Status: Closed — this petition is no longer accepting signatures.
Final supporters
We, the undersigned patients, would like to take this opportunity to provide input to the CDC as it relates to the proposed opioid guidelines for the treatment of chronic pain. As people living with chronic pain we know better than anyone what works, what doesn’t, and what the barriers are to receiving effective treatment. The 2016 CDC opioid prescribing guidelines failed to recognize one of the most important therapies for patients like us - interventional pain procedures. While conservative treatments such as physical therapy, chiropractic care, and acupuncture can help some patients, many of us require more specific and sophisticated treatments. We understand the issues inherent in using opioids better than the individuals who crafted the 2016 guidelines. The majority of us prefer to avoid using opioids if at all possible and just want to be able to function on a daily basis.
Over the years we have tried many treatments for pain management and have received significant relief from the interventional treatments by my pain management physician. Many of us have also benefited from such procedures and injections and blocks, radiofrequency procedures, implantable medication pumps or implanted neuromodulation devices when simpler measures did not work. Without these interventional treatments from my pain physician we would not be able to function and would be forced to take higher dosages of opioids.
We also understand the value of the expertise a specialist pain physician and bring to a chronic patient’s treatment team. We urge the CDC to recommend in the next guidelines that patients who are suffering in pain for more than 3 months be referred to an expert pain specialist for evaluation and possible treatment.
One of the biggest problems we face as chronic pain patients, is insurance denials for doctor-recommended treatments, which leave us to try to find ways to cover the cost ourselves or to suffer in needless pain. We urge the CDC to not overlook this important set of treatments as you develop the next version of these guidelines. The CDC guidelines are very influential and have the power to help us advocate for the many Americans who suffer from chronic pain. By including an evaluation of these safe and effective interventional treatments as an alternative to opioids in the next guidelines, the CDC can help ensure that patients in pain have better access to these opioid-sparing therapies.
Thank-you for considering our comments,
More like this
Call to Action – CDC Opioid Guidelines
CHRONIC PAIN PATIENT REGISTRY
Updates
June 5, 2020
I am honestly overwhelmed by the momentum this has gained lately. This movement belongs entirely to the people reading this who decided their experiences were worth speaking up for. I am just the person who hit the button to start the page, but you are the ones truly moving the needle.
16 Comments
Interventional procedures are what allow patients who have failed conservative management a chance to avoid costly surgery associated with more severe complications. In cases where surgery is not an option the use of interventional procedure is even more important to ensure that patients pain level is manageable. In certain cases this may lend to less reliance on opioids and improved ability to participate in therapy.
Without interventional pain procedures our pain patients would not be able to obtain the highest quality of pain control. They look forward to the additional relief they obtain from them and would not be able to perform their ADL's without them.
There are interventional pain management therapies that are alternatives to opiates for pain control. Injection therapy and spinal cord stimulation are safe and effective and allow opiates to be kept a a minimum restoring function and improving pain.
FDA grants marketing authorization of the first device for use in helping to reduce the symptoms of opioid withdrawal in 2017. Still no mention of such therapies in current guidelines.
Chronic Pain is a disease like hypertension and heart disease and other chronic ailments and needs consideration for for comprehensive treatment options that include a balanced approach of medical (inclusive of opioid treatment) and interventional Pain management.
I support the utilization of every tool at our disposal in order to help patients with Chronic Pain.
There is tremendous pain relief without opioid treatment available. Patients and physicians must know about them to enhance quality of life without opioid risks (which put patient families at risk at times more than the patient)
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Status: Closed — this petition is no longer accepting signatures.
Final supporters
We, the undersigned patients, would like to take this opportunity to provide input to the CDC as it relates to the proposed opioid guidelines for the treatment of chronic pain. As people living with chronic pain we know better than anyone what works, what doesn’t, and what the barriers are to receiving effective treatment. The 2016 CDC opioid prescribing guidelines failed to recognize one of the most important therapies for patients like us - interventional pain procedures. While conservative treatments such as physical therapy, chiropractic care, and acupuncture can help some patients, many of us require more specific and sophisticated treatments. We understand the issues inherent in using opioids better than the individuals who crafted the 2016 guidelines. The majority of us prefer to avoid using opioids if at all possible and just want to be able to function on a daily basis.
Over the years we have tried many treatments for pain management and have received significant relief from the interventional treatments by my pain management physician. Many of us have also benefited from such procedures and injections and blocks, radiofrequency procedures, implantable medication pumps or implanted neuromodulation devices when simpler measures did not work. Without these interventional treatments from my pain physician we would not be able to function and would be forced to take higher dosages of opioids.
We also understand the value of the expertise a specialist pain physician and bring to a chronic patient’s treatment team. We urge the CDC to recommend in the next guidelines that patients who are suffering in pain for more than 3 months be referred to an expert pain specialist for evaluation and possible treatment.
One of the biggest problems we face as chronic pain patients, is insurance denials for doctor-recommended treatments, which leave us to try to find ways to cover the cost ourselves or to suffer in needless pain. We urge the CDC to not overlook this important set of treatments as you develop the next version of these guidelines. The CDC guidelines are very influential and have the power to help us advocate for the many Americans who suffer from chronic pain. By including an evaluation of these safe and effective interventional treatments as an alternative to opioids in the next guidelines, the CDC can help ensure that patients in pain have better access to these opioid-sparing therapies.
Thank-you for considering our comments,
Updates
June 5, 2020
I am honestly overwhelmed by the momentum this has gained lately. This movement belongs entirely to the people reading this who decided their experiences were worth speaking up for. I am just the person who hit the button to start the page, but you are the ones truly moving the needle.
16 Comments
Interventional pain therapies are a proven modality in the battle against the opioid epidemic. Overall patient outcomes will suffer, and healthcare costs will increase without these at our disposal.
Interventional procedures are what allow patients who have failed conservative management a chance to avoid costly surgery associated with more severe complications. In cases where surgery is not an option the use of interventional procedure is even more important to ensure that patients pain level is manageable. In certain cases this may lend to less reliance on opioids and improved ability to participate in therapy.
Without interventional pain procedures our pain patients would not be able to obtain the highest quality of pain control. They look forward to the additional relief they obtain from them and would not be able to perform their ADL's without them.
There are interventional pain management therapies that are alternatives to opiates for pain control. Injection therapy and spinal cord stimulation are safe and effective and allow opiates to be kept a a minimum restoring function and improving pain.
FDA grants marketing authorization of the first device for use in helping to reduce the symptoms of opioid withdrawal in 2017. Still no mention of such therapies in current guidelines.
Chronic Pain is a disease like hypertension and heart disease and other chronic ailments and needs consideration for for comprehensive treatment options that include a balanced approach of medical (inclusive of opioid treatment) and interventional Pain management.
I support the utilization of every tool at our disposal in order to help patients with Chronic Pain.
There is tremendous pain relief without opioid treatment available. Patients and physicians must know about them to enhance quality of life without opioid risks (which put patient families at risk at times more than the patient)
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Interventional pain therapies are a proven modality in the battle against the opioid epidemic. Overall patient outcomes will suffer, and healthcare costs will increase without these at our disposal.