Opioid Crisis

Opioid Crisis First Hand Story – How Kids Become Addicts

 

“She was just 16 and had tried everything for pain relief. Prescribed by her doctors, her pain meds were opioids until she became another victim and…

 

“I was addicted to prescription pain medicine. It all starts out fun and then somewhere along the road, it just turned into something else. It’s a vicious cycle and it ate away at me for a long time. I’m almost two years sober, now, and it’s not that easy — you have to completely change your way of living.

Michael Nance – died May 30, 2017 age 31 (cause of death, suspected drug overdose)

On a recent trip I met a young woman on a plane.  Seated next to me on the aisle she seemed quite uncomfortable during our trip.  It was a approximately a four hour plane ride and I asked if there was anything wrong.  Turned out a lot was wrong.  She told me her story.

This 19 year old was diagnosed with kyphosis, also known as hunchback when she was 16.  Her spine as a teenager had an abnormally curve.  Three years ago she had 8 small titanium rods surgically placed between several vertebrae, she has been in severe pain ever since.  She has tried everything for pain relief. Her pain medication of choice was a variety of opioids until she became an addicted and couldn’t function in school or everyday life.  After more than a year of addiction, she went to rehab and has been using mostly cannabis to control the pain. She fears being arrested if traveling with cannabis  even though she has a medical cannabis card.  She just doesn’t want to be hassled in an airport or look like a “druggie”. (her words)  This makes traveling very difficult and was the reason she kept getting out of her seat and moving around often when she was seated.

This story is more common that you might think. Opioid addiction and the pain management crisis is a plague across our nation. Many times pain relief is sought by unsuspecting victims of botched surgeries and good intention doctors who have few natural alternatives for pain.  The reasons someone gets hooked on opioid pain drugs are as diverse as the people it effects; young, old, and unintentionally, even kids.

At Pacific Herbs we advocate for using a natural pain relief alternative. We use Chinese herbs, like corydalis root and we advocate for acupuncture.  We have developed a product called Corydalis Natural Pain Relief Herb Pack and it works wonders for many types of pain. It is not addicting and even has an American Medical Association approved billing code. It’s time to consider options for pain management and corydalis is a well studies and proven herb that used in the right combination with other herbs can help those who suffer with pain.

Click here for more information on Corydalis Natural Pain Relief Herb Pack

 

 

 

Herbal Medicine from Four Plants That Fulfil Our Desires

Chinese herbsBotany of Desire

Four common plants, a weed, a flower a root and a fruit.  We think we control them …. but what if they really control us?  They have learned to satisfy our desires.  Look at nature like never before.  Can these plants be considered herbal medicine because they fulfill our desires?

The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan.

I only wonder what the millions of other plants we use everyday from Ginseng to all the other Chinese herbs and plant medicinals would say about these four being selected for the program?  How very jealous they must be.