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PAIN MANAGEMENT
APALINTPREORBLNEMAST& IVE
NAVICENT HEALTH CAREGIVERS
experience firsthand the effects of the opioid but at the same time, they cause the brain to
epidemic. A national spotlight focused
on the hospital in 2017, when a cluster of
overdoses occurred in central Georgia over a
48-hour period.
“The overdoses were related to pain
medication bought on the street that was
not legitimately manufactured and bought
on the street,” says John Wood, MD,
Director of the Emergency Center at The
Medical Center, Navicent Health. “Some
pills were laced with other substances—
possibly carfentanil—which is a very
potent narcotic.”
Navicent Health is taking a leading role
in fighting medication addiction and drug-
related deaths in the area.
At Navicent Health’s emergency and urgent
care centers, doctors follow the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines
for prescribing the shortest and lowest
appropriate dose of any opioid medication,
Dr.Wood says.
“We educate all our providers on
appropriate ways to use narcotics,”
Dr.Wood says.
MANY PATHS PAST THE PAIN
Opioids, such as codeine, morphine and
fentanyl, are prescribed to relieve pain.They
Opioid addiction
is a serious issue
throughout the
country. If your loved
one is struggling
with pain and you’re
concerned about
the possibility of
addiction, alternatives
are available.
SOLUTIONS
work by disrupting pain signals in the brain,
release dopamine—the “feel good” hormone.
As a result, opioid users experience a sense
of euphoria, and that can be highly addictive.
But what can you do if you don’t want to take
opioids, or your prescription runs out and
you’re still experiencing pain?
Patients have the right to talk with
their doctors about their pain and ask
about their treatment options. Roberta
Weintraut, MD, Director of the Integrative
Medicine Program and Associate Director
of the Family Medicine Residency
Program, Navicent Health, says it’s good
to start by going over your goals of care.
“We try to find out what kind of pain you’re
dealing with and what your goals are,” she
says.“There are lots of ways to approach
pain. Only one is pharmaceutical.”
Eating well, taking care of yourself and
making sure your basic medical needs are met
are important first steps, laying a foundation
for deeper holistic responses to pain.
“I have a lot of patients who
benefit from changing up their diet,”
Dr. Weintraut says. “A less-inflammatory
diet really does help with chronic pain.”
Osteopathic manipulation, or hands-
on techniques practiced by osteopathic
doctors and physiatrists, can be particularly
effective. Osteopaths make detailed studies
of the musculoskeletal system in order
to relieve pain and improve function. In
osteopathic manipulation, practitioners
may use pressure or stretching, as well as
resistance, to help the body move beyond
pain. In fact, clinical trials have shown
osteopathic manipulation to be as effective
as medication in some cases—for instance,
as a treatment for lower back pain.
Acupuncture has a good track record
against pain, Dr. Weintraut says. In
this technique, the practitioner inserts
thin needles to stimulate precise spots
on the body. Research has shown that
acupuncture can relieve back pain and
severe headaches.
Alternative pain treatments don’t have
to replace medication; however, many
patients find that alternatives allow them
to cut back a lot.
“For most patients, there’s a clear benefit to
adding alternative therapies,” Dr.Weintraut
says. “They can become the main way
patients manage pain, and very happily so.”
WANT TO DISCUSS PAIN MANAGEMENT
WITH A PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER?
VISIT WWW.NAVICENTHEALTH.ORG
AND CLICK “FIND A DOCTOR.”
WINTER 2018 | navicenthealth.org 11