I’ve become seriously ill
Unfortunately I’ve had to close my practice
Welcome to Jim Gagné, M.D.’s website
I’m board certified in internal medicine, addiction medicine, and pain medicine. I’m a Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. I have specialized in treating patients with chronic pain and addiction. As of 1 November 2020 I closed my office due to illness. I will not respond to requests for care. But please feel free to peruse the information on this site.
Important Announcement: I’ve become seriously ill and can no longer practice medicine. I’ve completely stopped seeing patients or refilling prescriptions.
Please fax any medical records requests to (818) 790-4301. Please note that requests for medical records must be legible and signed by the patient. Include where you’d like records sent. The first copy is free; additional copies are $75 each.
Expertise
Learn more about my private practice in addiction medicine.
Patients with chronic pain get no respect.
I’m not a psychiatrist but have always been interested in helping people with emotional healing.
Though I’ve closed my internal medicine practice, you’ll find some useful health tips here: caring for a cold, all about hypertension, preventing heart disease, and more.
However we express it, the potential for spiritual experience lies within each of us. It can be more than a helpful adjunct to healing, at times essential. Click for more…
I’ve long wanted to be able to take note of interesting medical news and updates. Here’s my blog.
Awards
Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine
In recognition of my training and experience in addiction medicine, I was named a Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (FASAM) in 2015.
Pasadena Magazine's Top Doctors, 2013
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America's Top Physicians, 2013
In 2013, I was also selected as one of America’s Top Physicians.
Recent posts
A great new review and recommendations about PSA testing
I've long been a skeptic of routine testing of the prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, in most men. Yes, it's a simple little blood test, and sometimes an elevated PSA reading shows you have prostate cancer. But PSA screening most often produces [...]
A great new article about Dr. John Sarno’s approach to treating low back pain
I often rave about vox.com's superb coverage of health issues. Here's another great Vox article about Dr. Sarno's revolutionary approach to treating low back pain. Highly recommended.
Here are two more scientific updates on managing low back pain
Traditional treatments for low back pain are coming under increasing scientific scrutiny to see if they're safe and effective. They aren't doing well. A New York Times article today describes some of the horrific consequences of poorly trained physicians doing epidural steroid injections ("cortisone [...]
Two new reviews of acupuncture’s effectiveness in pain, addiction
Previous research was unclear whether acupuncture helps chronic pain. Two new analyses have reviewed new studies demonstrating that acupuncture does indeed relieve chronic pain in many. It may also help with opiate addiction. I've prescribed acupuncture for decades and find that roughly [...]
A terrific vox.com article on treating pain without drugs
Vox.com has frequently published terrific articles on medical care. This post is no exception: 100 Million Americans Have Chronic Pain. Very Few Use One of the Best Tools to Treat it. The article describes the proven effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy and [...]
Prostate cancer screening is complicated, mostly still unwise
Prostate cancer screening is complicated, mostly still unwise The United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) just updated its 2012 recommendation against routine screening for prostate cancer. Previously the USPSTF recommended against routine screening because of the high risk of false positive results [...]