Approximately 11.5 million U.S. adults misused prescription painkillers in the past year ― and for more than half of them, the reason for the misuse was physical pain.
We hear a lot about opioid-related deaths and overdoses in the news, but we rarely talk about the underlying issues that lead so many to look for any and all options available. Many opioid users suffer from chronic illness and are prescribed opioids because other treatments grant them no relief.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently said that chronic pain sufferers should “take some aspirin … and tough it out.” Unfortunately, his insensitivity and ignorance surrounding chronic pain is not unique. Chronic pain is a complex condition and, in many cases, is unsolvable, longstanding and misunderstood.
Like nearly 100 million other U.S. adults, I too suffer from chronic pain. I have systemic lupus and advanced osteoarthritis, and the combination of these two diseases means I live with almost daily aches and pains, ranging from minor to extreme, and from slight achiness to total immobility.
I know how difficult it is to live a full, rich life while experiencing unending throbbing, stabbing and burning. I’ve also learned to work around my limitations and ignore my pride. I use a wheelchair in the airport when I need it. I “chair dance” at parties when my spirit is willing but my body is weak. But I worry about the social events with too few chairs, about the happy hours, the fundraisers and the buildings without elevators. I’ve even had cab drivers reprimand me for hailing a ride to the train station only a few blocks away.
No one can say they are forever immune to chronic pain; it eventually affects many of us after surgery, after injury, after illness or simply as we age. And all Americans pay the price; according to a 2011 report from the Institute of Medicine, chronic pain costs the nation an estimated $565 billion to $635 billion in treatment costs and lost productivity.
Few good treatment options exist for chronic pain patients ― believe me, I’ve tried my share. Knee braces. Canes. Anti-inflammatories. Steroids. Aqua therapy. Physical therapy. Acupuncture. Infusions and shots in my knees. (Yes, in my knees.) Once a skeptic of alternative therapies, I even went vegan, slopped on some arnica and capsaicin cream, digested turmeric and completed a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction class. Twice. Many of these alternative treatments are prohibitively costly and not covered by insurance, limiting services for the uninsured or those who are on a fixed or limited income.