Do you think opiate pain medications should be outlawed for noncancer sufferers as in chronic pain?

[hedgehog]

204. No - but we need team based treatment for chronic pain -

- a thorough medical work-up to identify any condition causing the pain

- a thorough session with a Physical therapist to identify any conditions causing pain and/or offer remedies such as heat, cold, manipulation, exercise, electro-stimulation, etc.

- a thorough discussion with a psychiatric social worker and/or social worker to identify any family dynamics, economic issues, work issues etc. that may be causing or aggravating the pain, or possibly hindering the patient's ability to deal with it.

My own mother was sent to a pain clinic and got no relief, just assembly line steroid injections. Ten minutes with a good physical therapist who identified that her hip was slightly out of joint, and her pain was gone. Everyone has heard of fake pain clinics that are really distributing scripts for opiates for anyone who walks in the door. Far worse, IMO, are the clinics (often associated with a reputable university or hospital) which fail to adequately diagnose the patient.