In a time when there are more people addicted to prescription pain killers than ever before it should come as no surprise that there are a growing number of pain management clinics offering their services. From family practice medical doctors who themselves are addicted to oxycodone and other opioids, there are many people who are searching for a way to deal with chronic pain without creating another, much bigger problem.
The best family doctors are very careful about the prescriptions that they write their patients and do not fill extra doses over the phone without seeing a patient first. Detox processes are long, expensive, and difficult, so it only makes sense that there are a number of doctors who are reluctant to prescribe more than just a couple high dose pain medications, and would rather their patients consider single day pain management clinics so that they find additional ways to recover after a surgery. If their patients are dealing with a long term pain, these same responsible doctors are even more likely to prescribe sessions at a pain management clinic, rather than write ongoing prescriptions.
Consider some of these facts and figures about the many times when patients find themselves in difficult situations not only because of a chronic pain, but also because of their addiction to a high power pain killing medicine:
- 80% of new heroin users started out misusing prescription painkillers.
- 23% of individuals who use heroin develop opioid addiction.
- Methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone are the three main types of active ingredients in FDA approved medications to treat opioid dependency.
- Alcohol addiction patients receive treatment an average of eight years after the age at which they develop the condition.
- Drug detoxification must be completed before drug rehabilitation can even begin.
- As many as 10% to 20% of alcoholics have alcohol withdrawal that is severe enough to require monitoring and medication.
Addiction is a disease. A disease that can be kicked into high gear with a regular and legal prescription to certain kinds of pain medication. Knowing that there are pain management clinics that can help you get the comfort you desire without risking addiction to an opioid should be a viable option for many patients.