The opioid crisis has gained national attention in recent years. If you take prescription opioids for chronic pain, perhaps you’re wondering what this means for you and your pain-care plan. U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jason Silvernail, Assistant Chief of Staff and Doctor of Physical Therapy at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, is an expert in outpatient, musculoskeletal pain management. In the video below, he discusses the VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain and new evidence-based, holistic approaches to combatting chronic pain. The updated guideline encourages providers to consider the safety of opioids for pain management and supplement or replace them with alternative treatments as appropriate. Keep in mind there are ways to take control of your pain management and other self-care and healthcare provider strategies that can help improve your pain experience as well.
