Opioid deaths have nearly doubled since 2009 according to Time magazine. Isn't it time to champion non pharmacological care of painful conditions? - Charschan Chiropractic in North Brunswick, NJ and Scotch Plains, NJ

Opioid deaths have nearly doubled since 2009 according to Time magazine. Isn’t it time to champion non pharmacological care of painful conditions?

Not a week goes by where we hear about the Opioid problem. Chiropractic medicine has been at the forefront of non pharmacological pain management and is often underutilized by the medical system. About a year ago, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield revealed their Omnia Plans which placed 94% of the chiropractors in the more expensive tier 2, even though the profession is part of the solution to this mess. Are they tone deaf? Are our politicians? Do your doctors really understand why you hurt and why don’t they refer more patients to chiropractors who are shown to be both safe and more effective than other therapeutic professions that are not holistic.

As a consumer of healthcare, you should be concerned because a painful condition that was managed improperly can result through medicinal pain management in a larger problem; an addiction. Most painful problems are mechanical in nature, and chiropractors offer a mechanical solution using manipulation, exercises and soft tissue treatments aimed at reducing pain and improving your quality of life.

Recently, Time Magazine investigated the problem and found that since 2009, the problem has doubled. I urge you to read the article. While medications are sometimes indicated, a mechanical solution is more often the best and most effective approach. Read the Time article here

U.S. Opioid Deaths Nearly Doubled Since 2009
Amanda MacMillan Aug 29, 2017

Deaths from opioid overdoses nearly doubled between 2009 and 2015 in the United States, according to a new study in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society, and the need for emergency care related to opiate addiction have outstripped the available supply.

The paper is believed to be the first to quantify the impact of opioid abuse on critical care resources across the country. For the study, researchers from Harvard Medical School, the University of Chicago, and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev analyzed nearly 23 million hospital admissions over a seven year period, at 162 hospitals in 44 states.

Almost 22,000 patients were admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) because of overdose from opioids—including prescription medications, methadone (which can be used to treat opiate addiction) or heroin. From 2009 to 2015, the number of opioid-related ICU admissions increased by 34%.