Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Should the government be micromanaging physicians and their ability to do their job managing pain?

Please follow the link from the American Pain Foundation regarding a Seattle Times article on stringent laws being proposed for pain management. http://action.painfoundation.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=13682.0&printer_friendly=1
You won't want to miss this one, and you better believe I left a comment as follows.

Since when does the government think they can tell a physician how to be a doctor? I am a chronic pain patient with severe osteoarthritis and inoperable severe spinal stenosis and premature degeneration. I also have fibromyalgia.

The trend set by pharmaceuticals is to treat pain with antidepressants and antiepileptic drugs because it raises their bottom line. I have tried them all and they either interact with my medications to treat my migraines, or leave me like a zombie, not to mention that during the courting period, they empty my pocketbook. Opioids are tried and true pain relievers that when used appropriately, improve function, but leave little room for profit margins. They are proven to be more effective in the treatment of acute and chronic pain.

Education is needed, some will become addicted, not to be confused with pseudoaddiction, options for education and medication vacations are in order, not government influence. I suppose the option is to treat all pain with antidepressants. I worked as an ER nurse for 20 years. I propose that these law makers or a close family member will one day have to make an ER visit for an accident that causes pain. I want to be there to see their reaction when the ER doctor explains the only thing he/she has to offer is a medication for depression or seizure. What happened to common sense?

Harmony and Hope, Celeste

All blogs, posts and answers are based on the work in Integrative Therapies for Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Myofascial Pain: The Mind-Body Connection by Celeste Cooper, RN, and Jeff Miller, PhD. 2010, Vermont: Healing Arts press are for educational purposes and not meant to replace medical advice. www.TheseThree.com

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