A7
THE ASTORIAN • TuESdAy, JuNE 18, 2019
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
HEALTH
UPDATE
Have you been told there is NOTHING else that can
be done to help you manage your pain? At Pain Relief
Partners, we offer non-narcotic treatments and
therapies that have helped thousands of patients live
a life with less pain. The most effective and efficient
treatment we offer is regenerative medicine therapy.
Andrew Lahodynskyj/Canadian Press
Fans cheer during the Toronto Raptors victory parade.
Police: 4 shot, 2 arrested
at Raptors rally in Toronto
By ROB GILLIES
and IAN HARRISON
Associated Press
TORONTO — Four peo-
ple were shot and wounded at
a rally Monday for the NBA
champion Raptors, and two
people were arrested, police
said.
Droves of Raptors fans
ran from the shooting in a
stampede from the City Hall
square, which was packed
with tens of thousands of fans.
A million or more fans earlier
packed downtown Toronto
for a parade for the Raptors,
raising concerns about safety
and overcrowding.
Toronto Police Chief
Mark Saunders said four peo-
ple suffered gunshot wounds
but said none of the injuries
were life-threatening. Oth-
ers suffered minor injuries as
they tried to get away from
the shooting, said Saunders,
who asked for witnesses and
people who might have video
to come forward and help
investigators.
“We do have people
arrested with firearms and
that’s the start of the investi-
gation,” Saunders said.
Asked if it was a targeted
shooting or terrorism-related,
police spokeswoman Allison
Sparkes said the investiga-
tion was ongoing.
During a speech from
one of the team owners, the
host of the rally interrupted
the proceedings to alert the
crowd to an emergency
and asked for calm. Cana-
dian Prime Minister Jus-
tin Trudeau, Toronto Mayor
John Tory, NBA Finals MVP
Kawhi Leonard and other
players were among those on
stage at the time.
“I want to make sure
everyone stays calm,” said
the host, sportscaster Matt
Devlin. “This is serious.
Everyone stay calm ... There
is an emergency being dealt
with.”
Those on stage remained
in place and speeches
resumed shortly after.
Mike Mudidi said he
was enjoying the celebra-
tions when he heard screams
behind him that someone had
pulled out a gun. He said he
froze as people started run-
ning in all directions.
“I just grabbed my bud-
dies’ hands and ran,” he said.
Raptors fan Phil D’Souza
said the violence left a bad
taste in his mouth, and he
questioned whether he would
attend a similar event in the
future.
“You couldn’t see the
shooter but it was that kind
of chaos where you’re just
expecting to see somebody
coming around the corner.
It was that kind of vibe,”
D’Souza said.
Another fan said the stam-
pede was scary.
“When you see a bunch
of people coming at you,
you don’t know what to do,
whether to run or not. You
don’t want to get stampeded
over,” Sam Sunday said.
Trudeau’s spokeswoman
declined to comment on
the shooting near the prime
minister.
“We never comment on
matters relating to the PM’s
security,” Eleanore Catenaro
said.
Tory, the mayor, thanked
police for their quick
response.
“It is disappointing and
I’m sure a source of anger for
more than just me that any-
one would carry a gun and
discharge it at what was oth-
erwise a joyous celebration,”
Tory said in a statement. “I
hope those found responsi-
ble will be held to account
to the full extent that the
law permits. I want to com-
mend and thank the millions
of other people who happily
and peacefully celebrated our
beloved Toronto Raptors.”
Tory previously urged
every city resident to come
celebrate the Raptors’ first
championship and declared
Monday as “We The North
Day,” after the franchise’s
slogan.
Local governments seek to win
negotiating power in opioid lawsuit
By ANDREW
WELSH-HUGGINS
Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio —
Lawyers suing over the toll
of opioids asked a judge Fri-
day to allow a structure for
all 25,000 municipal and
county governments in the
U.S. to be paid — if a set-
tlement can be reached with
companies that make and
distribute powerful prescrip-
tion painkillers.
The
approach,
if
approved, would create duel-
ing negotiating systems as
state governments are also in
collective settlement negoti-
ations with the drug industry.
The unified approach
on behalf of municipalities
would also help the manu-
facturers and distributors by
defining a finalized group of
entities benefiting from a set-
tlement, said Joseph Rice, a
South Carolina-based attor-
ney representing local gov-
ernments in the complaint.
“If you’re a corporation
trying to address this prob-
lem, you need to get closure,
you need to put it behind
you,” Rice said in an inter-
view Friday. “If you’re going
to put significant resources
into the resolution, you’ve
got to know it’s behind you.
The only way to do that is to
get releases from everybody
that’s got a potential claim.”
The action would also
help address a problem that
is widespread and reaches
across city and county lines,
Rice said. Providing assis-
tance from a settlement to
one county doesn’t help
the people in a neighboring
town, he said.
“These pills have wheels,
they move around,” Rice
What Health Conditions Do We Treat?
