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HealthConnections: Alternatives for Pain Management

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An estimated 50 million American adults endure daily chronic pain. About a third of that group experiences chronic pain so severe that it interferes with daily life. But the quick reaction - issuing a prescription for painkillers - carries with it a risk of addiction. Recently, a national task force examined problems with prescription painkillers; last May, the panel offered recommendations to improve how healthcare providers and patients manage chronic pain.

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. John McGraw was a member of that task force. In this edition of HealthConnections, the Jefferson County resident talks with Dr. Carole Myers about what the task force learned, and how its findings can improve pain management in Tennessee and across the U.S.