In addressing the ongoing issues with opioid addiction, Peter Butt, MD, an addictions consultant for the Saskatoon Health Region in Canada, says new guidelines released in May are a clear indication that doctors should only use opioids as a last resort for people with chronic, non-cancer pain.
This means “there needs to be better access to physical therapy, massage therapy, and transcontinuous nerve stimulation,” Butt says. “A lot of non-pharmacological interventions, which aren’t readily available in the health-care system, need to be made more accessible to people that are struggling with chronic pain.”
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