Chronic pain and addiction affect every community across the United States. In the early 2010s, public awareness of a growing opioid crisis began building. By 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency to address the opioid epidemic, which is responsible for the deaths of more than 47,000 people a year in the U.S. While information about the opioid epidemic often focuses on those deaths, misuse of and addiction to opioids, the issue is complex, and finding a solution will require a multifaceted mindset and approach.
The Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center (CPAC) is the newest center at the University of Arizona Health Sciences, addressing the opioid epidemic from all angles, including addiction, chronic pain, education, legislation, clinical trials and research. From the perspective of the co-director of CPAC, this presentation will highlight novel targets, molecules and therapies discovered at UArizona to help alleviate chronic pain while reducing the use of opioids and inhibiting the addiction profile of opioids. Join Wellness Wednesdays to learn the latest studies, clinical trials and innovative therapies like “Light Therapy” to the use of novel Cannabinoids.
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