Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Includes a Combination of De-addiction Therapies and Pain Management

Opioid dependence or opioid use disorder is a medical condition of opioid addiction, and is characterized by a compulsive use of opioids (e.g., morphine, heroin, codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, etc.) in spite of consequences of continued use. The necessary descriptive characteristics of the medical diagnosis are preoccupation with a desire to obtain and take the drug and persistent drug-seeking behaviour. In a non-diagnostic context, opioid dependence properly refers to a dependence-withdrawal syndrome that is characterized by both psychological dependence and marked physical dependence upon opioid compounds; this dependence-withdrawal syndrome is a component of opioid addiction. Opioid use disorders resulted in 51,000 deaths in 2013 up from 18,000 deaths in 1990.

The Minnesota Head and Neck Pain Clinics are passionate to be lead providers in curbing the opioid crisis that optiminatl care.

Opioid Misuse and Abuse in Minnesota

Our local epidemic of drug overdose deaths is gaining strong support and fund to do something about it.

There is a strong effort in Minnesota to lower opioid misuse and abuse. The Opiate Epidemic Response law hope to raise $20 million annually through fees and for prescribers, drug manufacturers and distributors. The plan is to gain sustainable funding to mitigate the opioid epidemic and therefore be able to provide more sustainable opioid treatment and recovery services across the state.

“For Fiscal Year 2024, the Minnesota Department of Human Services is issuing $20 million in grant funding to 28 organizations as part of a comprehensive statewide effort to address the opioid addiction and overdose epidemic. Grantees were recommended by the Opioid Epidemic Response Advisory Council.” – Opioid Epidemic Response Advisory Council grantees for Fiscal Year 2024

Pain clinicians n the United States see with two significant challenges on a regular basis:

1. Managing pain without risks of prescription misuse.
2. Minimizing the morbidity and mortality that too often comes along with opioid misuse and abuse.

Increasing numbers of people have both pain and opioid use disorder (OUD); meaning, clinicians must be cognizant and prepared to address these comorbidities while providing treatment for pain. This entails a close review of systems, assessment of pain severity, assessment of prescription withdrawal, depression, and risk for suicide. A physical examination helps ensure that the potential co-morbidities related to the OUD are adequately identified treated.

Ways to Assess Opioid Use Disorder

Like other chronic diseases, the impact of OUD on a patient’s life is vast and can alter the way they view themselves, as well as how friends and family view them.

• A pain provider can explore changes the patient is experiencing with OUD and how has impacted their lifestyle, relationships, ability to work, and the quality of their daily lives.
• Be trained to understand the how patients with OUD feel in order to encourage patients to talk about the impact OUD is having in their lives.
• Be comfortable asking open-ended questions and then actively listen so that good communication is established.
• Provide cognitive behavioral therapy or acceptance commitment therapy as needed.
• Monitor and extend follow up care appointments.

Additional terms commonly associated with opioid use disorder include: substance use disorder, addiction, postoperative pain, chronic pain, opioid epidemic, patients with comorbid OUD, and prescribed opioids.

Collaborate efforts are required to reduce Opioid Use Disorder

Collaboration of clinicians and healthcare providers is vital to treat pain and minimize withdrawal symptoms. In patients with opioid tolerance, multimodal analgesia must be considered collective by all treating parties. Opioids should be considered for acute pain only for short duration.

On complication is often a patient’s lack of acceptance of having OUD. Recognizing and admitting to a need to change is typically foundational to successful overuse of opioid treatment. However many pain patients have difficulty with accepting their diagnosis of OUD. Counseling strategies become a significant part of treatment. Facing addiction is often gained through cognitive behavioral therapy or acceptance commitment therapy in order to gain a commitment to living a values-based life that is not dependent on the long-term use of drugs to manage pain.