Dr. Silver is an author and recognized pain management specialist. He currently serves as Chief Medical Officer at Targeted Medical Pharma. Dr. Silver is board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology with privileges at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Silver is the former Clinical Chief of Rheumatology at Cedars Sinai Medical Center.
A recent study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that ibuprofen, one of the most common over the counter pain medications sold, can change the physiology of male testicles, adversely affecting the reproductive capabilities of young men. Ibuprofen is considered a Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drug (NSAID), and commonly sold over the counter under the brand names Advil and Motrin. NSAIDs…
A recent analysis of multiple clinical trials involving different pain medications show that the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including naproxen, considered as one of the safest drugs in this class, is associated with a significantly increased risk for myocardial infarction (MI). The rapid onset of heightened cardiovascular risk in the first week of NSAID use was prevalent in this study. Within this first…
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis, affecting up to 70 million Americans, and 1 out of 2 people over the age of 50. Osteoarthritis has fast become the most common cause of disability, and by 2050 will outpace cancer and heart disease combined. Osteoarthritis is usually caused by either wear and tear on the joints or follows several years after an injury…
Back pain is the #1 cause of disability in the United States. Up to half of all Americans live with some degree of chronic back pain and over 80% will experience back pain at some point during their lifetime. It is estimated that approximately $300 billion is lost each year as a result of lost productivity due to chronic back pain. Back pain is the…
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) has finalized their guidelines/recommendations with regards to prescribing opioid medications in chronic pain by primary care physicians. The recommendations are in response to an increase in both the prescribing of opioid pain medications by primary care physicians and in response to an increase in overdoses related to prescription narcotics. Between 1999 and 2014, over 165,000 Americans died as a result…
Fibromyalgia affects about 8-10 million Americans and 2-3% of all people around the world, predominately women. Fibromyalgia is characterized by diffuse body pain, sleep difficulties and fatigue. Many other symptoms can accompany Fibromyalgia including irritable bowel, “fibro fog,” headaches and irritable bladder. Despite the improvements in both research and treatments for Fibromyalgia in recent years, the syndrome remains one of the most complex conditions for…
The abuse of powerful narcotics/opioids such as prescription pain medications, heroin and morphine, is a serious issue affecting up to 36 million across the globe. Over 2 million people in the US are currently suffering from substance abuse disorders related to narcotics and the consequences are devastating both for those who are addicted and their families. The number of accidental overdose deaths has risen alarmingly…
NSAIDs are one of the most commonly used drug classes in the world. Studies estimate that up to 30% of the US population may use an over the counter NSAID for the treatment of pain. Despite the enormous publicity surrounding NSAIDs, misconceptions exist regarding the use and potential side effects of these commonly used medications. All NSAIDs have a BLACK BOX WARNING, “NSAIDs may cause…
Data out of Stanford University suggests that Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI’s) such as Prilosec, Prevacid, and Nexium are associated with a higher risk of heart attack. Published in the journal PLOS One online, researchers looked over 2.9 million patients over a several year period to determine if patients who took PPI’s for gastro esophageal reflux had an increased risk for myocardial infarction than patients who…
Prescription drug use continues to rise at an alarming rate as consumers continue to rely on prescriptions medications. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that nearly half of all Americans (48.5 percent) have used at least one prescription drug in the past month, a percentage that has grown over the last decade with 22 percent of the population using three or more…
