USA Today column: Both doctors and patients are in a no-win chronic pain situation

Thank you for addressing this issue and some potential solutions. I almost lost my mother several years ago due to poor pain management procedures for chronic back pain that led to an overdose. She was on life support for weeks and spent over five months total in the hospital and rehab facility. It is truly a medical miracle that she is with us today.

Patients should not be allowed to suffer. At the same time, doctors do need to be better educated about potential drug interactions, the affects of addiction on perceived pain levels, as well as other non-narcotic wellness therapies that may help in reducing pain and improving overall quality of life. Emotional wellness has a direct affect on pain levels and yet, the patient’s stress level or state of mind is not always acknowledged. Talk therapy should also be recommended.

Physicians may do well to explore the use of some CAM therapies in conjunction with medication-based pain management. If an hour of acupuncture, massage or healing touch therapies such as Reiki helps someone feel better, even for a few days, it is worth trying. People who are in constant, chronic pain want relief from their suffering. They need MORE options to take control of their life, not fewer.  

Medications can help with temporarily minimizing pain, but the core issues need to be addressed – whether it is functional or emotional or a combination of both – in order for any pain management protocol to be successful.