Opioid use for the management of pain has drastically increased over the last few years, with often little concern being paid for any potential consequences regarding the primary pain condition of the patient. And fatal overdoses have quadrupled, rising to 33,000 deaths in 2015, which is up from about 8,200 deaths in 1999.
Last year, researchers at the University of Colorado-Boulder sought to investigate the harmful effects of opioids and they found that painkillers might actually lengthen chronic pain and ultimately make it worse.
Their study was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers discovered that opioid use would increase chronic pain in rats and if the same results ring true for people, then that means that the “treatment” is worsening the condition that it has been prescribed to try and remedy.
The researchers involved in the study discovered that morphine when prescribed after nerve injury, would double the duration of neuropathic pain.
And this was only after 5 days of the morphine being prescribed, but the chronic pain persisted as a result for many months afterward. Their research confirms the notion that even short-term usage of opioids can have long-term damaging effects.
This study helps us to better understand the opioid epidemic that's going on in many countries right now. And if opioids like morphine, methadone, oxycodone, and others, are contributing to making the problem worse then what is the point in taking them?
This isn't the first study that has sought to look into this issue, previous research in this area has also reaffirmed that belief that opioids can lengthen and worsen pain. Perhaps this is why many people might now be looking to cannabis in order to get the remedy they seek.
It's been suggested by medical experts, legal experts, and others, that cannabis might help to end the opioid epidemic, based on the stats showcasing a decrease in overdoses from painkillers in states that have permitted medical cannabis. And opioid addiction/abuse is a problem that leads to tens of billions in medical costs every single year. And for the millions of Americans who are estimated to be currently struggling with an opioid addiction, it might come as good news that they can turn to a natural plant for help.
Pics:
NPR/Endai Huedl/fStop/Getty Images
pixabay
pharmaceutical-journal
The information that is posted above is not intended or implied to ever be used as any substitute for professional medical advice, or diagnosis or treatment. The above is posted for informational purposes only.
Sources:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2016/05/30/prescription-pain-killers-may-worsen-and-lengthen-chronic-pain/#37616ef620fe
http://www.pnas.org/content/113/24/E3441.abstract
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/11/could-pot-help-solve-us-opioid-epidemic
http://time.com/4419003/can-medical-marijuana-help-end-the-opioid-epidemic/
http://www.drugfree.org/news-service/opioid-addiction-treated-medical-marijuana-massachusetts/
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2017/01/15/documentary-on-convicted-doc-highlights-providers-role-in-opioid-epidemic.html