Chronic Pain Research Paper

The quote “pain is weakness leaving the body”; can be traced to the Marine Corps. This motivational quote is often used to inspire marines to endure painful stimuli. But what is pain? Pain is a neurological response to stressful stimuli, such as an illness or injury. It can manifest in one of two ways: chronic or acute pain. Chronic pain is persistent pain that can last for years. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and the National Institutes of Health, it is estimated that more than 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. In order to alleviate this chronic pain, most patients and doctors turn to narcotic analgesics. The issue with treating pain with narcotic analgesics, is that pain is subjective. …show more content…
Because pain is a subjective experience, some patients may get a higher prescription then their body requires. This leads to an intensified euphoric side effect. It is widely known that this euphoric high is highly addictive. Over time, the patient may become reliant on the drug for both its pain relieving properties, and euphoric side effects. Opioids drugs also build tolerance. Which means the patient will require a higher dose to achieve the same high, and pain relief. In addition to pain’s subjectivity which causes doctors to prescribe high doses, narcotic analgesics are overprescribed. In the last few years the amount of narcotic analgesics have dramatically risen. The reported cases of opioid addiction has also …show more content…
To be refilled, the patient must go to their health care provider and request a refill. If they are not granted a refill these patients may go through withdrawal. Because the withdrawal symptoms of opiates are not especially pleasant, and the user might have become physically, and emotional dependent on the drug they may turn to illegal drugs. Heroin is the drug most opioid addicts turn to. Heroin provides the same euphoria and pain relief as prescription opioids. Prescription opioids are not the only pain relieving therapy available. Other options include acupuncture, TENS, and biofeedback therapy. Acupuncture has been used to treat pain since ancient China. Acupuncture for pain treatment involves sticking needs in the body to stimulate pain relieving neurotransmitters. TENS, or transcutaneous electrical stimulation, use electrical impulses that block the transmission of pain messages. Biofeedback involves training oneself to relax, to decrease pain