by Jeffrey S. Klein

Created on: May 26, 2008

Pain. We all experience it at some time in our life to varying degrees and for varying periods of time. Caused by injury or illness, it is nature's way of telling us that something is wrong. It can be subtle or excruciating. The level of pain usually, but not always, indicates the severity of the injury or illness.
In a majority of cases, modern medicine does an excellent job of relieving our pain. Through treatment of the cause of the pain or simply controlling pain that is not easily treatable, most patients receive relief from their pain. Doctors, left to their own resources, do an excellent job of improving the quality of life of their patients. Even those patients suffering from chronic pain are able to live a normal life if properly treated. Some of the time, that proper treatment includes narcotic pain medication. Prescribed and taken properly, narcotics provide the only relief for some chronic pain victims. Spinal injuries, deformities, and degeneration are some examples that respond well to narcotic therapy. Many times they are the only choice that will provide relief. Therein lies the problem in the current state of the treatment of chronic pain.

In America, it is estimated that 2 percent of our population are addicted to drugs. This number has not changed over the last 100 years. The War on Drugs has not changed this number, in spite of spending almost a trillion dollars in trying to change it. A portion of this two percent is addicted to narcotics. Narcotics that are stolen or acquired through break-ins or robberies. Some are even acquired through patients scamming their doctors for a prescription and then selling the pills on the street. It is very unlikely that any narcotics available on the street were prescribed to chronic pain sufferers. People who suffer from chronic pain would never sell their prescription those pills are their only chance for a normal life. The kind of life that most of us take for granted. Life can be hard enough without chronic pain. For those suffering from it, life can become almost unbearable. Try to imagine your last toothache. Then try to imagine living with that pain every hour of every day. Chronic pain sufferers don't have to imagine it is their reality.
As stated before, modern medicine does an excellent job of relieving pain. When they are allowed to do so. In our zeal to control the flow of illegal drugs, we have made the relief of pain almost impossible for the average doctor. The Drug Enforcement Administration

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