alternative therapy Archives

Providing An Integrative Approach To Pain Treatment May Reduce Opioid Use

Treating pain with highly addictive drugs is not my idea of conscientious healthcare. As a chiropractor, I am a proponent of pill-free and non-surgical pain management. Integrating a traditional medical practice with chiropractic care is not yet widely accepted. However, strides are being made in that direction.

I have been working tirelessly to make this kind of teamwork more mainstream, which is why I have been working together with Dr. Jeanmarie Burke writing, Changes in Opioid Therapy Use by an Interprofessional Primary Care Team: A Descriptive Study of Opioid Prescription Data, which was recently published in The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT). The JMPT is an international and interdisciplinary journal dedicated to the advancement of conservative health care principles and practices. As the premier biomedical publication in the chiropractic profession, the JMPT publishes peer-reviewed, research articles and the Journal’s editorial board includes leading researchers from around the world.

The purpose of this study was to describe changes in opioid-therapy prescription rates after a family medicine practice included on-site chiropractic services. I was fortunate to work with Dr. Julio Menocal, who had the foresight and understanding of the potential to introduce Chiropractic care directly into his practice.

The results of our study strongly indicate that including integrative medicine in the physical space of a primary care practice can be a positive step toward reducing and eliminating the need for opioids in pain management. It is my hope that integrative medicine providers will use this study to encourage medical practices to team up with chiropractic services.

The following link provides access to the study:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0161475421000129

National Opioid Crisis Expert, Dynamic Speaker And Author, Dr. John Rosa Talks About The Impending Mental Health Crisis Coming As A Result Of Covid-19.

Dr. John P. Rosa, opioid crisis expert, author and dynamic speaker writes about the effects of long-term stress on mental health increasing the risk for self-harm, suicide and substance abuse.

ROCKVILLE, MD. October 21, 2020: Dr. John Rosa, dynamic speaker, national opioid crises expert, and co-author of The Recipe for Success with Jack Canfield, posted a new article on his website entitled, “No One Is Immune To The Growing COVID-19 Mental Health Crisis.” Dr. Rosa elaborates on the long-term effects of chronic stress and offers tips for self-care.

As Dr. Rosa points out, “The fear of getting the virus is stressful enough. Add to that the disruption in lifestyle, the social distancing, the inability to travel freely, the quarantining, the mandate to wear masks in public, the inability to go to the office, the unemployment, the financial stress. I could go on,” he says, “but I think you get the point. All of these things add up to tremendous emotional and mental stress.”“A COVID-19-related mental health crisis is building like a tsunami wave,” writes Dr. Rosa, adding, “and it’s going to cost even more lives as it continues to grow.” “Let’s face it,” he says, “life is stressful. Everyone experiences stressful periods. However, when stress lasts for extended periods of time, the effects on mental health can be devastating.” He emphasizes, “The world has been living with the presence of COVID-19 for nearly one year. That’s a long time to live under duress.”

Dr. Rosa writes, “A recent time.com article speaks to the growing concern around this issue. The article states, “While the physical symptoms caused by the virus may disappear in weeks, people will continue to suffer the impact of grief, anxiety and depression for months or even years. In addition to healthcare workers, those most at risk are older people, adolescents, people with pre-existing mental health conditions and those already caught up in conflict and crisis.” “https://time.com/5839553/un-action-mental-health-crisis/

According to Dr. Rosa, “Men and women in recovery from opioid use and abuse are especially vulnerable. Here in the states, as well as in other parts of the world, COVID-19 has led to cuts in mental health services and the closure of many facilities.”

Read the entire article at https://drjohnrosa.com/no-one-is-immune-to-the-growing-covid-19-mental-health-crisis/

About John P. Rosa

Dr. John Rosa owns and supervises Accessible Beltway Clinics, which is comprised of 17 clinics in Maryland and Virginia that sees over 60,000 patient visits per year. ABC Clinics combine medicine, chiropractic, physical therapy, acupuncture and behavioral medicine to give a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach to pain syndromes and musculoskeletal disorders. Active in sports medicine with consulting/treating athletes in several universities, NBA, MLB, NHL and USA Olympic Basketball. Creator of 24/7 RnR an FDA approved analgesic cream; a proprietary blend of the most potent materials resulting in the most effective product on the market for pain Relief and aiding Recovery. Founder of Accessible Wellness Solutions – an onsite corporate wellness program offering consulting, lectures and management of onsite clinics.

