NEPA Vital Signs - Winter Spring 2018 - 30

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pain. 100 million Americans suffer from
chronic pain, which accounts for $600
billion in annual healthcare costs and
lost productivity.
Acknowledging the shortcomings
with current evidence to support MM
use, I do feel it is important to share
my own experience with the utilization
of MM in the treatment of chronic pain
patients. MM is another option in the
multidisciplinary approach required to
successfully treat chronic pain. Most
importantly it provides us a non-opioid
alternative. MM has assisted in weaning
individuals off opioids completely and
maintaining them off long term. Prior
to initiating MM, a risk assessment for
substance abuse must be performed.
Understanding that MM is neither
effective for all pain conditions nor
appropriate for certain individuals is
crucial to MM's long-term success as
well as the health of our patients.
In a concerted effort to continue decreasing the number of opioid
prescriptions written and diverted medication available in our community, I
recommend that the provider prescribing
the patients' opioid therapy complete
their MM registration. Furthermore, it
is my medical opinion that MM therapy
should NOT be initiated until patients
have weaned off opioids. Emphasis
should be placed on high CBD, low THC
vs. CBD only options when first implementing the therapy.

In Conclusion
Currently MM is not a first line
treatment for the qualifying conditions listed above; however, careful
thought should be given to it as a
treatment alternative. The potential
for offering our patients a successful
treatment for one or more functionally impairing conditions is exciting.
Furthermore, its ability to decrease
opioid prescriptions and potentially
lower opioid related overdoses, which
has been documented in other states,
cannot be understated.

ABBE KRUGER is the CEO of Justice Grown, PA, the dispensary permit holder for
Luzerne Country. As an Editor on Law Review, she graduated from the Benjamin N.
Cardozo School of Law and practiced law in New York City. Thereafter, she developed and
managed legal recruitment departments at a national legal search firm. For more than
a decade, Abbe has dedicated herself to the advancement of Luzerne County, serving
on a variety of Boards and Committees for Non profits including the Domestic Violence
Service Center, Blind Association, Wyoming Seminary Parents Association, CASA, Jewish
Community Center and Temple Israel (founding its Social Action Committee). After
witnessing the passing of close family members who could have benefitted from the
use of medicinal marijuana, she had dedicated herself to facilitating patient access to
ameliorate symptoms from a variety of ailments and conditions.
CHRISTOPHER CONNOR, D.O., joined Northeastern Rehabilitation Associates in
August of 2016 and treats patients in Wilkes-Barre at the John Heinz Campus. He received
his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from The Pennsylvania State University and his
Osteopathic Degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed
residency at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia where he was Chief Resident
and awarded Resident Teacher of the Year in 2015. He then went on to complete an
Interventional Pain Medicine Fellowship at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New
Hampshire. Dr. Connor is double board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
and Pain Medicine.
Dr. Connor provides comprehensive, non-operative spine and musculoskeletal care. He
performs fluoroscopically-guided spine injections, and advanced minimally-invasive
procedures such as radiofrequency ablation and spinal cord stimulation. He also has a
special interest in the utilization of both ultrasound and regenerative medicine in the
diagnosis and treatment of various neuromuscular conditions.

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