In light of Pain Awareness Month (September), we recognize and sympathize for those living with debilitating and chronic pain. Let’s look at some statistics surrounding the chronic pain community and some ways Physician Partners of America can help.
During Pain Awareness Month, we are reminded of the eye-opening statistics related to chronic pain:
- It is the number one cause of adult disability in the U.S.
- Nearly 100 million Americans experience chronic pain —more than those who have diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined.
- It affects 50 million Americans
- It costs $100 billion per year in lost workdays, medical expenses and other benefit costs.
- It is a social issue. As you will see from the stories we will present to you each day on social media, unmanaged chronic pain is isolating. It causes people to withdraw from friends, family and communities.
- An estimated 294,000 children are affected by juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and other rheumatological conditions.
Interventional and Integrative Pain Management Approaches
Physician Partners of America practices interventional pain management. That means getting to the root cause of the pain and treating it as its source. This is so important not only for the patients health, but also for a treatment that will last. Some types of pain can be relieved to a degree and others can be eliminated. Our doctors will provide a tailored treatment to each patient, because we understand everyone’s pain is unique.
What about Opioids for Pain Treatment?
As Pain Awareness Month illustrates, the debate over opioids for pain continues to heat up. Nearly 2 million Americans have a disorder related to prescription painkillers, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
It’s important to remember that the opioid crisis stems from treatment of acute pain, the type that lasts less than three weeks. Historically, opioid medications were prescribed for short-term pain because they are effective.
“Opioids are very seductive drugs, but they work. You give opioids to somebody in pain and believe me, the pain goes away, but it only works for so long,” PPOA Chief Medical Officer Abraham Rivera, M.D., told a televised opioid town hall. “In the acute setting, they are phenomenal drugs. After that, the patient gets hooked on them. They’re extremely addictive.”
Strict prescription limits are now in place in many states as a result.
How can we provide relief?
Physician Partners of America has long recognized the dangers of opioid addiction and uses effective options to treat the root cause of the pain versus masking it. They include:
- Interventional pain management as a preferred treatment
- Opioid antidotes prescribed along with every opioid-based prescription.
- Medication management
- Intraoperative neuromonitoring to avoid accidental nerve damage during surgery
- Drug-genes testing to determine the right medication for each patient
If you are living with chronic pain, now is the time to get your life back. Contact us today to schedule a consult at one of our many locations.
