RETHINKING OUR APPROACH TO PAIN #Chiropractic1st

 It’s time to change the way we approach pain. The services of doctors of chiropractic, along with other non-drug forms of pain management, can be an important part of the solution to the opioid epidemic gripping the United States. While medication may be necessary for some patients, there are cases—particularly those involving chronic pain—where a more conservative approach may alleviate pain and even lessen or eliminate the need for prescription painkillers.
The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) believes people in pain need better access to drug-free options such as chiropractic services. ACA has worked for years to raise awareness of conservative treatments such as chiropractic as a first line of defense against pain.
 A Problem of Epidemic Proportions
Inadequate pain management coupled with the epidemic of prescription opioid overuse and abuse has taken a severe toll on the lives of tens of thousands of people in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as many as one in four patients who receive prescription opioids long term for non-cancer pain in primary care settings struggles with addiction. Every day, more than 1,000 people are treated in the ER for misusing prescription opioids.
Deaths involving opioids have quadrupled since 1999; in 2014 alone, more than 14,000 people died from overdoses involving the drugs. That same year, another 2 million people abused or were dependent on opioids.
Beyond the risks of addiction and overdose, prescription drugs that numb pain may convince a patient that a musculoskeletal condition is less severe than it is or that it has healed. This misunderstanding can lead to overexertion and a delay in the healing process…or even permanent injury.
The problem of prescription drug overuse and abuse reaches beyond the general population. New research suggests that the rising prevalence of chronic pain and opioid use by U.S. combat military personnel is cause for serious concern. The study, published online as a research letter in JAMA Internal Medicine, is accompanied by an editorial recommending that the goal should be nothing short of a “cultural transformation” in how pain is managed.
Dr. Dave Edenfield, "your Jacksonville Chiropractor", and Lakewood Chiropractic offers the most advanced treatments for back pain, sciatica, neck pain, whiplash and headaches. They also treat auto accident victims with state-of-the-art technologies. Now accepting VA patients. For more information visit:
Lakewood Chiropractic
Jacksonville, Florida 32217
904-733-7020
http://www.lakewoodchiropracticjax.com/
https://www.facebook.com/lakewoodchiropractic
https://twitter.com/AskDrEdenfield