Opioids offer relief to those recovering from injuries, illnesses, or managing chronic pain, but overreliance may also result in addiction. Across America, several states are currently facing massive increases of opioid addicts each year. Missouri is one of many states fighting against this opioid crisis. In 2017, an estimated 950 overdose deaths were related to opioids in the state. The most recent data shows that deaths rose to 1,132 in 2018.
Missouri has since looked toward solutions to the epidemic by providing alternatives for pain relief. In hopes to deter further addiction, the state began allowing Medicaid patients options such as acupuncture, cognitive-behavioral therapy, chiropractic care, and physical therapy in April 2019. Surprisingly, only 500 of the state’s Medicaid members have utilized these alternatives from April to December with 109,610 Medicaid patients that still received opioid prescriptions.
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According to Lauren Weber, correspondent of Kaiser Health News of the Midwest, there are several reasons why so few people are seeking pain-relieving alternatives.
“It is easier to take pills than it is to show up to multiple rounds of acupuncture or physical therapy that requires a coordinating care schedule, that requires buy-in from your initial provider prescribing you and alternative therapy and then you finding another provider that is offering it under Medicaid currently,” Weber said in an interview with radio station KBIA.
Leo Beletsky, professor of law and health sciences at the Northeastern University in Boston, also described that the scientific efficacy of these treatments was also mixed. This may sway patients from believing whether these options for chronic pain would work. Together, these provided a slow growth in patients utilizing Medicaid’s new services.
However, there are opioid alternatives that might still provide immediate results. Some patients have looked toward medial branch block treatments where an anesthetic is injected near nerves connected to a joint. These treatments have been used for those with lower back pain and chronic headaches. A biotech company, Q BioMed, has also recently launched an FDA approved non-opioid drug, Strontium 89. This drug has shown pain-relieving potential in clinical studies to those with bone cancer but is still being monitored to test the full efficacy of the drug.
With multiple alternatives currently being implemented and studied, there is optimism for a future without opioid abuse. What the world currently needs is time to determine the best solutions in tackling this dilemma.
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