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Monday, November 14, 2016

Help is on the way for drug addicts

A doctor saw his opioid-addicted patient suffering the agony of withdrawal and took a chance.

He hooked a neuro-stim system device from Innovative Health Solutions to that patient’s ear and watched the pain dissipate.

As a result, there’s a new tool available to help addicted individuals pursue treatment and recovery. It’s called the Bridge.

Brian Carrico, the vice president of sales for Innovative Health Solutions, a Versailles, Ind.-based company, said that after the doctor’s discovery, the company tweaked its Electro Auricular Device, which treats chronic pain in a non-narcotic fashion by auricular stimulation.

The Bridge, which was introduced Jan. 8 at Reid Health, is being used by the Richmond (indiana) Comprehensive Treatment Center, Reid and the Union County Opiate Treatment Center. It’s one step being taken locally to help fight the addiction problem. In addition, two new treatment centers reportedly are near their openings with a third in the works.

Recovery Works, an in-patient detoxification and treatment center, is scheduled to open Dec. 28 at Indiana 1 and Interstate 70 and Recovery of Indiana, an out-patient treatment center, is scheduled to open Jan. 3 on Williamsburg Pike, Wayne County Commissioner Mary Anne Butters told a recent meeting of the Heroin Is Here group.

Sayward Salazar of Meridian Health Services said her organization is working with Richmond State Hospital to establish an in-patient treatment center, as well, but no timetable for an opening has been set.

Butters also said Recovery Works is evaluating the Bridge device for use at its center.

What is the Bridge?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Costs $50 to make, sells for $500 today. Next year will be $3,000 if insurance covers it.

Anonymous said...

"Costs $50 to make, sells for $500 today. Next year will be $3,000 if insurance covers it.."

And what does a stay in a detox unit cost, smartass? (IF you can get in..)

This is an amazing device.

Anonymous said...

Doctors should be treating thier patients for pain..a lot of them won't because of the laws on presciptions..if a person gets addicted they should be treated by their own doctor as well. Herion has jumped because of the laws..now more people are using it and it is far more dangerous than the pills.Once again common sense was thrown out for hysteria!!

Anonymous said...

I don't know what a stay in detox costs because I am not an addict nor need those services, however my insurance does cover it so I am told. Sounds like you or yours can't be responsible enough to become addicted to something.

The comment was directed at the way prices get inflated once something is approved and insurance covers it. That is why the same drugs in Mexico or Canada are 80-90% less than in the US.

Anonymous said...

Now, if they could only come up with a pain reliever that actually relieves pain without causing more.

Anonymous said...

"Now, if they could only come up with a pain reliever that actually relieves pain without causing more.."

Actually, those same people who made the bridge device are working on other devices that can be used to block pain instead of using drugs.

But, of course Big Pharma got wind of it and is now trying to block their path to approval.