One of the many misconceptions in medical science is the belief that a scalpel is, if not a mystical device, then certainly (in the right hands) the closest thing to a magic wand.
If only it were so because — as someone who has gone under the proverbial knife — I know that no doctor can cut, excise and eliminate every tumor, constricted vein or artery, or torn muscle or damaged section of cartilage.
Nor is the pen mightier than that medical sword, since a prescription pad is not a medium for authorial license: A doctor's order for steroids, opiates, narcotics and other sundry painkillers will no more erase discomfort (as a long-term solution) than a scalpel will expel the source of every form of intense, chronic discomfort.
We must, therefore, expand our understanding of — and explore our options concerning — noninvasive alternatives to pain management and relief. And yes, this issue is worthy of national attention because it is a problem of profound significance.
According to a study ("Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research") commissioned by Institute of Medicine, and reprinted by the American Academy of Pain Medicine, pain is a public health epidemic; it costs employers, doctors, hospitals and related groups up to $635 billion annually, a figure equal to approximately $2,000 for each citizen in the United States.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) also reports ("Safely Managing Chronic Pain") that more than 76 million Americans, or one in four of our fellow citizens, experience a minimum of acute pain for at least 24 hours.
These figures, in addition to research performed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, reveal the full scope of this problem. Or: When 5.1 million people abuse prescription painkillers, and when close to 9 million (8.76 million) men and women have an addiction to a triumvirate of tranquilizers, stimulants and painkillers, it is time to explore other types of treatment.
In the course of doing my own research, I am happy to report that there are entrepreneurs and wellness professionals who "get it." That is, there are pill-free sources of pain management and relief. Consider a pain management technique with truly ancient roots — Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS).
A leading product in this space is the inTENSity 12 from JUSCO Medical, which stimulates your body's natural painkillers, and delivers quick relief to sensitive areas prone to chronic pain.
The unit focuses on the neck, shoulders, hands, back, knees, feet, and other body parts vulnerable to pain and injury, using five to ninety minute electrotherapy treatments. It is effective and non-invasive, used to alleviate pain from a variety of situations, including sports activities and accidental trauma, among many other things.
My knowledge of the brand is the result of my own independent research, followed by a comprehensive review of the many studies — all of them available online — that prove there are treatment options beyond surgery and the use of prescription painkillers to treat this ailment.
The use of surgery or prescription painkillers is not always the best option — certainly not for everyone. Awareness of these facts has the potential to spare millions of Americans from needless additional pain from post-operative complications and possible drug dependency.
If we want to reduce this crisis, and simultaneously lower healthcare costs and lessen the physical and financial burden of chronic pain, then we should expand the use of the FDA-approved devices at our disposal.
Non-pill solutions demonstrate the legitimacy of this option among patients, and the technology behind these offerings proves the popularity of this alternative among a diversity of Americans.
We need more innovation of this caliber to fight an epidemic of this size and severity, period.