Pain-cessation nation
According to one estimate, in just one recent year alone, enough of the top five painkillers (hydrocodone, oxycodone, meperidine, codeine and morphine) were sold to supply everyone in the country with at least one dose. And these are—at best—only meant to be temporary fixes. But the majority of the time, you don't need them to begin with when there are natural ways to manage pain.
Recent statistics on the use of painkillers paint an alarming picture of a nation potentially packed with zombies. They're driving next to you in your neighborhood and on the highways. They're shopping alongside you in malls and grocery stores. And they could be working in many of the industries that serve you every day—all while in a painkiller- induced haze.
If that doesn't strike fear into you, I don't know what will.
Painkiller sales have rocketed to epidemic proportions, with statistics showing that sales of these drugs rose 90 percent between 1997 and 2005. The Drug Enforcement Agency issued a policy statement last year noting that prescription drug use has risen to the second-most commonly abused category of drugs. In particular—prescription painkillers, with oxycodone leading the charge as the most widely used of all of them.
Several reasons have been suggested as to why painkilling medication is becoming such a widespread "prescription of choice." Some believe that with an aging population, the need for painkillers will go up accordingly. With recent estimates being that by 2020 the elderly will number 54 million in this country—that's a lot of folks potentially on painkillers. With this type of thinking, the assumption is that everyone who gets old is going to be in a great deal of pain throughout the process—an erroneous conclusion if ever there was one.
Another reason given for this surge in painkiller use is the excellent marketing campaigns that have been launched by Big Pharma. Bravo to them. Drug-company profits regularly exceed those of other Fortune 500 companies—sometimes raking in an envy-worthy three or more times the amount of profits those other companies are making.
The only side effect? Americans hooked on painkillers.
I believe that coupled with the marketing used by the drug companies is doctors' willing compliance in over-prescribing these drugs. Pain management is an area in which doctors could work with their patients by using what I call the "rational approach." In my own practice, I'll work with a patient for anywhere between three and six months before I'll even think of prescribing a painkiller. This is something I covered in greater detail in my April 2006 newsletter. (Current subscribers to my newsletter can access that issue in the archives at www.healthrevelations.com.)
If you're suffering from chronic joint pain and arthritis, I'll tell you what I tell my patients: Get more omega-3s. Eat more fatty fish, such as salmon, and add some nuts to your diet, such as walnuts. Also try a fish oil supplement, 1,000 to 3,000 mg EPA plus DHA. That will help keep those joints lubricated.
Unfortunately for most patients, their doctors are short on time—and this band-aid solution is just too easy a temptation to scrawl onto a prescription pad.
