September is Drug Free Pain Management Awareness Month
Prescription opioid use and abuse that leads to addiction and catastrophic outcomes continues to be a national crisis, and Tennessee continues to be among the highest rates in the country. Throughout the month of September in observation of Drug-Free Pain Management Awareness Month, the Tennessee Chiropractic Association (TCA) and Foundation for Chiropractic Education (F4CP) advises the public that there are non-pharmacologic options such as chiropractic care to address many patients’ spine and joint-related pain both safely and effectively.
“Drug addiction often begins with opioid prescriptions for pain,” says TCA Executive Director Tiffany Stevens. “In 2022, there were 4,330,771 opioid painkiller prescriptions in Tennessee. (Data Dashboard tn.gov) While the past several years have seen efforts to reduce these high numbers, there is still much work to be done to bring awareness to non-pharmaceutical pain treatments to help those suffering and guard them against the risk of addiction, overuse and the potentially life-threatening dangers of prescription opioids.”
In light of the harrowing statistics like those below, the TCA is launching this campaign with the support of our members statewide:
- 80% of heroin users reported using prescription opioids prior to heroin.
- While the rate of opioid prescriptions for pain filled by TN residents was lower in 2020 compared to 2019 across all counties, 40 of the 95 counties have a rate above 1,000 prescriptions per 1,000 residents
- Tennessee Department of Health’s State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS) reports accidental or undetermined drug overdose deaths increased 48% from 2019 to 2020.
Chiropractic care has been demonstrated to effectively manage physical pain while positively contributing to mental health. Many symptoms of depression can be attributed to over-activation of the sympathetic nervous system. After reviewing studies, researchers in 2020 determined that spinal manipulation, also known as a chiropractic adjustment, activates the parasympathetic system to counterbalance the sympathetic system and thus reduce depression symptoms.
In the journal, Spine, researchers showed that Medicare beneficiaries with chronic low back pain who chose spinal manipulation first were 2.5-times less likely to increase their healthcare utilization – such as hospitalizations and surgery – as compared to those who received opioids.
Given these outcomes, the TCA urges doctors of chiropractic (DCs) to serve their communities by sharing educational resources and to build greater chiropractic awareness at the grassroots level.
“Choosing natural, drug-free care to manage pain benefits every healthcare stakeholder, but none more than patients,” said Dr. Sherry McAllister, DC, president of the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress. “For this reason and many others, we call on our doctors to urge government officials, health insurers and employers to explore opportunities to expand access to chiropractic and other evidence-based, non-pharmacologic care, not only in September, but in every month, every year.”
The Drug-Free Pain Management Awareness Month observance will be included annually in the American Hospital Association official health care observance calendar.
About the Tennessee Chiropractic Association
The TCA is a dynamic advocate for chiropractic – driven to support all of Tennessee’s licensed physicians, their practices, and the patients they represent. As an association, the TCA works toward equal recognition and participation for chiropractic in government health care programs, in private insurance plans, and in all other health care arenas which impact the delivery of health care to the people of Tennessee.
TCA MEMBER BENEFIT
TCA Members may login to TNChiro.com for 2023 campaign resources to help spread awareness in their practices and communities.