• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Health Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • COVID-19
  • Find A Doctor
  • Subscribe
Home / Health Conditions / Back Pain / Prescription Painkillers For Chronic Pain Get Stricter Guidelines From CDC

Prescription Painkillers For Chronic Pain Get Stricter Guidelines From CDC

 

bottles of prescription pills

Hoping to stem an epidemic of drug abuse tied to prescription narcotic painkillers such as Oxycontin, Percocet and Vicodin, federal officials on Tuesday issued tough new prescribing guidelines to the nation’s doctors.

The new advisory, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stresses that doctors — especially primary care physicians — should try to avoid these addictive “opioid” painkillers whenever possible for patients with most forms of chronic pain.

READ: Jackie Joyner-Kersee Sets The Record Straight On Chronic Pain Medication

For example, this would include patients suffering from joint or back pain, dental pain (tooth extraction, for example), or other chronic pain treated in an outpatient setting.

You May Also Like
9 Things that Happen to Your Body When You Drink Pineapple Water

It would not include the use of narcotic painkillers for people dealing with cancer-related pain, or terminally ill patients in palliative care, the CDC said.

“More than 40 Americans die each and every day from prescription opioid overdoses,” CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden said during a Tuesday news conference. “Increased prescribing of opioids — which has quadrupled since 1999 — is fueling an epidemic that is blurring the lines between prescription opioids and illicit opioids,” he added.

Recent reports have sounded alarm bells about the mounting death toll from narcotic painkiller abuse.

In December, the CDC announced that fatal drug overdoses had reached record highs in the United States — driven largely by the abuse of prescription painkillers and another opioid, heroin (many abusers use both).

You May Also Like
13 Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar that will Change Your Life!

According to the December report, more than 47,000 Americans lost their lives to drug overdose in 2014, a 14 percent jump from the previous year.

Reacting to the crisis last October, President Barack Obama noted that the daily death toll from drug overdoses now exceeds that of car crashes. At the time, the White House announced a major initiative aimed at combatting the trend. The CDC advisory released Tuesday is a part of that effort.

Besides calling for physicians to try non-narcotic options first for pain relief, the CDC advisory also laid out other steps to curb the abuse of opioid painkillers.

Whenever these painkillers are prescribed, “the lowest possible effective dosage” should be used, the CDC said.

Also, patients who are on such drugs should be closely monitored to “reassess [patient] progress and discontinue medication if needed,” the agency said.

READ: Smokers Most Likely To Get Addicted To Narcotic Painkillers

The CDC said it is aiming the new guidelines at primary care physicians, because those doctors currently write nearly half of all prescriptions for narcotic painkillers.

One expert applauded the new initiative.

“These guidelines raise awareness of the hazards of unscrupulous opioid prescribing, as well as highlight the value of non-opioid medications and non-pharmacologic therapies,” said Dr. Harshal Kirane, who directs addiction services at Staten Island University Hospital in New York City.

“The opioid abuse epidemic can impact any of us, so it requires all of us to bring about sustainable change,” he said.

Two studies published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association highlight the scope of the problem.

Continue Reading

The Latest In Back Pain

Your Home Office is Putting Your Back at Risk. Here’s what you should know

As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world, many of us had to leave our workspaces and retreat to our homes. While escaping the hustle and bustle of the office, we have also escaped the ergonomics of the workplace. In read more about Your Home Office is Putting Your Back at Risk. Here’s what you should know

This Unsuspected Daily Activity is Killing Your Back!

When persons think about job-related back pain, they usually consider activities that include heavy lifting, a lot of standing, or too much walking around. However, sitting all day can be just as detrimental to your back. If you have a read more about This Unsuspected Daily Activity is Killing Your Back!

Back Pain Prevention: 5 Harmful Habits

We all have bad habits some of the time. But now is a good time to fix the bad habits that can be harmful to your spine and cause back pain. Here are the top 5 bad habits that can read more about Back Pain Prevention: 5 Harmful Habits
power of Posture

Power Of Posture: Change How You Sit & Stand For Success

Raise your hand if you have terrible posture. Yeah, me too. Don’t feel bad, we’re not alone. According to the Arthritis Disease Center, more than 31 million Americans complain of lower back pain and more than half of those cases read more about Power Of Posture: Change How You Sit & Stand For Success

Say Goodbye Back Fat! 4 Workouts To Sculpt Your Back

Most people head into a workout focusing on the areas considered most noticeable— the butt, the stomach, and the legs. Here’s a secret: Strong upper-body muscles (back muscles, specifically) are not only key for an overall defined look, but they’re read more about Say Goodbye Back Fat! 4 Workouts To Sculpt Your Back

4 Ways To Use CBD & Medical Marijuana

If you're new to the world of CBD and medical marijuana, you likely have a lot of questions. With legal marijuana becoming more and more readily available, you may feel overwhelmed on your first visit to a dispensary. There are read more about 4 Ways To Use CBD & Medical Marijuana

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Poll

Popular Posts

  • 7 Bad Sleep Habits That Cause Weight Gain7 Bad Sleep Habits That Cause Weight Gain
  • Method Man and wife Tamika Celebrate 20 Years Married!Method Man and wife Tamika Celebrate 20 Years Married!
  • This Exercise Gets Rid of Mucus in Your ChestThis Exercise Gets Rid of Mucus in Your Chest
  • 5 Things That Stops Your Hair From Breaking Ever Again5 Things That Stops Your Hair From Breaking Ever Again
  • DMX’s Kids Children Remember their Dad: “I Love You Dad”DMX's Kids Children Remember their Dad: "I Love You Dad"

Podcast

Diabetes prevention and management podcast

Dr. LeNoir is joined by Dr. Lenore Coleman, a Pharmacist and Founder of Healing Our Village, as they offer you the tools you need to prevent and manage diabetes.

Listen Now

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Learn More About

  • Hepatitis C
  • Diabetes
  • Sickle Cell
  • Mental Health
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • BlackDoctor.org Advertising and Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2021, BlackDoctor, Inc. All rights reserved.