The Opioid Epidemic

In reality, modern day opioid drugs are similar to slow release heroin. They are highly addictive, associated with major withdrawal symptoms, and they are killing more and more people every single year.

Scientific research says opioids are not the answer for chronic pain

Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is pain that has been around for more than 3 months. As it turns out, Opioids provide minimal relief for long term pain like arthritis or chronic back pain. There is no good quality scientific evidence that shows they have good, long-term benefits for managing pain.

Managing Pain

Current guidelines promote avoiding drugs and surgery if you have pain, and instead one of your first line choices should be a manual therapist like a chiropractor.

References

1. Wolfe S, Bouffard DL, Modesto-Lowe EV. The Opioid Crisis and the Physician’s Role in Contributing to its Resolution: Step One–Prevention of Overdoses. Connecticut medicine 2016;80(6):325-34. [published Online First: 2016/08/12]
2. Florence CS, Zhou C, Luo F, et al. The Economic Burden of Prescription Opioid Overdose, Abuse, and Dependence in the United States, 2013. Med Care 2016;54(10):901-6. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000625 [published Online First: 2016/09/14]
3. Huyler F. United States of Chronic Pain: How a shift in health-care delivery and Big Pharma’s hunger for profits have driven the opioid epidemic. New York Times 2016.
4. Osani MC, Lohmander LS, Bannuru RR. Is There Any Role for Opioids in the Management of Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) 2020 doi: 10.1002/acr.24363 [published Online First: 2020/06/26]
5. Mathieson S, Wertheimer G, Maher CG, et al. What proportion of patients with chronic noncancer pain are prescribed an opioid medicine? Systematic review and meta-regression of observational studies. J Intern Med 2020;287(5):458-74. doi: 10.1111/joim.13026 [published Online First: 2020/02/27]
6. Centers for Disease Control. CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain — United States, 2016 2016 [Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/rr/rr6501e1.htm accessed 26/1/2017 2017.
7. Control. CfD. Prescription Opioid Overdose Data 2017 [Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/overdose.html accessed 24/1/2017 2017.
8. Shobbrook M, Amorin-Woods L, Parkin-Smith G. Mitigating the opioid crisis: An Australian perspective on the role of chiropractors (part 1). Chiro J Aus 2020;47(1)
9. Massachusetts TUSAODo. Pharmaceutical Executives Charged in Racketeering Scheme 2016 [cited 2017 24/1/2017]. Available from: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/pharmaceutical-executives….
10. Gross A, Langevin P, Burnie SJ, et al. Manipulation and mobilisation for neck pain contrasted against an inactive control or another active treatment. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015(9):Cd004249. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004249.pub4 [published Online First: 2015/09/24]
11. Gross A, Miller J, D’Sylva J, et al. Manipulation or mobilisation for neck pain: a Cochrane Review. Man Ther 2010;15(4):315-33. doi: 10.1016/j.math.2010.04.002 [published Online First: 2010/06/01]
12. Bryans R, Decina P, Descarreaux M, et al. Evidence-based guidelines for the chiropractic treatment of adults with neck pain. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2014;37(1):42-63. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2013.08.010 [published Online First: 2013/11/23]
13. Goertz CM, Pohlman KA, Vining RD, et al. Patient-centered outcomes of high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation for low back pain: a systematic review. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 2012;22(5):670-91. doi: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2012.03.006 [published Online First: 2012/04/27]
14. Ruddock JK, Sallis H, Ness A, et al. Spinal Manipulation Vs Sham Manipulation for Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Chiropr Med 2016;15(3):165-83. doi: 10.1016/j.jcm.2016.04.014 [published Online First: 2016/09/24]
15. Bryans R, Descarreaux M, Duranleau M, et al. Evidence-based guidelines for the chiropractic treatment of adults with headache. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2011;34(5):274-89. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2011.04.008 [published Online First: 2011/06/07]
16. Corcoran KL, Bastian LA, Gunderson CG, et al. Association Between Chiropractic Use and Opioid Receipt Among Patients with Spinal Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Pain Med 2020;21(2):e139-e45. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnz219 [published Online First: 2019/09/29]