Leader in Chiropractic

Trustee of New York Chiropractic College for over 15 years serving final 3-year term as Chairman of the Board and given the honor or Board Emeritus post service. Awarded the highest recognitions in Chiropractic Medicine as Fellow of the American Chiropractic Colleges and Fellow of the International Chiropractic Colleges.

Integrative Medicine Specialist:

Current Vice Chair of the Board to Maryland University of Integrative Health
Consultant on Integrative Medicine to hospital cancer center
Reduced opioid prescriptions by 70% by integrating Chiropractic, physical therapy and behavioral medicine in a primary care setting
Expert/Speaker – Educating medical community on the Integrative Medicine approach to treating pain

Opioid Crisis Expert:

White House Surrogate
Law Enforcement Consultant (Homeland Security, CBP, DOJ, DEA and Postal)
State and National Consultant to Opioid Task Forces
Corporate and professional organization consultant
Best selling author

Community Leadership:

Board member of the National Italian American Foundation
Founder of “Overdose Free America” a nonprofit 501c which uses the power of celebrity and entertainment to bring the Opioid Crisis the visibility and support it deserves
Volunteer at Crossroads Freedom Center – a residential facility in Maryland to help overcome addiction

###

National Opioid Crisis Expert, Dynamic Speaker And Author, Dr. John Rosa Shares Results Of Recent Study Revealing That Chiropractic Care Can Prevent Suicide.

Dr. John P. Rosa, national opioid crisis expert, author and dynamic speaker share the compelling results of a recent study showing that nonpharmacological treatments, which included chiropractic treatments, significantly lowered the risk of suicide and other adverse conditions.

ROCKVILLE, MD. August 26, 2020: Owner of Accessible Beltway Clinics and opioid crises expert, Dr. John Rosa, posted a new blog on his website entitled, “Chiropractic Treatment Plays Important Role In Suicide Prevention,” in which Dr. Rosa encourages anyone in chronic pain to keep their chiropractor’s phone number handy.

Dr. Rosa states, “Suicide prevention is just one more among a long list of benefits chiropractic care provides.” He continues adding, “This news has been recently revealed based on research conducted among U.S. Army service members returning from deployment. The motivation for the study was based on the fact that suicide among our returned service men and women has been going up steadily. For instance, between 2001 and 2014, studies show that “U.S. adult civilian suicides increased 23%, while Veteran suicides increased 32%.””

According to Dr. Rosa, “The authors of the study compared 142,539 U.S. Army service members with chronic pain who received nonpharmacological treatments (NPT) with those who did not in order to see if there was a reduction in long-term pain related adverse outcomes. Almost 25% of the participants received chiropractic care, while physical therapy was conducted on 32% of the participants.”

Read the entire blog at https://drjohnrosa.com/chiropractic-treatment-plays-important-role-in-suicide-prevention/

About John P. Rosa

Leader in Chiropractic

Integrative Medicine Specialist:

Current Vice Chair of the Board to Maryland University of Integrative Health
Consultant on Integrative Medicine to hospital cancer center
Reduced opioid prescriptions by 70% by integrating Chiropractic, physical therapy and behavioral medicine in a primary care setting
Expert/Speaker – Educating medical community on the Integrative Medicine approach to treating pain

Opioid Crisis Expert:

White House Surrogate
Law Enforcement Consultant (Homeland Security, CBP, DOJ, DEA and Postal)
State and National Consultant to Opioid Task Forces
Corporate and professional organization consultant
Best selling author

Community Leadership:

Board member of the National Italian American Foundation
Founder of “Overdose Free America” a nonprofit 501c which uses the power of celebrity and entertainment to bring the Opioid Crisis the visibility and support it deserves
Volunteer at Crossroads Freedom Center – a residential facility in Maryland to help overcome addiction

###

Chiropractic Treatment Plays Important Role In Suicide Prevention

By Dr. John Rosa

Suicide prevention is just one more among a long list of benefits chiropractic care provides. This news has been recently revealed based on research conducted among U.S. Army service members returning from deployment. The motivation for the study was based on the fact that suicide among our returned service men and women has been going up steadily. For instance, between 2001 and 2014, studies show that “U.S. adult civilian suicides increased 23%, while Veteran suicides increased 32%.”

