In a recent podcast on acromegaly and arthritis, we discussed the opioid use crisis currently gripping the United States. The podcast focused primarily on arthropathy, articular, and joint problems associated with acromegaly. These are painful conditions that affect many people and because they most often require some kind of pain management, we thought it would be prudent to also have a discussion about the current opioid crisis. We had a great number of people listen to the podcast, so we set out to
review some of the latest news on pain, arthritis, and opioid use to provide more information. Please click on the highlighted links to read more.
A recently completed study by the Annals of Internal Medicine, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, estimated the prevalence of prescription opioid use. The study also focused on motivations for misuse of these drugs.
These are the highlights:
• 91.8 million (37.8%) U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized adults used prescription opioids
• 11.5 million (4.7%) misused them
• 1.9 million (0.8%) had a use disorder.
• Among adults with prescription opioid use, 12.5% reported misuse; of these, 16.7% reported a prescription opioid use disorder
Berkeley Wellness in a recent story pointed out the danger of opioid use. According to the CDC forty-six Americans die every day from a prescription opioid overdose, a sobering statistic. In addition, almost 1 in 4 people that are prescribed opioids for chronic pain develop an opioid use disorder. The article goes on to discuss some of the truths and myths about opioid use. Read more about this here.
Don’t miss this article, also by the editors of Berkeley Wellness, which discusses 12 alternatives to opioid use covering over-the-counter medication and other complementary approaches.
Stay tuned for more helpful information!
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