August 1, 2017 – The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, the leading voice of the chiropractic profession, strongly endorses recommendations from the White House panel examining the nation’s ongoing opioid crisis to declare the epidemic as a national public health emergency.
“The chiropractic profession has long recognized the dangers of prescription opioid use and abuse, and has tirelessly advocated for drug-free strategies for patient care,” says Sherry McAllister, DC, executive vice president, F4CP. “A commitment to fighting this scourge must come from the highest levels of government. It will resonate throughout the healthcare ecosystem, and the chiropractic profession welcomes a declaration of this magnitude. ”
McAllister cites the importance of empowering cabinet members to take bold steps that would compel Congress to focus on funding and empowering the Executive Branch even further to deal with the loss of life resulting from prescription drug abuse.
“The clock is ticking, and every time a new prescription is written or re-filled for opioids, the potential for addiction grows,” says McAllister. “Doctors of chiropractic nationwide are dedicated to offering Americans drug free care that is proven to be safe and effective. Now is the time for action.”
A new study from the National Institute on Drug Abuse shows that about one in three Americans – 91.8 million people – used prescription opioid painkillers such as OxyContin or Vicodin.
In 2017, the American College of Physicians (ACP) recommended in an evidence-based clinical practice guideline published in Annals of Internal Medicine that physicians and patients should treat acute or subacute low back pain with non-drug therapies, including spinal manipulation. Low back pain is one of the most common reasons for all physician visits in the U.S. and a major contributor to opioid prescribing.
ACP leaders also said that physicians should avoid prescribing unnecessary tests and costly and potentially harmful drugs, especially narcotics, for these patients.