It is a well-known fact that many people returning from military deployment experience physical and mental health issues, which can include chronic pain, post-treatment alcohol use disorder, drug addiction, depression, thoughts of suicide, self-harm, or any combination. The results of the new study were published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine and concludes that “receiving treatment that is not drug-based can reduce the likelihood of such outcomes in veterans with chronic pain.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31659663/

The authors of the study compared 142,539 U.S. Army service members with chronic pain who received nonpharmacological treatments (NPT) with those who did not in order to see if there was a reduction in long-term pain-related adverse outcomes. Almost 25% of the participants received chiropractic care, while physical therapy was conducted on 32% of the participants.

According to the findings, United States Army service members who received nondrug therapy had a “significantly lower” risk of:

alcohol or drug use disorders
accidental poisoning with opioids, related narcotics, barbiturates, or sedatives
thoughts of suicide
self-inflicted injuries, including suicide attempts

Whether you are a veteran of any branch of the U.S. military or not, chiropractic care offers the same life-saving benefits to anyone experiencing chronic pain. So, please, keep your chiropractor’s telephone number handy as you never know when it can save a life.

What Did The Opioid Epidemic Say To The Covid-19 Pandemic

By Dr. John Rosa

“Thanks, man, I was starting to lose traction, but you’re a great dis-traction and I’m killing it again!”

It’s not a joke and it certainly isn’t funny. But, unfortunately, it’s a fact. This has been my greatest concern since the pandemic took center stage back in February. As reported recently at Quartz (qz.com) by geopolitical reporter, Annalisa Merrelli, in an article entitled, Covid-19 is undoing a decade of progress on the opioid epidemic, “experts are worried the progress made so far on tackling the opioid crisis may be jeopardized.” https://qz.com/1889798/covid-19-is-making-the-opioid-crisis-much-worse/

The COVID-19 pandemic is without question the perfect storm that is allowing the opioid epidemic to spread freely again and take the lives of so many without even being noticed. The isolation, social distancing, uncertainties, and job losses, combined with decreasing support systems, are all well-known risk factors for increasing drug use. For people who have been in recovery, the pandemic provides the perfect excuse and environment in which to relapse.

Job Loss And Loss Of Insurance Coverage

Social distancing and isolation aren’t the only reasons that contribute to relapse. Consider the number of patients who find themselves suddenly without insurance who lost coverage through loss of work. It takes time to enroll in Medicaid, which results in loss of continuity of treatment, and ultimately increases the risk of relapse and overdose. And of course, the hardest hit areas economically are the rural and poorer communities where opioid abuse is always higher risk.

Opioid Addiction Research Comes To A Halt

In addition, losing ground in this effort is going to have long-term effects since much research has come to a halt because of the pandemic – especially clinical research. With so many COVID-19 patients to take care of hospitals simply don’t have sufficient to continue their work on opioid addiction research. And, where patients were being studied in prisons, doctors no longer have access due to prisons being closed to external visitors.

Fatal Overdoses Hard To Confirm Under COVID-19 Shadow

In the aforementioned Quartz article, it is stated that medical professionals around the country have seen increases in fatal overdoses. Though according to the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “it’s hard to quantify by how much, because not only does the official data lag behind incidents, but its collection relies on autopsies to confirm overdose as the cause of death. With coroners and pathologists overwhelmed by Covid-19, performing such checks has been impossible in many cases, which will likely result inaccurate data for 2020.” https://qz.com/1889798/covid-19-is-making-the-opioid-crisis-much-worse/

One Crisis Overshadowing Another Is No Joke

The daily deaths throughout the U.S. from COVID-19 is just under 1,000 – around 941. The pre-pandemic daily death toll from OUD (opioid use disorder) was 150. Clearly unimpressive from some perspectives. However, from the perspective of someone who has seen the damage inflicted on family members, colleagues and friends due to opioids, who are not included in the damage or death reports, I think that statistic could be much higher.

