BC Advantage - 2017 Issue 3

Opioids and Low Back Pain – Changing the Paradigm

A Rising Epidemic With more than 30 percent of Americans experiencing an episode every year, it’s no surprise that low back pain is a leading reason for physician visits. Too often, that visit results in an opioid prescription, leading to low back pain sufferers making up more than half of regular prescription opioid users. According to National Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), opioid prescriptions for back pain have increased dramatically over the last 20 years, without a correlated decrease in the amount of pain reported. This is problematic for two reasons.The American Society of Addiction Medicine lists...

To read the full article, sign in and subscribe to BC Advantage.

Thank you for choosing Find-A-Code, please Sign In to remove ads.