Chronic Pain — including High-impact Chronic Pain — Affects Millions of Americans
Many government studies have long indicated that one of the most common reasons adults will seek medical attention is consistent, or chronic, pain. A survey conducted last fall by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) illustrated just how widespread pain issues are for a sizable portion of the population.
According to the survey, more than one out of five U.S. adults say they suffer from chronic pain. Of the 20.4% of adults who said they endured pain on “most days” or “every day” over the previous three months, a full third — or 7.4% of all of those surveyed — said their chronic pain limited their work or life activities. This subset suffers from high-impact chronic pain (HCIP), or pain that prevents you from pursuing normal activities consistently over a long period of time.
There are plenty of medications and drugs on the market designed to alleviate pain or help manage it. But for many, those intended solutions often fall short of helping those afflicted get back to enjoying their normal lives.
Seeking More Solutions for Pain Management?
As more and more Americans deal with pain daily or see their lives changed because of HCIP, there has been an increased emphasis on finding more ways to resolve their issues outside the realm of traditional medicinal treatment tracts.
Many look for other remedies to their chronic pain issues because of the fear of addiction associated with taking prescription narcotics (for extreme pain) or because of the side effects associated with pain medications in general.
Prescribed narcotics, such as oxycodone, are used to treat severe pain but also remain the most commonly abused opioids in the U.S., and are still the leading cause of opioid-related overdoses. The fear of developing an addiction to these treatments is a significant factor for some patients to look elsewhere in a pain management plan. Also, even if full-blown addiction doesn’t occur, long-term treatment with prescription narcotics can lead to tolerance issues — where the dosage needs to be increased for the same level of relief — and the fear of withdrawal symptoms. The CDC has produced strict guidelines designed to regulate opioid use.
There are other issues with taking or digesting orally administered pain medications designed to treat chronic pain or HCIP. The side effects can be severe and life-threatening in some rare cases — chest pain, trouble breathing, irregular heartbeat — and negatively impact your overall health in other circumstances (nausea, dizziness, vomiting). Digestive issues hamper some who use pain medication to treat chronic pain associated with afflictions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, or endometriosis.
All of these work against patients and their treatment plans to control chronic pain. They can lead to less adherence and only minor relief, which in turn provides more challenges for the patients themselves and the healthcare providers serving them. Faced with the choice between chronic pain or troublesome side effects, many are looking for new solutions.
Compounded Pain Cream Can Address Treatment Issues
Compounded transdermal pain medication has proved beneficial for those looking for easier-to-administer solutions to their pain management programs. With the ability to incorporate different drugs, customizable dosages, and ease of use with a lower risk of abuse, many chronic pain patients have embraced compounded pain cream.
Compounded pain medication can treat various chronic pain issues and comes in several forms, including gels, lotions, and creams. Many of the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) used in compounded pain cream — like steroids, anesthetics (ketamine), and opioid agonists (tramadol) — are FDA approved for pain indications. Using a multi-ingredient approach, compounded pain cream is simply applied to the skin at the site of the pain for targeted relief.
Because the active ingredients are absorbed through the skin, the application of the medication will sidestep potential issues some patients have with taking oral medication. The likelihood of lower systemic absorption — the APIs avoid the digestive tract and are processed by the body at a more gradual rate — will minimize side effects. In addition, there will be a much lower risk of developing an addiction to any of the ingredients — and the problems that surround that — with administering the medication in this fashion.
Compounding medications also serve multiple purposes. Transforming pain treatment medications into a more easily usable form helps patients avoid side effects and increases their ability to adhere to treatment. The act of compounding also incorporates several APIs that could address various forms of action. Compounded pain cream gives each patient their own specific dosage and formula, a set of variables as unique as they are.
Make Lakeview Pharmacy Your Choice for Compounded Pain Cream
At Lakeview Pharmacy, we’ve previously detailed some of the many benefits of working with a compounding pharmacy and how they can enhance the treatment options for many patients. With a long history of serving our customers, Lakeview Pharmacy is pleased to be able to offer the customized service you deserve and expect from your compounding pharmacy.
There are things to keep in mind when working with any compounding pharmacy, however. First, any compounding pharmacy — including Lakeview Pharmacy — cannot provide a compounded medication without a healthcare provider’s prescription. We’re happy to work with you and your doctor to compound a more appropriate medicinal solution, but you will need to have the prescription secured first.
Also, note that compounded prescriptions will take longer to fill. Trained pharmacists will work deliberately to create the desired compound, but it takes time to check and recheck the accuracy of all the variables involved. As such, usually, 24 to 72 hours are required to complete compounded medication prescriptions.
Multiple state boards of pharmacy, multiple state medical boards, the FDA, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Federal Trade Commission, and other federal and state agencies all have some degree of oversight on the pharmacy compounding practice. Combined, there is a comprehensive set of standards in place to help protect patients.
Compounded pain cream has offered many patients relief from chronic pain ailments. Contact us today to learn more about these specific solutions or any of our other pharmaceutical services.
