The Most Popular Pain News Network Stories of 2024
/By Crystal Lindell
Looking back at 2024, there was a lot of news to cover about chronic pain and illness. Access to opioids and new pain treatments were two issues that readers were most interested in over the last year.
Below is a look at the top 6 most widely read articles that PNN published in 2024, a year that saw us reach nearly 550,000 readers around the world.
Kamala Harris’ Stepdaughter Draws Backlash for Advocating Pain Treatments
Our most widely read article — by far — discussed Ella Emhoff, the 25-year old stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris, who was running for president at the time.
Emhoff revealed on social media that she has chronic back pain and shared a list of ways that she tries to address it, including alternative treatments such as ketamine, exercise, and an anti-inflammatory diet.
Emhoff’s lengthy list of potential treatments got some push back from our readers, in part because she never mentions opioids. Other readers were hopeful that Emhoff could help draw more attention to an issue that most politicians ignore.
“How much her stepmom is aware of her stepdaughter's trials & tribulations is an unknown, but there is a tiny ray of hope that she - the candidate - has at least some direct awareness of an issue that effects millions of Americans but remains unaddressed by anyone,” one reader commented.
Read the full article here.
New Mothers Lose Custody of Babies After False Positive Drug Tests
This article was about hospitals routinely giving urine drug tests to new moms — and then reporting them to child welfare agencies when the tests show false positives. One mother wasn’t allowed to take her newborn baby home because she ate a salad with poppy seeds and then falsely tested positive for codeine.
The article was based on an investigation by The Marshall Project, which interviewed dozens of mothers, medical providers, toxicologists and other experts to report the story.
“People should be concerned,” Dr. Stephen Patrick, a neonatal researcher told The Marshall Project. “This could happen to any one of us.”
Read the full article here.
DEA Finalizes More Cuts in Opioid Supply
For the 8th consecutive year, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration reduced the amount of opioid pain medication that drug makers can produce in 2024, ignoring complaints from thousands of patients that opioids are already difficult to obtain and many pharmacies are out of stock.
This article received more reader comments than any other in 2024.
“This is absolutely criminal, the DEA dictating how much painkillers are available? How much more do legitimate chronic pain sufferers need to suffer? Now I know why I couldn’t get my pain medication. This really pisses me off and it should piss off everybody!” one reader posted.
Read the full article here.
Many Doctors Hesitant to Accept Patients Using Opioids or Cannabis
This article delved into research at the University of Michigan showing that many primary care doctors are reluctant to accept new patients who use either opioids or cannabis.
Of the 852 physicians surveyed, nearly a third (32%) said they would not accept a patient using opioids daily, while 18% felt the same way about patients using medical cannabis.
“This lack of access could inadvertently encourage patients to seek nonmedical treatments for their chronic pain, given that relief of pain is the most commonly reported reason for misuse of controlled substances,” said lead author Mark Bicket, MD.
Read the full article here.
90% of Pain Patients Have Trouble Filling Opioid Prescriptions
This article looked at the results of a PNN survey of over 2,800 patients with an opioid prescription.
We found that nine out of ten patients experienced delays or problems getting their prescription filled at a U.S. pharmacy. Even after contacting multiple pharmacies, nearly 20% were unable to get their prescription filled,
“My medication helps my pain be at a level I can tolerate. When I can't get it, I honestly feel like ending my life due to the pain. I wish they'd stop to realize there are those of us with a legitimate need,” one patient told us.
Read the full article here
‘Smart Opioid’ Relieves Pain with Lower Risk of Overdose
This article was about an experimental form of hydrocodone that relieves acute pain without the risks of traditional opioids.
An early stage clinical trial by Elysium Therapeutics found that its “SMART” formulation of hydrocodone releases therapeutic levels of the pain medication when exposed to a digestive enzyme in the small intestine.
If a patient takes too high of a dose, the drug inhibits production of the enzyme, which slows the release of hydrocodone. In theory, that will reduce the risk of abuse and overdose.
“I wonder how soon this might be available to the public by prescription? Our country desperately needs more pain control options,” said one reader.
Read the full article here.
We hope you enjoyed reading PNN in 2024 and found our stories informative and helpful. We look forward to continuing our coverage of chronic pain and other health issues in 2025.
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