A Look Back: The Joint’s Series on the Opioid Epidemic
By Martin Henderson
September is Pain Awareness Month. Tragically, pain management in the 21st century has devolved into a drug-fueled trail of tears. Opioid addiction has reached epidemic status in America. As people seek help -- either from the medical profession or themselves -- relief from hydrocodone to heroin killed 115 Americans daily in 2016. By comparison, there were 102 daily auto-related deaths that same year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Nearly two-thirds of the 63,632 fatal drug overdoses in 2016 involved either a prescription or illicit opioid.
“No area of the United States is exempt from this epidemic -- we all know a friend, family member, or loved one devastated by opioids,” says Dr. Anne Schuchat, CDC principal deputy director.
The Joint Chiropractic did a four-part deep dive into the opioid epidemic in Summer 2017. Here are links to those articles.
Part 1 - Prescription for Pain: Opioids Leave Chiropractors in Disbelief
Part 2 - Dying for Dollars: Who’s Getting Rich from Opioid Abuse?
Part 3 - Where Does the Buck Stop in Opioid Epidemic
Part 4 - Alternatives to Opioid Use for Chronic Pain
The series provides the reader an opportunity to understand the big picture and what can be done to keep from becoming a victim.
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