Human beings have an inherent need for people they can look up to and trust. Perhaps that explains why so many inherently trust their doctors no matter the circumstances. But is that trust misplaced? It appears to be, at least in the arena of pain management. It turns out that most doctors have no idea how to treat chronic pain.
Although my assessment seems harsh, I have not arrived at it without thought. I am also not the only person to have reached this conclusion. Forbes contributor and healthcare executive Web Golinkin, a man with decades of experience in the healthcare industry, has reached the same conclusion.
He lays bare the realities of pain management in a July 2024 piece by combining his own knowledge and experience with that of other industry experts. And he makes a bold claim: a lack of proper pain management training is at the root of the ongoing opioid crisis.
Doctors Not Trained in Pain Management
Golinkin’s underlying assertion is one I cannot disagree with. He states in his peace that medical doctors are not trained in pain management while in school. Pain management is not part of the curriculum. Unless a doctor goes on to specialize in pain management, his knowledge of how to deal with chronic pain is limited.
My own experience with medical care only makes this lack of knowledge even more alarming. Let me put it this way: what is a doctor’s first choice of action when seeing patients in the exam room? It is almost always a prescription. That’s what doctors are trained to do. They are trained to identify diseases, injuries, and maladies and then match them with the most appropriate drugs.
This lines up perfectly with Golinkin’s understanding of the problem. Because doctors are not trained in pain management, the only way they know how to help a person experiencing chronic pain is to write a prescription. When prescription anti-inflammatories do not help, the only remaining option is an opioid prescription. And there it is. Golinkin insists that the opioid crisis stems from this very issue.
Pain Management Is a Recognized Specialty
In recent years, the healthcare system has increased its recognition of pain management as a specialty. In fact, it is now considered a legitimate specialty on par with cardiology, oncology, etc. Pain management clinics that were once derided are now mainstream. And still, even basic pain management is not taught in medical school. Doctors still need to receive additional training to become pain medicine specialists.
But what if the basics of pain management were taught in standard medical school programs? No doubt the specialty would still be in demand. But patients in need of effective pain management on a temporary basis could expect to get the help they need from their GPs rather than a specialist. Alternatively, a GP with a better understanding of pain management might realize early on that his patient is better served by a specialist. A referral is made sooner rather than later.
Alternatives to Prescription Painkillers
Teaching pain management in medical school might even open the door to alternative treatments. Take medical cannabis, for example. The people behind the Utahmarijuana.org website say that chronic pain is the one condition treated by medical cannabis most often. They also say that patients commonly report being able to reduce or completely stop using opioids after beginning a cannabis regimen.
Unfortunately, most doctors are ill equipped to help patients manage chronic pain. It is not that they do not want to, it’s that they don’t know how. To me, that is unthinkable.