At Pain Relief Partners, we are able to help patients with
symptoms related to neuropathy, herniated or bulging
discs, sciatica, spinal stenosis, arthritis, joint pain, neck or
back pain, migraines, headaches, and much more. Our
regenerative therapy procedures are performed using
Wharton’s Jelly Umbilical Cord Matrix which comes from
donated umbilical cords.
Do We Take Health Insurance?
Yes, some of the treatments we offer are covered by medical
insurances, including Medicare. Through insurance, we are
able to offer trigger point injections to treat muscle knots
or spasms, nerve blocks for sciatic pain or neuropathy, and
joint injections. Unfortunately, regenerative therapy for these
conditions is not covered by any insurance at this time.
We do our best to keep our prices for stem cell treatments
as reasonable as possible so we are able to help as many
people as we can with this amazing regenerative medicine.
We also offer ancillary therapies at reasonable prices.
What Are Ancillary Therapies?
Ancillary therapies supplement other treatments we offer
and often help to accelerate recovery and healing. We offer
cold laser therapy with a photobiomodulation laser, non-
surgical decompression for the neck and spine to help with
nerve and disc issues without surgery, and “lights and boots”
for neuropathy. To learn more about each of these therapies,
visit our office or give us a call.
Who Performs the Treatments?
All injection therapy is done by our nurse practitioner and
clinic owner, Stephanie Jones. Since January 2016, she has
performed over 30,000 injections! This expertise combined
with compassion and her personal experience with chronic
injury and pain allows her to provide excellent care. Because
she has been treated with many of the therapies in our
office, she is able to speak from experience and relate to the
patients she cares for. Dr. Tom Kessinger is our chiropractor
and performs all chiropractic adjustments. He also meets
with patients for complimentary consultations answering
questions and explaining the treatment options available
in our clinic. Dr. Kessinger is training in a new chiropractic
technique called Zone Therapy and we are already seeing
outstanding results for our patients using this insurance
covered therapy. He and Stephanie work together with
each patient to determine a treatment plan and suggest
treatment options. They also refer out to other providers in
the community who they trust to provide our patients with
high quality care. Our well-trained staff assists patients with
ancillary therapies, and our entire team is well informed and
educated about the treatments we offer so we can take the
best possible care of you!
How Can I Learn More?
AP Photo/Jessica Hill
Christine Gagnon of Southington, Connecticut, protests in
2018 with other family and friends who have lost loved ones
to OxyContin and opioid overdoses.
said, citing the documented
cases of pain pills obtained
in Florida being taken to
West Virginia.
The motion filed Fri-
day requests the creation of
a negotiating class “for the
specific purpose of creating
a unified body to enter into
further negotiations with
defendants,” according to
the filing. “It is neither aimed
at being the vehicle for liti-
gation or settlement.”
Hundreds of local gov-
ernments and other enti-
ties, such as hospitals, have
accused
pharmaceutical
companies of downplaying
the addictive nature of opi-
oids and prescription pain-
killers largely blamed for
one of the deadliest drug
crises in U.S. history. Opi-
oids include prescription and
illicit drugs.
The complaints are being
overseen by Cleveland-based
U.S. District Judge Dan Pol-
ster. He previously ruled
that lawsuits filed by the
Ohio counties of Cuyahoga,
which includes Cleveland,
and Summit County, which
includes Akron, will be
heard first this October.
A trial on claims made by
West Virginia’s Huntington
and Cabell counties will be
next, followed by Cleveland
and Akron’s claims.
The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention says
opioids are the main driver
of drug overdose deaths.
Opioids were involved in
47,600 overdose deaths in
the U.S. in 2017, according
to the agency.
Attorneys general fight-
ing for compensation in sep-
arate legal actions are likely
to have mixed reactions to
the filing, said Paul Nolette,
a Marquette University polit-
ical scientist.
With the lone exception
of Nebraska, every state
has sued, filed administra-
tive charges or promised to
sue the companies blamed
for the national crisis, which
played a role in the deaths of
more than 390,000 Amer-
icans from 2000 through
2017.
We are passionate about education and want our patients
to be confident in their decision to partner with us in their
journey to live a life with less pain. Our website has links
to research articles about Wharton’s Jelly Stem Cells,
regenerative medicine therapy for specific conditions,
ancillary treatments, conditions we treat, and more. There is
also a link for a Webinar that you can watch from the comfort
of your own home! We also offer free Regenerative Therapy
Seminars presented by Stephanie or Dr. Tom. See below for
the date and time of our upcoming seminar.
Call 971-704-1320 to Reserve Your Seat at a Seminar!
To view our Regenerative Therapy Webinar, go to our Facebook
Page, @painreliefpartners, or our website: www.loweryourpain.
ONE DAY ONLY EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR
Thursday, June 27th at 7 pm
Clatsop Community College
Columbia 219 Room
1651 Lexington Avenue, Astoria, OR 97103