The issue in question involves the overuse of prescribed opioid medication and the unnecessary overdose death rates that accompany it. Drug overdose is a big ongoing issue throughout the United States. The medication that is supposed to help with pain causes more harm than healing. A temporary fix creates a more permanent problem, “death” rather than a permanent solution. With proper guidelines and stricter regulation on dosage, usage, and physician prescribing, the chances of overdosing and death due to overdose could be decreased over time. The programs in place now are not as effective as they should be, this is seen with the increase in the rate of overdose from prescription drugs. Ayesha Sajid et al. states, there was a twofold increase …show more content…
Some pain management techniques are well known for their capabilities to provide relief and reduce recurrence of pain. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) lists a couple of methods that can be combined with medication to alleviate a patient's pain. After surgery pain and discomfort follow and the need for painkillers like opioids may be necessary. One of the listed methods is acupuncture and it is helpful with chronic low back pain, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, muscle aches, knots, carpal tunnel, and even with stroke rehabilitation. The AAOS states, “Treatments are used to relieve local pain and swelling, as well as to provide a more general feeling of relaxation due to the release of your body's natural painkillers, called endorphins.” (Alternative Methods to Help Manage Pain After Orthopedic Surgery [Alternative Methods], 2011). These treatments are used on patients that have had surgery and may be in major pain; the idea here is to provide an alternative method to relieve pain, along with medication this is a better solution, rather than relying on opioids alone. Another promising method is Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS). TENS is a low-level electrical charge therapy that is applied to the area where there is pain. There are three theories as to how it works, gate control theory, release of endogenous opiates and central inhibitory effect. The gate control theory is that the pain is the sensation going to the brain and since it is constantly flowing the brain only perceives pain, TENS then overcomes these signals of pain and the brain only receives the sensation the TENS is allowing. The release of endogenous opiates works by making the body release natural painkillers, endorphins, causing one to feel less pain. Finally, the central inhibitory effect works by changing the way the brain perceives pain (Alternative