chronic pain Archives - Page 2 of 2

Pain, Pain Go Away Don’t Come Back Another Day

By Dr. John Rosa

Did you know that 1in 5 Americans lives with chronic pain?

With those kinds of numbers it’s no wonder there’s an opioid addiction epidemic. Instead of looking for the perfect magic pill to ‘cure’ the pain, it is my goal to turn people who live with pain to other ways of diminishing and eliminating pain so that they can get on with their lives.

I was happy to see that Consumer Reports did a June cover article addressing chronic pain in this country and the most current and effective ways of dealing with it. In an attempt to curtail the use of opioids, the article is very clear that is not the route to take. In the article, David Tauben, M.D., chief of pain medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, says that, “Pain is an alert, a signal from the brain that there’s something really wrong you need to pay attention to for your survival, be that a rock in your shoe or a broken ankle. Typically the pain fades after you address the problem and the body has a chance to heal.” He goes on to add, “But sometimes the nervous system malfunctions. It gets stuck in the position of ‘I hurt and I’m in danger.’” According to Dr. Tauben, “Medications can help ease the pain, but calming the nervous system requires non-drug measures.” (Real Pain Relief Now, Consumer Reports, June 2019)

If you can get your hands on a copy of the June issue of Consumer Reports, I highly recommend reading the entire article. The point of view is in keeping with what I believe is the best method for diminishing and relieving chronic pain. That method includes a combination of treatments such as mindfulness and hands-on healing methods such as chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, as well as physical activities such as yoga, walking, swimming and tai chi. They also recommend getting appropriate amounts of sleep and psychological treatment in the form of cognitive behavioral therapy.

The good news is that more and more people are realizing the devastating effects of opioids.

If 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 with the leading experts on the crisis and how to help your community stay safe.

National Opioid Crisis Expert, Dynamic Speaker And Author, Dr. John Rosa Calls For A Team Effort To End The Opioid Crisis

Dr. John P. Rosa, opioid crisis expert, author and dynamic speaker, tells readers that both, the doctors who prescribe opioids and the patients who take them, are addicts and both must be educated in ways that will bring an end to this method of relieving pain and open the door to a healthier way.

ROCKVILLE, MD. April 18, 2019: Dr. John Rosa, dynamic speaker, national opioid crises expert, and co-author of The Recipe for Success with Jack Canfield, posted a new blog on his website entitled, “It’s Time To Stop Cultivating A Culture Of Chronic Pain Patients,” in which Dr. Rosa calls for the participation of doctors and patients alike.

Dr. Rosa states, “When you have a medical system that is as addicted to taking the easy way out by masking problems that cause pain instead of getting to the bottom of them and healing human pain and suffering, you create a cycle of addiction and a culture of chronic pain.” He emphasizes, “That’s exactly the position we are in as a culture today.”

“Based on our current reimbursement systems,” says Dr. Rosa, “it’s easier for doctors to prescribe a pain pill than it is for them to prescribe a multi-disciplinary system of treatment that will actually get to the source of the pain and eliminate it.” He adds, “And, believe me, I am aware that this system is like a double-edged sword.”

According to Dr. Rosa, “Patients just want to be pain-free. The easiest way to do that instantly,” he says, “is to take opioids.” He elaborates, “But, the problems created by this seemingly instantly gratifying method are deadly and devastating. So, both patients and doctors are going to have to actively participate in ending this vicious cycle.”

Read the entire blog at http://glt.kji.mybluehost.me/its-time-to-stop-cultivating-a-culture-of-chronic-pain-patients/

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

It’s Time To Stop Cultivating A Culture Of Chronic Pain Patients

By Dr. John Rosa

We’re addicted to masking the pain.

When you have a medical system that is as addicted to taking the easy way out by masking problems that cause pain instead of getting to the bottom of them and healing human pain and suffering, you create a cycle of addiction and a culture of chronic pain. That’s exactly the position we are in as a culture today.

Based on our current reimbursement systems, it’s easier for doctors to prescribe a pain pill than it is for them to prescribe a multi-disciplinary system of treatment that will actually get to the source of the pain and eliminate it. And, believe me, I am aware that this system is like a double-edged sword.

Patients just want to be pain-free.

The easiest way to do that instantly is to take opioids. But, the problems created by this seemingly instantly gratifying method are deadly and devastating. So, both patients and doctors are going to have to actively participate in ending this vicious cycle.

Educating both the doctors who are accustomed to working solo, and the patients who want the quickest relief to the fact that living pain-free requires more effort than popping a pill is without doubt going to be a difficult task. But it isn’t as difficult as it may seem.

