United States Prescription Painkillers A Widespread Addiction

Prescription painkiller abuse is on the up rise and keeps continuing to grow according to a study done by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Centers of Disease Control (CDC).

Dr.Thomas Frieden, Director of the CDC states prescripton medications help persons but there is a need to make sure they are properly used and done safely.

By using information from the SAMHSA Drug Abuse Warning Network, it was discovered that emergency room visits for non-medical use of prescripton medications now are equaled to those of illicit drugs. Visits have now increased by 111 percent between 2004 and 2008, which equaled 144,644 to 305,885. These increases covered all ages and gender.

The visits to emergency rooms linked with all painkillers have gone up, which physicians note are in part due to the increased prescripton amounts on those drugs throughout the United States. The medications mostly liable for the visits were oxycodone, hydrocodone and methadone while pain medications such as morphine, fentanyl and hydromorphone were very close behind.

Oxycodone non-medical use was liable for 105,214 emergency room visits in 2008, this was a 152 percent increase from 2004. Hydrocodone visits also increased by 123 percent and methadone saw an increase of 73 percent.

Caution has been noted by Hyde that with this rise of emergency room visits it is currently straining the already overburdened health care system.

King Pharmaceuticals was granted approval last August from the FDA for their medication Embeda. Embeda a morphine based pain medication meant to stop abuse by persons who crush or chew long-lasting opioid drugs to obtain a dangerous high.

King Pharmaceuticals are pending approval for another painkiller medication called Acurox Pill. However, in April FDA advisers are advocating the agency to decline approval.

The United States Government statistics indicate over 13,000 fatal overdoses of opioids happen each year.

In 2007, a news article had cited teenagers prescripton drug abuse was on the up climb. Raiding the medicine cabinet of mom and dad was convenient to get that ultimate high.

John Walters, the national drug policy director had commented that teenagers are getting pills from the internet and even friends. They take these drugs more recreational due to the fact they are more legal and very handy to obtain.

Many prescripton medications are identical to heroine. In the 1900's Bayer marketed heroine as a painkiller. Methamphetamine can be found in the contents of the psycho stimulant medication Desoxyn.

Teen choices of the most popular drug to abuse include the painkiller Vicodin, also on the list is Ritalin, Xanax.

Just in June of this year it was reported that prescripton medication abuse is higher than that of cocaine, ecstasy and heroine in total.

In May of this year SAMSHA also had found an increase in adults over the age of 50 in illicit drug use. This included a high rate of non-medical use of prescripton medications. The usage of non-medical prescripton medication usage was higher than that of marijuana. The medication abuse most common had included opiates oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine and methadone.

The self-medication use in both genders is usually the result from attempting to relieve pain and the emotional issues that are associated with it.

There are safe and natural alternatives for pain that do not consist of prescripton medications which have numerous side effects and can become very addicting.

Here are the top choices in pain relief and management:

Chiropractic

Chiropractic care and treatments rank as number one for alternative medicine practitioners which is well known and vastly used.

Chiropractic care uses a hands approach through use of several treatment options. The most noted is manipulation of the spine and joints for pain relief, stiffness, improve functioning of joints and muscles and provides overall health quality.

Subluxations can produce inflammation and end result pain in the nerves, joints and muscles. Through the use of hands on adjustments chiropractors correct the subluxations which restores the nervous system to its peak performance.

Chiropractic care have been noted to greatly provide pain relief and management not only for back pain but other types of pain including carpal tunnel, osteoarthritis, knee pain, neck pain and fibroymalgia.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture dates back thousands of years to China. It is based on the Chinese belief system of medicine that the body's balance of health is maintained by the altering of energy flow called qi.

Qi goes through the body by the 20 main meridians. Acupuncture strengthens this flow through the insertion of super fine needles just slightly under the skin at certain points along the meridian which are associated to certain internal organs.

When the needles are stimulated it conducts energy which can eliminate disease causing blockages which are deep in the body. At times electricity is applied in order to heighten the needles effects.

Acupuncture can relieve a variety of pain including arthritis, headaches, back pain, fibroymalgia and carpal tunnel.

Massage Therapists

These practitioners receive training in anatomy, physiology and techniques which stimulate blood flow, oxygen, nutrient absorption and elimination of toxic waste.

Research has shown that massage therapy heightens the immune system and can decrease pain and stress associated conditions such as depression, anxiety and tension.

Massage therapists use a variety of techniques in order to loosen specific connective tissues, reduce pain and improve structural alignment.

Some alternative practitioners in or around Detroit area:

A & L Chiropractic Center

24281 Middlebelt Road

Middlebelt Corners

Farmington Hills

248-477-3977

Health First Chiropractic

333 East Jefferson Avenue # 297

Detroit

313-449-8722

Detroit Community Acupuncture