Shooting, burning, or aching could be words that someone with chronic pain describes the task of walking their child to school.
Yet, many Primary care physicians have stopped seeing patients who have chronic pain. Not only is it an insurance issue, but also people with chronic pain are suffering from the rising fear of opioid abuse and opioid over doses.
"With the focus on weaning and coming off opioids, they're not for chronic pain. There are a lot of patients that are using them that are not addicting to them, they're not doctor shopping they're using it to be functional to work," said David Edwards, MD, Clinical Chief of the Chronic Pain Services, Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
People with chronic pain, who have long standing conditions of illness, and have been effectively treated, have been left to fend for themselves.
"Can you imagine tapering someone off opioids who's been on the for ten years," said Edwards, MD.
Federal and State officials have become concerned with the growing problem of opioid addiction in Tennessee. Doctors are faced with the task of determining who is addicted to the medication and who is dependent.
"If I don't have my caffeine in the morning I may have a headache but I'm not going to quite my job and seek out a cup of coffee," said Edwards, MD.
Patients who are addicted will drop out of school and focus on the opioids. Patients may steal, or buy an alternative such as heroin. Doctor Edwards said there are other options to treat chronic pain but it is not as effective as opioids.
