Please read the attached articles. Please research additional information regarding the abuse, addiction and deaths pertaining to painkillers.

CNN Transcripts - Dr. Sanjay Gupta

Zohydro - Super Painkiller

Discussion:

1. What is the solution to the problem of the abuse of pain medications?

2. What types of restrictions would you recommend to prevent continuous abuse of these prescriptions?

3. How could these prescriptions be kept off the streets (illegal sales and illegal use)?

4. How effective are the alternative pain treatments, that do not rely on a pharmacologic basis requiring a prescription pain killer; ie., physical therapy, yoga, meditation, NSAIDs possibly surgery.

5. What is meant by "neuroplasticity" of the pain pathways? Could this phenomenon provide viable alternatives  to use of pain meds in the clinical management of patients?  What is "phantom limb" pain, is this real or imaginary pain (is there a difference)? There are some recent treatments for this being studied in the VA, where mirrors are used, anyone can elaborate on this, as it is part of the physiolgic explanation of PLP.  Optional Discussion Topic.

https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2013/198/4/neuroplasticity-and-pain-what-does-it-all-mean