Pain killer addiction is a huge problem, especially abuse of opioid painkillers. Ten percent of high school seniors fess up to taking Vicodin for non-medical reasons. Reportedly 2.2 million people age 12 and older first abused painkillers within the past year - a statistic which is ahead of new marijuana users. About 415,000 people received treatment for painkiller abuse last year.

Problems associated with pain killer addiction and abuse have experts and authorities searching for real solutions. Opioids used properly are not dangerous according to the NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse. More than 500 researchers, doctors, and interested consumers gathered on the NIH campus to discuss the growing problem of prescription drug abuse and the potential for pain killer addiction in patients with chronic pain conditions.

• The Facts of Pain Medications
• Preventing Abuse of Pain Medications
• When Are Pain Medications Appropriate for Arthritis Patients?
• Drug Addiction vs. Drug Dependence: Same or Different?

Experts say that only a fraction of patients with a medical need for using narcotic pain medications ever become addicted. The crackdown to reduce pain medication abuse is causing problems for patients who legitimately need the drugs though. Chronic pain affects one of three or four adults. Millions of people have severe disabling pain. Some chronic pain patients are under-treated as a consequence of doctors wanting to gain control over pain killer addiction. Researchers are working on ways to optimize pain relief while reducing the risk of abuse, including reformulating certain drugs (e.g. oxycodone) to make them abuse-resistant.

More Related Resources:

• Guide to Arthritis Pain
• The Pain Relief Quiz
• 10 Ways to Increase Your Pain
• The Pain Quiz: Acute vs. Chronic Pain
• Pain Relief Linked to Expectation of Treatment Efficacy
• Pain Management: Ways to Manage Your Pain

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