Presenter: Bill Walter, ND

Original Date: September 25, 2016

Chronic pain is a complex multi-factorial condition that leads to significant infirmity and disability in our society. Treatment is equally complex, and unfortunately our most powerful pain killers are addictive and associated with significant mortality. While there are a range of treatment option that an integrative health professional may bring to the treatment of pain, there are also a host of non-opioid prescription pain medications that clinicians with prescriptive authority may consider. This lecture focuses on these non-opioid choices.

We begin with an overview of the diagnostic challenge of pain - without a clear understanding of the mechanism of a patient's pain, it is incredible difficult to choose the appropriate medication. We then review major drug classes and mechanisms of actions, and move to a deeper discussion of key representative medications. Finally we review considerations that an integrative clinician should consider - drug/herb/nutrient interactions, mitigating harmful medication side effects, and practice essentials to help your patient get optimal outcomes.

1.5 Pharmacology CEUs approved by OBNM