Opioids are commonly prescribed for pain. In fact, opioid prescriptions in the U.S. has almost doubled – from 105 million in 1998 to 207 million in 2013. What’s alarming is the number for fatal overdoses from these drugs, which increased almost five-fold – from 4,000 deaths in 1999 to almost 19,000 in 2014.

The increasing trend, as well as concerns from primary care clinicians about pain medication misuse and addiction, stress involved with managing patients with chronic pain, and insufficient training in prescribing opioids has prompted the CDC to release their “Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain – United States 2016.” The CDC guideline offers clarity on their recommendations based on the most recent scientific evidence concerning the risks associated with opioid dosage.

“It has become increasingly clear that opioids carry substantial risk but only uncertain benefits — especially compared with other treatments for chronic pain,” according CDC Director Dr. Thomas R. Frieden. While opioids can help improve the quality of life of people suffering from chronic pain, they do this by masking the pain without addressing its cause – this leads to lifelong dependence on the drug.

If you’re concerned about overdosing and experiencing musculoskeletal conditions including low back and neck pain, many experts suggest that you consider an alternative form of treatment. Treatments like chiropractic care have been shown to be effective in treating cases involving chronic pain. Doctors of chiropractic have a minimum seven years of higher education and provide care and rehabilitation on issues ranging from musculoskeletal pain to headaches to general health concerns.