Corrections_Today_January_February_2020_Vol.82_No.1

Office of Correctional Health

veterans are also subject to long- term opioid use. Studies show that this group feels indifferent towards receiving multimodality pain manage- ment (Simmonds, Finley, Vale, Pugh, & Turner, 2015). While this group acknowledged reliance on prescrip- tion drugs, they reported poor access to alternatives. CAM education must be considered for individuals reliant on opioids. There are incarcerated veterans that could easily be access- ing these resources in the community. Existing practice and beliefs One common form of CAM is yoga. A survey from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey revealed a nearly 9%, 12-month prevalence of U.S. adults practicing yoga (Cramer et al., 2016). By 2017, this figure had increased by more than 5% (Clarke, Barnes, Black, Stussman, & Nahin, 2018). The main reasons cited for performing yoga were stress and musculoskeletal-re- lated problems with outcomes being improved health and stress reduction. However, the majority of the cohort surveyed who were actively practic- ing yoga were young, Caucasian females with higher income, educa- tion, and health status. It was also revealed that a major source of infor- mation relating to yoga was available on the internet and videos. There is a large portion of the population that currently practice yoga with a high report of increased benefits. While the demographic results from the yoga survey may

Physical and mental health issues There is a common theme in CAM research relating to pain management. Globally, around one in five adults’ reports experiencing chronic pain (Kress et al., 2015). Pain severity is considered to be subjective and personalized to an in- dividual. Pain can also directly affect the cognitive, emotional, and social experience related to the mental health of an individual. Chronic neu- ropathic pain is not well understood, and patients are typically treated for their symptoms as opposed to the source of their pain (Brouwer et al., 2015). CAM techniques can also help with depression, sleep depriva- tion, and anxiety issues that typically occur along with chronic pain. Offering various CAM program options can lead to a reduction in severity and frequency of a variety of symptoms. These can also be cost-effective and yield physiological and psychological improvement.

not be surprising, there is evidence that individuals who experience pain without continuous use of opioids is a very diverse population (Cra- mer et al., 2016). Regardless of the economic status for an individual, there is evidence that interest is high in participating in CAM. This means that accessing these modalities may have a financial barrier. Pain management is critical to increasing productivity in anything a person does. When debilitating factors affect activities of daily living, something more than just pharmacotherapy should be attempt- ed. A study by Franklin, Smith, and Fowler (2016) found not having a diagnosis or appropriate strategies to manage symptoms can negatively impact the emotional and social aspects of life. Understanding a con- dition, knowing all the options that are available, and having a positive and trusting relationship with a pro- vider is a step in the right direction to being able to effectively manage pain (Franklin et al., 2016). The pa- tient must be an active participant in their treatment plan. Having CAM opportunities available in a correc- tional setting can assist providers with treatment compliance. It could also reduce the time spent with repeat visits and lower the number of prescriptions. Many options exist and there are people accessing them A number of non-invasive therapies are showing benefits for

The U.S. is currently facing an opioid use disorder (OUD) epidemic like it has never seen before. Military

64 — January/February 2020 Corrections Today