An estimated 25 million Americans live with chronic pain. Many of the chronic pain issues are back pain, neck pain, and osteo-arthritis of the hip, knee and hand. New research from Yale school of Medicine recommended non pharma-cological options to be considered as front-line treatment ahead of any medication for musculoskeletal pain. Chiropractic and acupuncture are recommended treatment for many of these conditions.
New clinical guidelines are developing as a result of the severe opioid crisis in this country. Preventing opioid addiction and overdose continues to be a significant public health priority.
Medscape Medical news reports on research out of Yale Medical School, reviewing six selected studies of a total of 62,000 patients revealing that “patients who visited a chiropractor for a musculoskeletal pain condition were 49% less likely to receive an opioid prescription than their counter parts, who went to other health care providers”.
This is an eye-opening study, since the opioid problem virtually can be cut in half if patients first saw a chiropractor for back and neck pain, as well as other musculoskeletal problems!
130 people die everyday in the USA as a result of opioid overdoses. The most common reasons why they started on these medications is back pain. This does not take into account the millions who were prescribed Oxycodone, Vicodin or other opioids and then get stuck in the spiderweb of a life long addiction. It is a tragedy created by big pharma, who now continues to profit from coming up with medications to substitute for the medication that created the addiction and rehab programs that are costly and not very effective.
“The Opioid manufacturers and other drug makers are being sued across the country. To counter this they have adopted a 50-state strategy that includes hundreds of lobbyists and millions in campaign contributions to help kill or weaken the measures aimed at stemming the tide of opioid prescriptions” according to the Associated Press.
It is an outright war where patients, with conditions that can most often be resolved with chiropractic care, acupuncture and other natural means, are the losers. So, if you or anyone you know, suffer from back or neck pain or other muscle or joint pain, consult with a good chiropractor first. If other treatments are warranted, they will let you know!