I would like to see a study on pain and the drug abuser

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Specializes in Corrections, Cardiac, Hospice.

I read through the post on how drug abusers are ignored. But what I really would like to see is someone do a scientific study on back pain and the drug user. It seems like everytime we have someone in that is positive for cocaine or herion, the next thing is "History of back pain." Hmmmmmm:confused:

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Shay, at the moment I can't help you because I don't have a study to bring up for you, otherwise I would.

But when you do a tox screen and cocaine and/or heroine comes up, along with a history of back pain, I feel that this is a "which came first - chicken or the egg" scenario. My doctor recently told me that if docs did an MRI on most 30 y.o., the majority of them have a herniated disc with varying degrees. They don't even know it, and may or not be having back pain related to the herniation. Back pain is very common, so what came first, the drug addiction or the back pain?

Maybe most of the time it might be coincidental. Just because a person has back pain, this may not mean that they are automatically a drug abuser. See what I mean?

I might be able to do a search for you, but more specifically, what would you like to see in the study you are looking for? I mean, you type in "drug abuse and back pain" you'd probably get hundreds if not thousands of responses. Can you whittle it down; maybe we can find something more specific. For example: Those presenting in the ER of a certain age (20's, 30's etc.) with back pain and the incidence of addiction, type of addiction (drug of choice), etc.

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