Treating those who suffer from pain and have developed an
addiction to drugs or alcohol is a delicate and challenging task. The detoxification and rehabilitation
process for a person that suffers from chronic pain must be approached with
caution as withdraw from pain medications may exacerbate symptoms and reduce the
effectiveness of drug or alcohol treatment.
Like treating co-occurring disorders, it is critical that
dependency of drugs and alcohol are treated by the staff of one facility that
employs qualified staff that are trained and experienced in treating chronic
pain and addiction. One doctor must oversee
and administer the pain management program that is designed for the drug or
alcohol addict. It is critical that
communication and documentation be maintained at all times for the purposes of
safe and effective pain management and treatment of the substance addiction.
One of the primary challenges in treated a drug or alcohol
addict that suffers from chronic pain is the selection of appropriate
medications and techniques that are used to treat the pain. Opiates and other narcotic pain relievers must
be administered with extreme care as to not encourage abuse and compromise the
entire recovery process.
On the other
hand, adequate treatment of the pain is essential as to prevent relapse and
self-medication upon discharge from the treatment facility. This balance must be maintained in order to
successfully treat the problem of chronic pain and the abuse of and dependence
on addictive substances.
The selection of pain management medications must be
dictated by the level of pain that the addict is experiencing, not by the type
of or amount of a drug that the addict is dependent upon. The severity of the pain is the primary
determining factor of what type of drug is to be administered by the trained
medical staff within the drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility.
Typically, a risk/benefit analysis is
conducted when determining the type and quantity of pain relief medication that
is to be administered. Because the
likelihood of sustained or enhanced addiction is ever present in the drug or
alcohol addict, doses are constantly monitored and adjusted based various
factors that are presented by the addict.
Drug and alcohol addicts can rest easy knowing that there
are facilities that can safely and effectively treat their addiction and
chronic pain simultaneously. Inpatient
care and follow up services are available for continued support and
guidance. A quality facility that is
capable and qualified to treat both chronic pain issues and drug or alcohol
abuse and addiction can be just mouse click or a phone call away.
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