NPR Weighs In On Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is becoming an issue that is swiftly gaining national attention as more physicians are recognizing the disorder as a valid medical condition.  Among the many national news sources that are covering the topic of chronic pain, the National Public Radio is one of them.  NPR recently ran a radio interview covering an area within chronic pain that many patients grapple with:  the fear of addiction to pain medication versus the discomfort of chronic pain.  To read the NPR interview with Judy Foreman, author of "A Nation in Pain", or listen to the audio version, please click here.

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving Blair and the seven surrounding counties in central Pennsylvania.  He takes cases for clients who are experiencing chronic pain as the result of an injury due to the fault of another.   For more information on his Altoona, PA area firm, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com.

CARIE Works For The Rights Of The Elderly

Interested in advocating for the rights of the elderly?  Are you or an elderly loved one currently undergoing some type of neglect or physical, financial, emotional, or sexual abuse? You might want to consider visiting the following website for valuable resources on educating and protecting yourself from elder abuse.  The Center For Advocacy Of The Rights And Interests Of The Elderly, known as CARIE, has set up a detailed resource page for education on many forms of elder abuse.  Please visit their website here for more valuable information. 

Pennsylvania has also stepped up to protect its state's aging population.  The state has set up a statewide elder abuse hotline, which can be accessed by calling this number: 1-800-490-8505.  The hotline is open 24 hours a day and can be used a tipline to report activity related to abuse, neglect, exploitation, identity theft, or abandonment of an elderly PA resident.  Pennsylvania also has local Area Agencies on Aging that can assist in these situations. 

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving western and central Pennsylvania.  He takes cases for older Pennsylvanians who have been abused or neglected.  For more information on his Altoona, PA area practice, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com.  Attorney Stoehr takes cases in Blair and the seven surrounding counties.

Western PA Elderly Resources Website

            As stated in earlier blog posts, Pennsylvania has a significant amount of legal claims related to elder abuse and neglect. This primarily a result of our state’s large aging population, which has one of the highest percentages of senior citizens in the country.  Allegheny County's Department of Human Services has acknowledged this phenomenon and created a resource page to for seniors address some of these issues.  This page can be accessed by clicking this link, which takes you to a variety of resources for seniors including nursing home alternatives, mental health resources, and caregiver support.  It may be worthwhile to take a few minutes to browse this page and educate yourself on the options available to you and your aging loved ones in Western Pennsylvania.   

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer who takes nursing home abuse and neglect cases in the western and central Pennsylvania areas.  He takes cases in Blair and the seven surrounding counties, and his practice is based in Altoona, PA.  For more information on his firm, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com.

To access Pennsylvania’s resource page for elder abuse, please click this link. 

Elder Justice Event in Johnstown

Today, there is an elder justice event taking place in Johnstown, PA.  This event will host speakers from state and local justice agencies and is sponsored by the Cambria County Elder Abuse Task Force. For more information, please visit the Tribune-Democrat's article, located here.

Instances of elder abuse are not uncommon in Pennsylvania, which has a large aging population.  The term "elder abuse" can be used for seniors who have suffered physical, financial, emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as neglect.  According to state data, the three most common types of abuse experienced by older Pennsylvanians are self neglect, caregiver neglect, and financial abuse.

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer who takes nursing home abuse and neglect cases in the western and central Pennsylvania areas.  He takes cases in Blair and the seven surrounding counties, and his practice is based in Altoona, PA.  For more information on his firm, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com.

To access Pennsylvania’s resource page for elder abuse, please click this link.

Potential Genetic Basis For Chronic Pain

Anecdotal information suggests that some members of the population are more sensitive to pain and more susceptible to chronic pain than others. Recently, scientific research suggests that there may a genetic factor that influences the perception and persistence of pain.  To read more about this research, please visit the article here, as originally posted by Medical News Today.  As stated in previous blog posts, the majority of chronic pain begins in the joints and muscles, but then can move into the central nervous system. There is also research that has shown that persistent pain can re-map brain pathways, making pain worsen over time.  To manage this, it is best to consult with your physician as soon as you begin to feel chronic pain symptoms.  Catching the problem early may make treatment easier, less time consuming, and more effective.

Attorney Doug Stoehr takes cases for clients who are experiencing chronic pain due to an accident or injury due to the fault of another.  For more information on his Altoona, PA area practice, please visit his website at  http://www.stoehrlaw.com or call his office at 814-946-4100.

Neurostimulation For Chronic Pain

For people who suffer from chronic pain, they often have tried many different ways to control their symptoms using drugs, medication, and alternative therapies. Unfortunately, these are not always successful.   For some chronic pain patients, there is the option of a neurostimulator.  This stimulator is a small electronic device that is inserted on the patient's spinal cord and helps to regulate nerve impulses to the areas that are affected by the patient's pain symptoms.  To read more about this method, please click on this link to an article by the Fort Wayne-area newspaper, The News-Sentinel.


Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer serving Blair and the seven surrounding counties in central Pennsylvania.  He takes cases for clients who are experiencing chronic pain as the result of an injury due to the fault of another.   For more information on his Altoona, PA area firm, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com. 

More Elder Abuse Incidents Reported By PA News

Elder abuse can come in many different forms, including financial, emotional, sexual, and physical.  Recently, a Hanover Township woman has come under investigation for physical abuse and subsequent death of her 78-year-old aunt.  According to reports, the woman under investigation threw porcelain figurines at her aunt's head and face, causing the elderly woman significant and fatal damage to her head.  To read more about the report, please visit the original news source at The Times-Tribune here.

Attorney Doug Stoehr is a personal injury lawyer who takes nursing home abuse and neglect cases in the western and central Pennsylvania areas.  He takes cases in Blair and the seven surrounding counties, and his practice is based in Altoona, PA.  For more information on his firm, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com.