Here’s how you can take control of your pain—without drugs
It looks like the national opioid drug epidemic is about to claim another victim. But this time, it may actually be a victory for the millions of people who are addicted to deadly pain pills.
The American Pain Society (APS) is poised to file for bankruptcy and cease operations, according to several published reports. This follows the recent demise of the Academy of Integrative Pain Management (AIPM).
On the surface, these two groups seem like good guys—organizations dedicated to the advancement of science for pain management. APS says it “brings together a diverse group of scientists, clinicians, and other professionals to increase the knowledge of pain and transform public policy and clinical practice to reduce pain-related suffering.”1
But some people who’ve been seriously harmed by opioids think that’s a load of codswallop. In fact, a 2018 lawsuit filed by the state of Illinois’ workers’ compensation fund lumps APS in with a long list of opioid manufacturers.2
The lawsuit alleges that APS takes money from companies that make and sell opioids. In fact, this is backed by a U.S. Senate committee report, which found that between 2012 and 2017, APS received nearly $1 million in funding from big pharma—and more than half of that came from big opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma.3
And the Illinois lawsuit doesn’t stop there. It claims that APS and other nonprofit organizations “deceptively” encourage doctors to prescribe opioids for chronic pain, and thus legally qualify as “front groups” for opioid manufacturers.
The suit also points out that APS invented the concept of pain as the “fifth vital sign” of people’s health. So what sounds like a harmless PR soundbite has actually contributed to excessive opioid overprescribing, according to the lawsuit.
And this isn’t the only lawsuit marrying big pharma to APS. In a recent letter, APS President William Maixner cited the high costs of fighting lawsuits as a reason for his organization’s financial problems.4
What you really need to know about pain management
So what does this news mean for you and me? Well, as you know, chronic pain is a difficult condition to manage, for both patients and physicians. Not only are there obvious physical aspects, but chronic pain carries plenty of psychological implications as well.
Organizations like APS also conduct some good research into non-opioid alternatives for pain relief. For instance, a recent study published in the APS Journal of Pain reported that physical activity and regular social engagement can help prevent chronic pain in older people.5
But that’s certainly not rocket science. I’ve been writing about studies like this (and thousands more) for the last 25 years as primary sources for my textbook, Fundamentals of Complementary & Alternative Medicine, which is now in its 6th edition. (Order a copy today from the “books” tab on www.DrMicozzi.com.) In fact, a few years ago, my book was the number one most requested textbook from my book publisher at the APS annual meeting.
While Journal of Pain has some studies on non-drug solutions for pain, it also publishes plenty of research on opioids and other drugs. Supposedly this is an integrative approach to pain management—another reason why I’m so skeptical of the word “integrative.” Because it should imply the use of natural, non-drug alternatives, but really, it can mean anything—or nothing at all—in actual practice.
The upshot is that if these “integrative” pain societies and scientific journals go belly-up, it might not be much of a loss for the real researchers who actually continue to produce groundbreaking science on safe and effective non-drug treatments for pain.
As always, I’ll report these findings in my weekly newsletter, Daily Dispatch, as soon as they’re available. And, of course, you’ll find the latest science on natural pain management in my Insider’s Ultimate Guide to PILL-FREE Pain Cures, which you can download for free from the Subscribers Sign-In tab on my website.
And remember, inflammation is often the underlying cause of pain. By controlling inflammation, you can actually stop pain instead of just masking it with opioid drugs.
So I urge you to check out my Protocol for Eliminating Deadly Inflammation. This online learning tool provides remarkably fast and easy ways to reverse this No. 1 cause of disease and aging. To learn more, or to enroll today, click here or call 1-866-747-9421 and ask for order code EOV3V800.
Sources:
1http://americanpainsociety.org/about-us/overview
2https://edelson.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/IRMA-Purdue-Complaint.pdf
3https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/REPORT-Fueling%20an%20Epidemic-Exposing%20the%20Financial%20Ties%20Between%20Opioid%20Manufacturers%20and%20Third%20Party%20Advocacy%20Groups.pdf
4http://americanpainsociety.org/uploads/membership/APS%20Letter%20from%20the%20President.pdf
5http://americanpainsociety.org/education/jop-november-2018-2