Lower Opioid use in Medicare populations who utilize chiropractors. The Opioid problem is largely due to a lack of understanding by doctors as to what chronic pain is. Patients looking for a solution other than something that was post injury or post surgical should never have given such an addictive substance. The truth is, that most chronic pain is a problem with movement and movement patterns of the body. Chiropractors for years have developed active treatments that enhance body movement through manipulation that restores joint movement throughout the body, muscle work and exercise. No other profession has mastered this idea and most medical physicians are poorly trained in evaluating and treating the mechanical basis of pain. A new study now shows that younger Medicare patients who use chiropractic care have a lower utilization level of Opioids. Perhaps it is time that more doctors consider referring to a chiropractor first, before writing any sore of prescription for a painful condition they don't understand, or referring to other professions who are less successful at reducing chronic pain, the most common driver of Opioid overuse. Read the study here Cross-Sectional Analysis of Per Capita Supply of Doctors of Chiropractic and Opioid Use in Younger Medicare Beneficiaries William B Weeks, MD, PhD, MBAcorrespondenceemail, Christine M Goertz, DC, PhD Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether the per-capita supply of doctors of chiropractic (DCs) or Medicare spending on chiropractic care was associated with opioid use among younger, disabled Medicare beneficiaries. Methods Using 2011 data, at the hospital referral region level, we correlated the per-capita supply of DCs and spending on chiropractic manipulative therapy (CMT) with several measures of per-capita opioid use by younger, disabled Medicare beneficiaries. Results Per-capita supply of DCs and spending on CMT were strongly inversely correlated with the percentage of younger Medicare beneficiaries who had at least 1, as well as with 6 or more, opioid prescription fills. Neither measure was correlated with mean daily morphine equivalents per opioid user or per chronic opioid user. Conclusions A higher per-capita supply of DCs and Medicare spending on CMT were inversely associated with younger, disabled Medicare beneficiaries obtaining an opioid prescription. However, neither measure was associated with opioid dosage among patients who obtained opioid prescriptions. Read more