Chronic Pain, Pain Management
and Chemical Dependency
Prolonged pain destroys the quality of life. It can erode the will to live, at times driving people to suicide. The physical effects are equally profound. Severe, persistent pain can impair sleep and appetite, thereby producing fatigue and reducing the availability of nutrients to organs. It may impede recovery from illness or injury, and in weakened or elderly patients may make the difference between life and death.
As a society, we are more physically active than ever before. We are living longer than ever before. As a result, the number of people living with chronic pain is rising dramatically.
In most instances of non-malignant chronic pain, there comes a time when there is nothing more to be done medically or surgically. All investigations have been done, all appropriate consulting physicians have been seen, all necessary surgical procedures have been performed, various medications have been tried, and numerous therapeutic modalities have been pursued.
In spite of everyone's best intentions and efforts, the patient remains in pain. This point in time -- when a person has come to the end of the therapeutic rope, when there is nothing more that can be done -- is a very challenging time, particularly for the addicted person.
The difficulty in distinguishing between the emotionally impaired addict and the psychologically healthy pain sufferer continues to be a challenge for health care workers who tend to under-treat pain and often dismiss claims of pain in the addicted person as drug-seeking behavior.
Where does pain management end and addiction begin?
KPC has specially trained personnel to professionally and effectively work with this client base.
Our experienced staff are uniquely qualified in:
- understanding chronic pain
- how to assess for addiction vs. pseudo-addiction in the chronic pain patient
- how to rule out addiction in the chronic pain patient on medication
- understanding pain management in the recovering addict
- treatment approaches
