The enormous opioid lawsuits across the nation are affecting pain science too.
Doctors are caught in an illicit opioid scheme, Washington State moves toward renewable energy, and a fireball lights up the Mid-Atlantic.
Scientists test a non-addictive painkiller, the Trump administration takes another swing at affirmative action, and something fishy's going on off the Normandy coast.
Some doctors' manuals from the 19th century do list Lactuca virosa as a pain reliever, but there's little evidence that it works.
The answer involves both biology and economics, but the opioid crisis is forcing us to consider investing more in pain research.
Endo Pharmaceuticals appears to be preparing its opposition to the FDA's request.
Too often, Americans with painful medical conditions who misuse pain pills like Oxycontin are denied further treatment and even prosecuted. There are more effective, enlightened responses—as the U.K. has shown for decades.