Among the 14 Integrative Medical clinics I oversee, one is a free clinic. In this clinic alone, we have seen a 70% reduction in opioid prescriptions. Through the use of chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, yoga, meditation and physical therapy, our patients live pain free and pill free. This is the future I see for our country.

If this is a vision you share and 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 with the leading experts on the crisis and how to help your community stay safe.

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.

Just Say No To Pills, Pills, And More Pills

By Dr. John Rosa

Do we really think all it takes to effectively reverse the effects of one pill is another pill?

Really? What are we doing? We must get over the idea that pills are magic. We must remember what Einstein said. First of all, he said that insanity is when we keep doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different outcome. And secondly, he said we cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it.

This is why if we are to effectively stem and eventually stop the opioid epidemic in this country, we must stop believing that pills are magic. We must turn our attention to the amazing healing abilities of our bodies and we must give them the time they need to heal. Healing is not an instantaneous process. I know that’s difficult for a society that wants instant gratification to hear, but it’s the truth and it’s the only way to effectively put an end to the opioid crisis in this country.

How The Opioid Crisis Got Started

Just look at how it all got started, then see if you think it can be turned around with a pill. According to drugabuse.gov, “In the late 1990s, pharmaceutical companies reassured the medical community that patients would not become addicted to prescription opioid pain relievers, and healthcare providers began to prescribe them at greater rates. This subsequently led to widespread diversion and misuse of these medications before it became clear that these medications could indeed be highly addictive.”

Slowly, but surely we began seeing the opioid overdose rates increase. According to the government statistics, “In 2015, more than 33,000 Americans died as a result of an opioid overdose, including prescription opioids, heroin, and illicitly manufactured fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid. That same year, an estimated 2 million people in the United States suffered from substance use disorders related to prescription opioid pain relievers, and 591,000 suffered from a heroin use disorder (not mutually exclusive).”

What We Know Today About Opioids And Addiction

Today we know so much more about opioids and addiction. We know enough to stop prescribing them for starters. Or at least to closely monitor their use and identify abuse when we see it. This is what we now know about the transition from the management of pain to addiction.

•Roughly 21 to 29 percent of patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain misuse them.
•Between 8 and 12 percent develop an opioid use disorder.
•An estimated 4 to 6 percent who misuse prescription opioids transition to heroin.
•About 80 percent of people who use heroin first misused prescription opioids.
•Opioid overdoses increased 30 percent from July 2016 through September 2017 in 52 areas in 45 states.
•The Midwestern region saw opioid overdoses increase 70 percent from July 2016 through September 2017.
•Opioid overdoses in large cities increase by 54 percent in 16 states

Source: https://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/opioids/opioid-overdose-crisis

A Range Of Different Options

Pain can be and has been managed for decades without addictive pills. I have been treating pain through chiropractic my entire career. An aspirin or over the counter analgesic can be helpful, however, the dependency on stronger drugs is, as we have come to find out, not constructive.

Besides chiropractic, pain can be managed by physical therapy, massage, yoga, meditation and a variety of other modes besides pharmaceuticals. Clearly the pills are creating more pain than anyone could have ever imagined. The pain may seem unbearable, but it won’t kill you. The pills you take to minimize the pain will kill you though. And when you are gone, the pain of loved ones left behind is immeasurable.

America Is Hurting, Hooked And Needs Healing

Without question, this country is hooked on drugs.

Not just the lost, young souls. I’m talking about business executives, celebrities, people of wealth and position in society and their children. I’m talking about the average, honest, hard-working person who contributes to society and pays his and her taxes.

This addiction crisis didn’t begin as a result of curiosity and experimentation with drugs.

It began primarily as a result of some injury or surgery for which a doctor prescribed a pill to relieve pain. Innocently enough, yes, but then the doctors decided it was easier to prescribe a pill than it was to alleviate pain through other methods that may have taken longer but would have returned the patients to a state of true health. And, of course, the patients loved the euphoria of being pain free and having their minds altered. But, they didn’t realize their minds were being altered.

According to recent statistics, more than two million Americans have become dependent on or have abused prescription pain pills and street drugs.

These drugs are opioids. Opioids are drugs formulated to replicate the pain reducing properties of opium. They include both legal painkillers like morphine, oxycodone, or hydrocodone prescribed by doctors for acute or chronic pain, as well as illegal drugs like heroin or illicitly made fentanyl. The word “opioid” is derived from the word “opium.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), during 2016, there were more than 63,600 overdose deaths in the United States, including 42,249 that involved an opioid (66.4%). That’s an average of 115 opioid overdose deaths each day and there is more and more evidence that this number is under reported.

If you, or someone you love is dependent 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.