Losing a child, a husband, a father or wife, a sister, a mother, or a friend to opioid overdose causes irreparable damage and heartache to those left behind. Some of those loved ones feel like they should have or could have done something to prevent the death. In the case of COVID-19, the killer is an invisible virus. No one knows where it is, who is potentially carrying it. In other words, there’s little notion of having a sense of control involved. Short of following safety protocols that include wearing a mask, staying safely socially distanced and washing hands there’s really nothing much one can do.

The thought that one might have been able to prevent a loved one’s death to drug overdose is equally out of anyone’s control except the person who is addicted. Addiction is as unpredictable as COVID-19 and deaths from both are equally tragic.

I find it even more tragic how the appearance of one crisis can so quickly decimate the progress that’s been so hard-won on another crisis. I have faith though that despite all appearances there will be positive outcomes learned from both of these diseases wreaking havoc on our country and the world at large.

Increased Opioid Misuse Due To Abandoned Safety Measures

There are millions of people that are dependent on opioid medications and in most areas of the country, there are rules for doctors to follow that help their patients get the medications they need for their own personal use. In addition, these rules were instituted in order to make sure the patients receiving the drugs are not selling them instead of using them for their own pain control needs.

Safety Rule number one is: If it’s the first time a doctor is prescribing a narcotic to a patient, it must be during a face-to-face encounter. Rule number two is: there must be follow-up visits for urine testing to make sure the patients are taking the meds and not diverting them. This also shows the doctor if there are other substances that would raise an alarm.

These two safety measures were helpful in preventing the rampant misuse of opioids. However, the DEA declared that during the COVID emergency doctors can prescribe controlled substances by telemedicine for a new patient and without continued tracking of existing patients by urine tests.

It isn’t difficult to imagine the possibilities of misuse without these safety measures. Another issue is that there are a lot of rural areas where people do not have access to telemedicine and their doctor’s office is closed.

Unfortunately, we have already begun to see the results of having these two safety measures abandoned. In cases where drug dependency is strong enough pills are being purchased on the street. Eventually, that becomes too expensive for many and the switch to less expensive heroin and fentanyl Is inevitable.

The telemedicine initiative was clearly necessary in light of the COVID emergency. However, in many instances it simply created another problem that leads to overdose deaths and misuse.

National Opioid Crisis Expert, Dynamic Speaker And Author, Dr. John Rosa Starts The Year With Good News For Alternative Care For Opioid Addiction

Dr. John P. Rosa, opioid crisis expert, author and dynamic speaker talks about the trend among medical schools and medical researchers to focus on nonpharmacological treatments for pain, which has positive implications for the opioid crisis.

ROCKVILLE, MD. February 10, 2020: Dr. John Rosa, dynamic speaker, national opioid crises expert, and co-author of The Recipe for Success with Jack Canfield, posted a new article on his website entitled, “More Medical Educators And Researchers Explore Alternatives To Opioids For Pain,” in which Dr. Rosa offers a look at the positive strides being made.

Dr. Rosa admits, “All too often I write about the heartbreaking, heinous and important statistics associated with the opioid epidemic.” He continues adding, “However, I’m going to kick this New Year and new decade off by sharing some good news that is coming out of our medical colleges which will have a positive effect on the opioid crisis in years to come.”

According to Dr. Rosa, “The fact is that a greater number of medical educators and researchers are increasingly exploring nonpharmacological treatments for pain. The trend seems to be growing in medical colleges across the country in response to the growing opioid crisis.” He further elaborates, “More and more attention is being given to Integrative Medicine which involves instruction in how to care for patients suffering from chronic pain with reductions in or without the use of opioids. And that is great news.”

“Health institutions across the board are joining in on the effort to help curtail and put an end to the opioid addiction in this country,” writes Dr. Rosa. “For instance,” he says, “in 2018, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched a cross-divisional effort called the Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative.” He offers, “The objective of HEAL is to focus on “evidence-based treatments for opioid misuse and addiction, as well as more innovative solutions for pain management.” This initiative also includes research on “health approaches outside the boundaries of conventional medicine.” Dr. Rosa adds, “This shift in focus has accelerated the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, which is a division of NIH, to accelerate its own research into nonpharmacological treatments for chronic pain.”

