Is Your Prescription Delaying Your Recovery?
August 15, 2019
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Prescription medication is much easier to get when on workers’ compensation, then people might imagine. You’ve gone through an injury at work which was likely painful. So, it’s clear that you need pain medication, right? Maybe not. With the current opioid epidemic, stemmed mainly from inappropriate prescription writing, your prescription may pose a higher risk to your recovery than dealing with the pain. While pain medication is available to help focus on other areas of recovery and help the body rest, it comes with a few side effects — namely, addiction.At any age, people on opioid pain medication such as codeine, Fentanyl, Vicodin, Norco, or anything similar, can develop an addiction. Not only that but the pain medication can mask apparent signs that you’re not ready to return to work. If you’ve returned to work too quickly and have been reinjured, an Alexandria workers’ comp lawyer may be able to help.

Returning to Work Too Quickly

Returning to work too quickly is a major issue when prescription pain medication is available. The issue that people feel better, so they return to work. Some people feel fine and return to work without the consent of the doctor. Such actions can even discount your ability to receive disability benefits.

In any case, you should never return to work without the signoff of your doctor. That still doesn’t mean that you’re out of the clear on returning to work too early. If you report to your doctor that you feel capable, they may inform you that it’s okay to return to work. When in reality, you’re not ready, you simply can’t feel the pain.

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Inaccurate or Inappropriate Dosages of Opioids

Are doctors inappropriately writing prescriptions? Many judges seem to think so as pharmaceutical companies across the country are facing fines and even criminal charges. While the pharmaceutical companies are paying the culprit that you possibly encountered was the physician. Why do doctors prescribe opioid-based medication time after time when they know the impact?

Drug addiction, inappropriate perception of pain, and more are all factors that impact people’s overall health. The issue is that they prescribe medication, which is necessary. You may be recovering from back surgery or a painful injury, and the prescription is meant to help you manage. However, they will often provide high dosages or prescriptions that are much stronger than necessary.

Where does this leave everyone involved? For people who return to work too early because they felt better than they were, they are subject to reinjuring themselves. If your current claim is part of a reinjury, you need guidance. You should contact an Alexandria workers’ comp lawyer.

Misguided Pain Management Leading to Recurring Pain

Pain management can come in many forms, but the most frequent among workers’ comp doctors is medication. Prescribing a pain killer may disable your awareness of the present pain and lead to further injury. For example, if you’re on a heavy dosage of Fentanyl as part of the recovery for your knee surgery, you may put more weight on your knee. That extra weight can cause substantial damage over time.

This mismanagement of your pain can lead you to have lifelong pain, suffering, and recurring medical problems. While countless lawsuits are out against pharmaceutical companies, your issue is closer to home. How will the use of prescriptions impact your workers’ compensation claim? It can impact your workers’ comp case now, and any claims you may have in the future. There’s a lot that you can do now to help guide any future claims.

It’s possible that you claim will not have any issues the first time through. However, when you need another surgery afterward, or you have another on-the-job accident, you’ll receive some push back. Workers’ comp insurance companies don’t like to handle anyone employee more than once. So, if you’re repeatedly applying for issues that stemmed from an on-the-job injury, you’ll have more and more hoops to jump through.

Because of this pain mismanagement, you may experience lengthy fraud investigations and go through alternative resolution options.

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Contact an Alexandria Workers’ Comp Lawyer

As you go through the workers’ compensation application and claims process, you will need legal help. If you received a prescription for pain management medication, then you may have more complex factors in your case.

Because of the recurring injuries or pain that often associate with this method of treatment, this workers’ comp claim may not be your first. Working with an Alexandria workers’ comp lawyer, you can have local help available when you need it.

Reach out to Ashcraft and Gerel, law offices that help the injured seek the compensation needed for a full recovery.

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