We now know that these medications created a never-before-seen healthcare epidemic. In fact, we now know these drugs weren't very good at addressing chronic pain in the first place. What's more, they require larger and larger doses to achieve an effect over time.
When we first learned that 35 billion opioids (half of all the distributed pills) were handled by about 15% of pharmacies, it became clear that there was a network of "pill mills" that weren't concerned about helping people actually find relief from their chronic pain.
There is no question that opioids are powerful pain killers. The problem is... they are also highly addictive and don't actually fix the cause of your pain. Here is how you can start to find relief without opioids.
It's estimated that over 200 million opioid prescriptions are written each year. This use and abuse have led to an epidemic that's been fueled by chronic pain. So, why are opioids so dangerous?
