The Opioid Epidemic Continues Unabated

The opioid epidemic continues unabated. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in a span of 17 years (1999-2016), more than 350,000 people died from an overdose involving opioids.

Sales of prescription opioids in the U.S. nearly quadrupled from 1999 to 2014, yet there has been no overall change in the levels of pain Americans report. In 2016, the number of overdose deaths involving opioids (including both prescription and illegal opioids) was five times higher than in 1999.

In 2017, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) declared the opioid epidemic a public health emergency and announced a 5-Point Strategy to fight the opioid crisis. Unfortunately, the numbers since then have not improved. Since Q3 2016 through Q3 2017, the number of opioid deaths has increased approximately 30 percent, according to a recent report from the CDC.

While the nation’s attention on the opioid epidemic has heightened, interest in options for non-pharmacological care for pain has also increased. More consideration is being given to chiropractic care as a safe, effective, drug-free solution – especially for people with low back, neck and headache pain. Doctors of chiropractic (DCs) are specifically trained to diagnose, evaluate and provide non-pharmaceutical care and rehabilitation to individuals suffering from acute, subacute and chronic back, low back and neck pain, headaches, neuro-musculoskeletal conditions and other related syndromes.

This toolkit will provide the necessary resources to effectively tackle the opioid epidemic, including the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress’ (F4CP) (www. f4cp.org) landmark positioning paper in eBook format, ‘As the Opioid Epidemic Rages On, Chiropractic Care is Recognized As A Safer Option for Pain,’ as well as print advertisements, infographics, social media postings, public service announcements and more!

Questions or Comments: For additional information or to submit feedback, please contact F4CP Marketing Director Alexis Lignos at alexis@f4cp.com.

To find a doctor of chiropractic near you, visit www.f4cp.org/findadoctor/