Chiropractic as a “First Line” solution to Opioid Epidemic

By Dr. Thompson

The opioid problem in the United States is real and the prime culprit is prescription opioid pain relievers.

Paulozzi,  Jones,  Mack and Rudd, in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s publication state: “in 2007, nearly 100 persons per day died of drug overdoses in the United States. This is nearly three times the rate in 1991. Prescription drugs have accounted for most of the increase in those deaths rates since 1991.

In 2009, 1.2 million emergency department visits (an increase of 98.4% since 2004) were related to misuse or abuse of pharmaceuticals, compared with 1.0 million ED visits related to use of illicit drugs such as heroin and cocaine.

In 2012, Dr. Williams Owen, a chiropractor from Buffalo, New York, was invited to confer with the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Family Medical Practice to participate in the research department to consider a formal study showing the benefits of family practitioners co-managing  cases with chiropractors.

With chiropractic being the first-line referral, the doctor of chiropractic gets to educate and treat the patient in a non-drug environment while offering a real solution to the opioid epidemic and the vast array of solutions to other issues that chiropractic has to offer.

The primary reason for introducing chiropractic  to these students is to offer chiropractic care as an acceptable and proven “first line” choice of referral and possible solution to the opioid epidemic.

Chiropractic care showed that when pursued, the cost of treatment was reduced by 28%, hospitalizations were reduced by 42%, back surgery was reduced by 32%,and the cost of medical imaging, including x-rays and MRI;s was reduced by 37%.

Now that a pilot program for chiropractic to teach medical students and family practice residents has been created and accepted within medical academia, other doctors of chiropractic are currently being trained to bring chiropractic to medical schools nationally.