Read the entire article at https://drjohnrosa.com/more-medical-educators-and-researchers-explore-alternatives-to-opioids-for-pain/

About Dr. John P. Rosa

Dr. Rosa is the Owner/manager of 14 health clinics in the Baltimore/Washington DC metro areas concentrating on musculoskeletal injuries of acute, subacute and chronic nature. He oversees the Integrative Medicine practice group which includes general medicine, Chiropractic, physical therapy, acupuncture and behavioral medicine that sees over 60,000 patient visits per year.

Active in sports medicine with consulting/treating college, professional and Olympic athletes. Creator of 24/7 RnR (Relief and aiding Recovery) an FDA approved analgesic cream. Founder of Accessible Wellness Solutions – an onsite corporate wellness program offering consulting, lectures and clinic management.

Leader in Chiropractic

Trustee of New York Chiropractic College for over 15 years and serving final 3-year term as Chairman of the Board.

Opioid Crisis Expert:

White House Surrogate/Consultant
Law Enforcement Consultant (Homeland Security, CBP, DOJ, DEA and Postal)
State and National Consultant to Opioid Task Forces
Corporate and professional organization consultant
Currently forming the Opioid Abuse Prevention Institute

Integrative Medicine Specialist:

Board service to Maryland University of Integrative Health
Consultant on Integrative Medicine to hospital cancer center
Reduced opioid prescriptions by 70% by integrating Chiropractic, physical therapy and behavioral medicine in a primary care setting
Expert/Speaker – educating primary care, urgent care and hospital medical staff on the Integrative Medicine approach to treating pain patients

More Medical Educators And Researchers Explore Alternatives To Opioids For Pain

By Dr. John Rosa

Pain Relief Without Opioids IS Possible

All too often I write about the heartbreaking, heinous and important statistics associated with the opioid epidemic. However, I’m going to kick this New Year and new decade off by sharing some good news that is coming out of our medical colleges which will have a positive effect on the opioid crisis in years to come.

A Conscious Move Toward Caring For Chronic Pain Without Opioids

The fact is that a greater number of medical educators and researchers are increasingly exploring nonpharmacological treatments for pain. The trend seems to be growing in medical colleges across the country in response to the growing opioid crisis. More and more attention is being given to Integrative Medicine which involves instruction in how to care for patients suffering from chronic pain with reductions in or without the use of opioids. And that is great news.

Heightened Research Into Nonpharmacological Treatments For Chronic Pain

Health institutions across the board are joining in on the effort to help curtail and put an end to the opioid addiction in this country. For instance, in 2018, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched a cross-divisional effort called the Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative. The objective of HEAL is to focus on “evidence-based treatments for opioid misuse and addiction, as well as more innovative solutions for pain management.” This initiative also includes research on “health approaches outside the boundaries of conventional medicine.” This shift in focus has accelerated the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, which is a division of NIH, to accelerate its own research into nonpharmacological treatments for chronic pain.

Alternative Therapies Are Popular But Not Yet Mainstream In Medical Care

Massage, yoga and acupuncture are some of the health therapies that have been around for thousands of years. These methods have certainly become popular with a multitude of Americans, yet, they have not been embraced into mainstream medical care here in the U.S. I am happy to report that that too is changing as more doctors are not only acknowledging, but also prescribing chiropractic, as well as massage and yoga for a variety of health issues.

Complementary And Integrative Medicine (CIM) Getting Stronger But Still Hurdles

Just before the turn of the century, back in 1999, the first meeting of the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine was held. Representatives from eight academic institutions attended. Now as we are entering the second decade of the 2000’s the consortium includes more than 70 academic institutions and health systems in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The progress toward a more integrative approach is uplifting, yet there are still hurdles. A big one is getting insurance companies to cover these therapies.

