Data collected for the Gallup-Palmer College of Chiropractic Annual Study of Americans reveal that “78 percent of Americans prefer to try other ways to address their physical pain before they take pain medication prescribed by a doctor.”
In addition, “Forty-four percent of Americans see prescription painkillers as a ‘crisis’ or ‘very serious problem’ in their local area, and 55 percent of those who know about the problem place ‘a lot’ of blame on ‘the pharmaceutical industry encouraging doctors to use opioids.’ Fifty-three percent place ‘a lot’ of blame on ‘doctors overprescribing painkillers to their patients.’”
The report states “these data could be a sign of a future where patients and health-care professionals alike favor drug-free treatment options before relying on opioids.”
The findings are encouraging for massage therapists, who can offer drug-free methods of pain relief.