacity for both medical and chiropractic cases. Still living in Montana, she enjoys being able to treat not only the rural areas of the state through this technology, but also patients across the US where she maintains multiple active state licenses. She and her husband also own a llama ranch with over thirty llamas that are hand selected for rare genetics. At the llama ranch, the public is invited to come and visit to learn about these elegant creatures, and to see ranch life firsthand – llama style! Dr. Lajoie and her husband have six adult children, as well as seven dogs.