Insurance Currently Pays For Some But Not All Alternative Therapies

If demand is what compels change, then we may be seeing more insurance coverage for alternative healing therapies eventually. As it is, “four out of ten U.S. adults go outside the health system to use complementary, natural or alternative therapies. Some 600 million visits to these practitioners are made each year (which surpasses that made to conventional medical practitioners), and patients pay an estimated $30 billion out of their own pockets for such non-traditional care per year.”

The good news is that there is some insurance coverage for alternative therapies such as chiropractic visits and acupuncture. While the prevalence is nowhere near that of conventional treatments it is a hopeful sign. Perhaps the opioid epidemic will push the medical profession further in their acceptance of alternative treatments.

Yale Study Confirms Chiropractic Provides Drug-Free (Read Opioid-Free) Pain Reduction

By Dr. John Rosa

Chiropractic Care Reduces Need for Opioids

As a chiropractor who is actively and passionately involved in doing everything I can to make a positive impact toward ending the opioid epidemic in this country, I couldn’t have been more excited with the news that came out of the meeting of the Annual Meeting Of American Academy of Pain Medicine in early June. At this meeting the findings of a Yale School of Medicine study were presented that reveal “patients who have visited a chiropractor for musculoskeletal pain and associated conditions are currently 49 percent less likely to be issued and to receive an opioid prescription when compared to their counterparts who sought help from other healthcare providers.”

According to the announcement, “The Yale researchers selected a series of studies with a total of more than 60,000 patients to include in their analysis which was supported by the NCMIC Foundations, among several other organizations.” The upshot of this study means that chiropractic care is contributing toward a 50% reduction in opioid prescriptions issued in this country.

Driving Down Opioid Prescriptions

We are getting closer to getting a handle on the opioid crisis and driving down opioid prescriptions. Currently, clinical guidelines in the U.S. now recommend many non-pharmacological options, including chiropractic care, to be considered as ‘front line’ treatments ahead of any medication, including opioids. It has been shown that Chiropractors, specifically, provide many of the treatments currently advised by clinical guidelines for the initial care of lower back and neck pain, as well as osteoarthritis of the hips, knees, and hands, which may otherwise be treated with opioid medication. Don’t just accept a prescription for pain without asking for alternative.

A Chiropractic physician is the perfect gatekeeper to use non-drug and non-surgical approaches to treat pain. Most medical doctors are finally understanding the importance of using chiropractic and physical therapy before prescribing opioids. If you’re doctor isn’t there yet, you can see a chiropractor without a referral from your primary physician and chiropractor visits are covered by a majority of health insurance plans.

Ask For A Drug-Free Prescription For Pain Relief

By Dr. John Rosa

No one wants to live with chronic pain.

The costs are too great. From sleeplessness to irritability to interfering with one’s work, pain can wreak havoc. But, taking a doctor prescribed pill that relieves pain often leads to even more detrimental effects.

The pills doctors prescribe for pain relief are killing people every single day. They are causing otherwise normal, law-abiding people to become drug dependent. In order to keep up with built up tolerance to drug levels we see people turn to lying and stealing to afford the addiction.

This country is in the midst of an opioid epidemic that shows no signs of slowing down. The only way it can be stopped is if people become aware of the problem and refuse to accept prescriptions for pain relief that come in pill form.

Instead, insist that your doctor give you a drug-free prescription for pain relief.

Drug-free methods of pain control include but are not limited to chiropractic, physical therapy, massage therapy, yoga, mind-body therapies, Botox injections and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), among others. Pain has been controlled without addictive pills for decades. While I understand the power of instant gratification when it comes to pain relief, the long-term consequences of that gratification must be taken into consideration. Most of the methods I’ve mentioned will offer relief on an ongoing basis. Depending on the nature and cause of the pain some methods are going to work better than others.

Chronic pain is no way to live.

But addiction is a deadlier more disruptive pain. Please do not accept the notion that a pill is your way out of pain. Insist on a pain-free prescription for controlling, managing and ultimately ending the pain.

If you, or someone you love is dependent on or addicted to opioid drugs, please seek help before it’s too late. If you would like to learn more about the Opioid Crisis as it relates to awareness, prevention and treatment or schedule a corporate or organization seminar contact us at DrJohnRosa.com. Here you will learn how to connect you, your company or organization with the leading experts on the crisis and how to help your community stay safe.