Pink Fairy Armadillo Blog Post #1

Our team had limited knowledge about the opioid crisis prior to enrolling in Medical Innovations. Some members had never heard about the crisis, whereas others understood that a problem existed but were unaware of its extent. Through research, the group discovered the damaging impacts this issue has on the United States, in more areas than just healthcare providers and patients. This is not somebody else’s crisis that the team is being tasked with helping, the impact of the opioid crisis strikes directly at home and the dangerous effects of opioids can be seen in neighbors, friends, family, and loved ones. Chronic pain is an outstanding influence on opioid abuse and addiction. Our team decided to direct our focus towards veterans because of the physical nature of working in the military. The prevalence of chronic back pain in veterans stems from the increasing amount of equipment they’re required to carry during training and deployment.