More than one in 10 American adults experienced pain every day for the past three months, according to data from the National Institutes of Health. When pain lasts three months or longer, it is considered chronic pain. The prevalence of chronic pain in the U.S. lies at the root of an ongoing epidemic of prescription … Continue reading For chronic pain, opioids are not a good long-term solution
Opioids can be useful immediately after surgery for postoperative pain control, but there is a tendency to overprescribe. A recent study found that 6 percent of patients continued to use the drugs for at least three months after surgery. “Traditionally, doctors would prescribe (opioids) until the patient phone calls stopped,” said Walter Peters, MD, chief … Continue reading Reducing the risk of opioid abuse after surgery
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 44 people fatally overdose on prescription opioids daily in the U.S. That exceeds the daily number of deaths caused by motor vehicle crashes. One forecast estimates that as many as 650,000 people — nearly the combined population of the cities of Arlington and Plano — … Continue reading How Baylor Scott & White Health is combatting the growing opioid epidemic
