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Alleviating Knee Pain

Due to an injury I sustained nearly nine years ago, I sometimes experience knee pain. I’m constantly researching new ways to treat my pain. Have you dealt with aggravating knee pain for an extended period of time? Consider visiting an orthopedic doctor near you. This individual can likely diagnose what is causing your discomfort. Depending on your unique situation, your physician might recommend you undergo physical therapy. Your doctor may also prescribe you an anti-inflammatory drug. Changing your diet might also help you feel better. On this blog, I hope you will discover ingenious ways to help you recover from constant knee pain. Enjoy!

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Alleviating Knee Pain

Lessons To Learn From Vancouver's Drug Clinic

by Roberto Morales

The Canadian health care system is not without its share of issues and concerns. In fact, there is one particular issue that is controversial at both the provincial and the federal level, and that is the provision of drug injection clinics for addicts. It is estimated that at least one clinic costs the taxpayers in excess of $3 million per year to maintain and it serves approximately 5,000 known cases of drug addicts. An estimated 800 patients arrive at one clinic per day, some for an excess of three visits daily while an additional 120 get served with legal heroin at another clinic due to their resistance to conventional drug treatments, .

While this idea is not agreed on by everyone, there are lessons to be learnt from the provision of this service. Let us consider two of them.

1. Every life matters

It can be argued that those who are addicted to drugs such as cocaine or heroin knowingly put their lives in danger. However, this line of argument is hard to defend if addiction is really seen as an illness. Since the behavior is compulsive and uncontrollable, drug addicts would therefore need help in taking care of their condition. In addition, they are less likely to be among the 47,000 Canadians who die of a drug overdose each year as there are medical personnel already on hand in the clinics. This could help save some of the $8 billion spent in the health care system on drug related issues annually.

Drug addicts are also prone to sharing used needles which is often directly related to the transmission of HIV and Hepatitis C among other diseases. In 1997 Vancouver was reported to have the highest levels of HIV in the developed world but with these measures as well as antiretroviral drug programs, that estimate has dropped from 18.05 per 100,000 to 7.94. 

2. Reduce the brain drain

With clinics such as these open, addicts can focus on the rest of their lives and not just on maintaining their addiction. Jobs are often harder to maintain when addicts are consumed with the uncertainty of getting their next fix. Being provided with the services at these clinics reduces the possibility of having wasted educated, productive individuals to the war on drugs. If they are kept from overdosing and can be facilitated with the means to get their fix, then they might just be able to function as productive citizens.

Since these facilities often provide aliases for their users and help to keep them save from prosecution for using the drugs, they are also less likely to spend their time and taxpayers' money on court appearances and have more time to spend at their jobs.

To learn more, contact a medical clinic like One Stop Medical Centre & Boniface Park Medical Centre

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