Rural Pa. Still Needs Better Options for Pain Management

By WAYNE CAMPBELL

President, Pa. State Grange

While there are many advantages of living in rural Pennsylvania, we also face unique healthcare challenges, especially when it comes to chronic pain management.

There is an obvious connection between chronic pain and opioid abuse. Treating chronic pain means that often used medicines lose their effectiveness. This drives patients to other sources of relief.

Even though Pennsylvania, like the rest of America, is reeling because of the massive spike in COVID-19, neither the medical profession nor policymakers should let the opioid crisis be overshado...