Chinese Medicine and the Opioid Epidemic

Course overview

The opioid epidemic is a crisis we haven't seen before. The marketing of the pharmaceutical industry combined with overuse by medical doctors and patient abuse have resulted in rampant addictions, overdoses, and deaths. Chinese medicine can help play a role at many levels in helping this public health failure. This course will examine the epidemic, look at the drugs involved, addictions in general and specific to the epidemic. Most importantly, this course will discuss how to treat this epidemic in our clinics including discussing the interactions between acupuncture and opioid receptors, and helpful approaches, herbs, and acupuncture points.