Pressing Issues Facing Those with Chronic Pain
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Chronic Pain Lawyer. There are countless people who struggle with chronic pain every day. Those with severe symptoms may find it challenging to even get out of bed in the morning, let alone go to work or exercise. Unfortunately, for those who deal with chronic pain on a daily basis, there is a war being waged against their healthcare providers, creating a stigma against patients who have chronic pain.
Politicization of Chronic Pain as a Healthcare Problem
For those who have developed chronic or neuropathic pain as a result of an auto accident, traumatic injury, or any other mechanism, they may have noticed that chronic pain is being mentioned with mental health and other systemic issues. This tendency has led to chronic pain becoming a politicized issue. Politicians are treating those with pain the same way they treat people with mental health disorders, violent tendencies, or any other mental problem. Those with pain, whether it be from a bone fracture, motorcycle accident, or otherwise, are suffering from different problems than those with mental health disorders. Therefore, the patients who struggle with pain should be treated differently than those who struggle with mental health issues.
The Stigma of Substance Abuse and Drug-Seeking Behavior
Furthermore, those with chronic pain have likely noticed a decline in the number of providers available to treat their pain. This comes from a crackdown on those who take pain medications chronically. There is a serious fear that providing pain medication to those who need it will only serve to create an abuse problem where people become addicted to the pain medication. While it is true that a pain medication addiction can lead to an overdose and a wrongful death, those who have pain from a catastrophic personal injury deserve to have it treated. Society needs to do a better job of differentiating real pain from drug-seeking behavior masquerading as pain.
Problems of Introduction of Pain Medications Into the Mainstream
Finally, the supply of pain medication has been regulated much tighter as well. There is a fear that handing out pain medication will introduce it into the streets. While there is a drug problem going on in this country, the fight against this should not come at the expense of treating the pain that people have. Everyone who is in severe, chronic pain deserves to have their symptoms treated. This is the humane course of action to take.
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Contact an Experienced Sacramento Chronic Pain Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Chronic Pain Lawyer. If you or someone you care about has been injured due to someone else’s negligence, please call me for free, friendly advice. I can be reached at (916) 921-6400 or toll-free at (800) 404-5400.
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