Who Are The “visible Few Pain Patients?”

If you haven’t heard of the “visible few pain patients” in Mesa and around the globe, you’re not alone. Dr. Nikesh Seth at Integrated Pain Consultants is committed to treating all pain patients while helping to educate others about the reality of pain today. The term was coined by Lynn Webster and stems from the opioid crackdown. Webster was intrigued by the Fox series “Treating America’s Pain: Unintended Victims of the Opioid Crackdown” which revealed what happens when people are truly in pain but doctors are “under siege” and afraid to prescribe pain medications.

The Impact of the Opioid Crackdown

These patients are the “visible few,” and represent a tiny number of people whose stories have actually been picked up by the media. It’s these stories that are meant to reflect the millions of others who are living with chronic pain. It’s important to have these “visible few pain patients’” stories told because it puts a face to chronic pain. However, according to Webster and others, these stories are overshadowed by the government scrambling to get a handle on the opioid crisis. She estimates that the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain was meant to be informative, but ultimately it has affected 20 million people in the US with “severe disabling pain.”

It’s been argued that while the guidelines are just that—guidelines—they’re being treated like a policy. Some providers are feeling pressured to reduce medication management with 70 percent of doctors decreasing their medication prescriptions. There are a lot of misunderstandings happening and lack of knowledge about pain treatment options.

Pain patients deserve to have their pain causes and symptoms treated efficiently and effectively. This includes having access to the wide array of alternative pain therapies as well as medication management when appropriate. However, when there are just a few people having their stories told, this can lead to a lack of information for others.

Get the Multidisciplinary Approach You Deserve

If you want to gain control over your pain management and work with the “Top Doc” in Mesa, schedule a detailed evaluation by calling Integrated Pain Consultants at 480-626-2552.