www.njchiropractors.com I 9 Legislative Update Legal Ease LEGAL Chiro TECH NUTR REHABILITATIO PDATE Legal Q&A With the opioid epidemic at a daunting all-time high, especially here in New Jersey, we rely on doctors to be extra careful when prescribing pain medications to their patients. There are those patients who genuinely require and benefit from pain medications, while there are those that either unknowingly become addicted or seek opioids for “recreational” purposes. Although the goal should always be to help those who are injured suffer less pain and return to a healthy state of mind and body, unfortunately things don’t always quite work out that way for the patient. Those who study pain and the opioid epidemic do not necessarily discount the patient’s suffering which has caused treating physicians to explore and accept holistic approaches to pain management. This creates a unique opportunity for those most qualified to treat neck and back pain... Chiropractors. Patients who pursue chiropractic care not only experience pain relief, they accom- plish it naturally and without prescription drugs and opioids that other doctors may be too willing to prescribe. Holistic care allows the chiropractor and patient to communicate one on one, which plays an integral and necessary role in their treatment and documentation of the patient’s legal claims. Therapeutic prescriptions of pain medication such as opioids may provide pain relief but not necessarily aid in the healing process. Too often, conventional non-chiropractic medicine masks pain with medication because it is just plain easy. Any doctor can write a script and send a patient out the door, but it takes real time and energy to heal a person’s pain and suffering, and that is exactly what chiropractic care is all about. While pain medications can provide some temporary relief, the long term effects can be harmful to both the body and mind. They can also have a damaging effect in the court room. For example, a person is injured in a car accident, and instead of seeking chiropractic care, they turn to opioids to mask the pain. If a lawsuit is filed, without a chiropractor giving testimony about the serious nature of the injuries and the impact upon the patient’s life, it can be detrimental to the outcome of their case. Fortunately, there are few doctors who take advantage of their medical privileges and prescribe highly addictive drugs for their own benefit. A doctor in southern New Jersey is currently being sued for medical malpractice for over-prescribing Subsys, a powerful and highly addictive fentanyl spray, to a young woman who sought pain relief after being injured in two car accidents. According to court documents, the victim and her father were persuaded by both the doctor and a drug salesman into believing that the fentanyl would be the most effective way of curing the pain. Less than two years after being prescribed the drug, the young woman was found dead of an overdose. The solution is to educate the public that chiropractic care provides true pain relief and healing without the risk of developing an opioid addiction. Then patients will understand that when they walk into a chiropractor’s office, there are no ulterior motives – the chiropractor is there for one reason – because he or she cares and wants to provide pain relief. Garry R. Salomon, Esq., is a partner at Davis, Saperstein & Salomon PC, a Premier Supporter of the ANJC. He is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a civil trial attorney. If you have any legal questions, feel free to call him at 201-907-5000. By Garry R. Salomon Chiropractic Care – The Holistic, Healthy and Most Effective Kind of Pain Management ANJC needs our members to donate to the ANJC Political Action Committee (PAC) as we continually have to fight to protect and advance our patients and profession in the political arena. Your small monthly donation to ANJC PAC will help grow our political strength by supporting legislators and policymakers who make the decisions that impact your practice and our profession. Without a voice in Trenton and beyond, we would be doomed to gradually worsening conditions to practice and earn a living, with no say in the decisions. We need your help… Now! ANJC PAC is fighting for: •  Greater patient access to chiropractic care •  Improved public relations •  Veteran’s benefits to access chiropractic care •  Opening Worker’s Compen- sation for chiropractic care •  Stopping improper denials of your care by payers •  and much more! We Need YOU to Donate a Small Amount to Make a Big Difference! ANJC PAC has set a goal for each New Jersey Chiropractor to donate only $25/month to the PAC to help build our funds as never before. You can donate online at www.anjc.info by clicking Legislation, then PAC. If everyone gives a little, we can make a big difference together! TM By Garry R. Salomon