Opioid addiction: Treatment and options

With the opioid epidemic hitting the U.S. in recent years, Americans have to be more cautious than ever about the medicines they take. This is easier said than done, especially if people consider that the root cause of all of this is chronic pain. A growing percentage of patients suffering from chronic pain who were prescribed opioids fall into dependency and addiction. Margaret L. Salmon.

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Fortunately, healthcare professionals and experts have come up with several treatments and options that are multi-faceted to deal with both chronic pain and the potential dependency on its medication.
Medical experts are approaching chronic pain the same way other chronic conditions are approached. For example, the conditions of diabetes or asthma have psychological and biological factors that trigger them. It is the same with chronic pain. Margaret L. Salmon.

One of the most important things that doctors do with patients suffering from chronic pain is to review the medical history thoroughly. Some conditions may be linked to chronic pain, and the management of this chronic pain may actually coincide with the management of these prior conditions. Margaret L. Salmon.

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Another important facet in the treatment of chronic pain and prevention of opioid dependency also lies in the consistent meetings between doctor and patient. Monitoring a patient’s condition can considerably lessen the need to take opioids, which will only be prescribed as needed.
It should be noted that chronic pain can only be managed, and opioid dependency can be prevented. Margaret L. Salmon.