Matthew Braun, a first-year medical student at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in Yakima, Wash., says his personal history with opioids will help him care for patients. Jovelle Tamayo for NPR hide caption
Pain Reexamined The opioid epidemic has forced Americans to take a new look at how we treat chronic pain, physically, mentally and as a culture.
Special Series
Pain Reexamined
A new look at how we manage pain
To deal with chronic pain, Pamela Bobb's morning routine now includes stretching and meditation at home in Fairfield Glade, Tenn. Bobb says this mind-body awareness intervention has greatly reduced the amount of painkiller she needs. Jessica Tezak for NPR hide caption
Meditation Reduced The Opioid Dose She Needs To Ease Chronic Pain By 75%
On the advice of a co-worker, Dehne joined a six-week program through which she learned how to safely walk to ease her pain. Now Dehne briskly walks for exercise and enjoyment multiple times a week. Her knees, she says, "don't hurt me anymore." Eamon Queeney for NPR hide caption
Ronald Mutyaba, an auto mechanic, at his home in Kampala, Uganda. Mutyaba is HIV positive and has developed Karposi sarcoma, a type of cancer that often affects people with immune deficiencies. He is holding a bottle of the liquid morphine that nurses from the nonprofit group Hospice Africa have prescribed to help control the pain caused by his illlness. Nurith Aizenman/NPR hide caption
A Sip Of Morphine: Uganda's Old-School Solution To A Shortage Of Painkillers
Nabia Drammeh, 27, a nurse, talks with Maram Ceesay, and her granddaughter, Awa at the Brufut Minor Health Center outside of Banjul, the capital of the Gambia. Awa's mother passed away during childbirth leaving Maram to look after her. The 2-year-old is being treated for pneumonia. Samantha Reinders for NPR hide caption
Fighting Pain Without Opioids: How One Nurse In The Gambia Does It
Sometimes doctors rapidly taper their chronic pain patients' opioid doses. Now a federal agency recommends against this. Douglas Sacha/Getty Images hide caption
Don't Force Patients Off Opioids Abruptly, New Guidelines Say, Warning Of Severe Risks
How To Teach Future Doctors About Pain In The Midst Of The Opioid Crisis
According to the latest NPR-IBM Watson Health Poll exercise, including stretching and yoga, is popular among younger people as a way to relieve pain. Daniel Grill/Getty Images/Tetra images RF hide caption
Though not the same as actually jumping into the waves, a virtual reality program like this one that let a headset-wearing patient "swim with dolphins" was enough of an immersive distraction to significantly reduce pain, a study found. Courtesy of Cedars Sinai/Screenshot by NPR hide caption
Robyn Adcock (left), a University of California, San Francisco pain relief specialist, gently guides Jessica Greenfield to acupressure points on her son's foot and leg that have helped relieve his chronic pain. Alison Kodjak/NPR hide caption
Surgeons are starting to reduce their opioid prescribing habits a little. But they still prescribe a lot of pain pills in the midst of an opioid addiction crisis. Westend61/Getty Images/Westend61 hide caption
Jeannine sorts through a binder of writing assignments from her therapy. In keeping a journal about her past experiences with pain, she noticed that the pain symptoms began when she was around 8 — a time of escalating family trauma at home. Jessica Pons for NPR hide caption
Ann Jones has been spending two hours each day in front of a green LED light — an experimental treatment aimed at alleviating migraines and other forms of chronic pain. Will Stone for NPR hide caption