Kristine Nally, BS

Although methadone accounts for only 2% of opioid prescriptions, it caused nearly one in 3 prescription opioid overdose deaths in 2012, a 6-fold increase from 2009, according to the CDC.

Because there is no objective test for pain, and because each patient's experience of his or her painful condition is subjective and unique, physicians who treat these patients must process a variety of symptoms, signs, and cues to determine whether they can trust their patient's narrative.

Despite the best tests, procedures, and medications that modern medicine has to offer, chronic pain is still a major cause of disability. Could a more holistic approach to pain management lead to improved quality of life for individuals with chronic pain?

Knowledge of dietary supplement properties, uses, and contraindications is highly relevant to any health care practitioner that treats patients with chronic pain. Data shows that the top four reasons for supplement use are back pain, neck pain, joint pain, and arthritis.

Research indicates that there are probable etiologies of low back pain that can affect treatment outcome and that ignoring pain can possibly cause chronic neurological changes.

Researchers are learning more about the ways in which gut microbiota interact with the central nervous system and the role this can play in pain management.

Although the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood, opioid-induced hyperalgesia occurs in some patients on higher doses of opioids. Treatment options include reducing, rotating, or completely tapering the opioid regimen.