Pain Treatment Centers - Real Relief from Chronic Pain

Once upon a time (pre-1914), Americans were able to obtain any drug or medicine they chose without authorization from any other individual or government agency.  Only you were responsible for the substances that you ingested into your body - opium, cocaine, or the most recent patent medicine.  Somewhere along the line we must have become too dim-witted to act on our doctor's advice in our own best interests.



Years ago when South Korea had Peace Corps Volunteers wandering around (me among them), you could purchase any legal drug from the local pharmacy - no prescription needed..



Had a cough you could not get rid of?  Codeine was available at the corner pharmacy for under a dollar.  Amphetamines were available for approximately 6 cents a hit.  I never tried them, although they were present if I needed them.



Members of the U.S. Army stationed in Korea were prohibited from going inside a Korean drugstore.  Strictly off-limits.  (As if that ever stopped any soldier from using any drug they wanted - legal or illegal.)



Politicians have long sense given up on following the Constitution.  At least they knew before 1914 that the Constitution did not permit the federal government to ban plants and natural pharmaceuticals.  The first big law - the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act - is a TAX statute.



The Act provides:



"Chap 1. - An Act To provide for the registration of, with collectors of internal revenue, and to impose a special tax on all persons who produce, import, manufacture, compound, deal in, dispense, sell, distribute, or give away opium or coca leaves, their salts, derivatives, or preparations, and for other purposes."



Still technically lawful for private use at that point in time, some medical doctors who prescribed opiates to addicts ended up being arrested and imprisoned since addiction was not legally a "disease" a medical professionsal could treat in "the course of his professional practice."



For fear of losing their licenses to prescribe drugs - the foundation of most modern medical practices - many doctors will not prescribe the best pain killers, even when they know it's the best choice for the patient.



Terminal cancer patients are routinely treated with liquid opiates in England and can live their last days free of excruciating pain.  Not so for their U.S. cousins, unless they want liquified black tar heroin on the back streets of Houston.



Unfortunately, in a effort to arrest and jail drug users, the US denies the world's best pain medications to citizens in need of pain relief.



In my mind, pain management is more medical art than medical science.  Any time you believe you are a citizen instead of a subject, remember that the government has determined you cannot use the best pain killers because you are weak and might become addicted.



Pain centers come in several forms:



- individual pain centers staffed by MDs



- separate departments in hospitals and universities



- chiropractors



- acupuncturists



- physical therapists



- psychiatrists/psychologists



Alternatives:



- clinics that readily prescribe pain killers - "pill mills"



- yoga



- hypnosis



- medical marijuana



Chronic pain targeted in one area may be taken care of more effectively through one kind of pain clinic than another.  Chiropractors, for example, are a normal destination for people with persistent back pain.  But back pain is complex, and may well require your family doctor, physical therapy, or even acupuncture.



Main types of pain include:



- cancer



- arthritis



- sciatica



- back



- neck



- leg



- foot



- headache



Insurance companies complicate pain management and treatment.  Failure of insurance companies to approve treatment for chronic pain drives many sufferers to specialized pain clinics where they must pay out-of-pocket.



If your medical professionsal is unwilling or not able to dispense the right drugs and pain medication to treat your condition, visit your local pain clinic for assistance.  Just remember, most insurance companies will not cover chronic pain management.  You might be required to pay up front.  Visit the clinic web site for insurance and payment guidelines prior to making an appointment.



"No More Pain" Clinics is a new blog developed to explore alternative treatment options available for chronic pain.



For more on chronic pain management or pain clinics in your area, visit:  http://nomorepainclinics.com



Charles Lamm is a retired attorney now working to assist those with chronic pain in finding the right medical treatment plans in their local areas.

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