F4CP Alerts Chronic Pain Sufferers About Overuse of OTC Pain Medications, Underscores Importance of Drug-free Chiropractic Care

Survey:
43% of chronic pain patients have taken too much OTC pain medication

CARMICHAEL, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Armed with the results of a new survey
commissioned by the American Gastroenterological Association which found
that many people with chronic pain ignore dosing instructions on
over-the-counter (OTC) pain medicines and put themselves at risk for an
overdose, the Foundation
for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP) urges sufferers to consider
chiropractic care before taking another OTC or prescription pain drug.
The proliferation of evidence-based validation
of the effectiveness of chiropractic care to relieve chronic pain is
good news since the survey also found that 38 percent of respondents did
not know that combining two or more NSAID pain relievers, or two or more
acetaminophen containing pain relievers, increases the risk of serious
health complications such as ulcers, stomach bleeding, liver damage and
death.

“This is an alarming report, and further points to the recommendation
that chiropractic care should be the pain sufferer’s first option for
pain relief,” explains Sherry McAllister, DC, executive vice president,
F4CP, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to educating the public
about the value of chiropractic care.

The survey found that 43 percent of 1,000 survey respondents said they
had knowingly taken a higher-than-recommended dose of over-the-counter
pain medication, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. These results
confirm that people with chronic pain should never try to self-manage
their pain with over-the-counter medicines.

“This new information comes on the heels of disturbing, ongoing reports
surrounding prescription opioid medications – which include misuse,
abuse, addiction and/or fatality,” continues Dr. McAllister. “The
non-pharmacological chiropractic approach is a compelling, sound option
and the F4CP encourages individuals with chronic pain to consider
chiropractic care. In fact, in 2015 the Joint Commission, which
certifies more than 20,000 health care organizations and programs in the
United States, including every major hospital, revised its pain
management standards to include chiropractic services.

According to the National
Institutes Health MedLine Plus, chronic pain lasts
longer than acute pain, generally over three months, and may start with
an injury or other cause but persists even after healing has occurred.
Chronic pain is widely believed to be a disease, with known changes in
the nerves that get worse with time. Due to its persistence, chronic
pain can cause major problems in every aspect of a person’s life, and is
frequently resistant to many medical treatments. A person may even have
two or more coexisting chronic pain conditions. Among the most common
pain challenges for Americans are headaches, low back pain, arthritis
pain, cancer pain, and nerve and muscle pain.

Dr. McAllister points out that doctors of chiropractic (DCs), who
receive a minimum of seven years of higher level education, are
specifically trained to manage disorders of the musculoskeletal system,
including chronic pain, as well as counsel on nutrition, exercise and
lifestyle practices.

The NIH reports:

• More than 76 million people in the United States live with chronic
  pain, but surveys show that almost half of them receive no treatment.
• The annual economic cost of chronic pain in the U.S. is estimated to
  be $100 billion, including healthcare expenses, lost income, and lost
  productivity at work and at home.
• Research shows that almost 60 percent of older adults with pain have
  had it for more than a year.
• According to recent research, close to five million Americans report
  recently taking prescription pain medication in a potentially unsafe
  way.
• Although most people taking prescription pain medicines do so
  responsibly, there has been an increase in drug misuse or even abuse,
  especially of opioid pain relievers.

About the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress

A not-for-profit organization, the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress
informs and educates the general public about the many benefits
associated with chiropractic care. To learn more about the Foundation,
visit www.f4cp.com
and www.yes2chiropractic.com
or call 866-901-F4CP (3427).

Contacts

Media
Foundation for Chiropractic Progress
Megan
Kivlehan, 201-641-1911 (14)
mkivlehan@f4cp.com