RI Non-Opioid Pain Treatment Symposium
The Rhode Island Non-Opioid Pain Treatment Symposium is being held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 28, hosted by the Community College of Rhode Island’s Health Sciences departments.
The second in a series of awareness events about Rhode Island’s opioid crisis, the symposium aims to educate the public about non-opioid pain therapies for chronic pain, such as clinical massage therapy, physical therapy, chiropractic care and more. Learn about the scale and impacts of the opioid crisis in Rhode Island and evidence-based interventions, and come together as a community to fight this epidemic.
According to the Rhode Island Department of Health, 323 Rhode Islanders lost their lives to overdose in 2017 — more than the number of deaths due to car accidents, murder and suicide combined. From 2011 to 2017, overdose deaths increased by almost 90 percent. The opioid epidemic is the pre-eminent public health crisis of our time.
Symposium panelists will include state policy officials and experts in the field of pain management. Moderator James McDonald, MD, MPH of the Rhode Island Department of Health will encourage discussion about changing the culture of pain management and how non-pharmacological treatment can be part of the solution.