Summary: Dr. Seddon R. Savage MD,MS,FASAM is Medical Director of the Chronic Pain and Addiction Treatment Center at Silver Hill Hospital in Connecticut and is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology on the adjunct faculty of Dartmouth Medical School. She is the past President of American Pain Society. According to a 2011 report of the Institute of Medicine, chronic pain affects more Americans than diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined—as many as 116 million people costing about $600 billion annually. Opioid therapy has become an increasingly common treatment for persistent pain but there can be unintended consequences. Some patients exposed to long-term use are at risk for addiction. Opioid misuse can result in serious harm including death from overdose. This combination of chronic pain, coupled with opioid misuse and addiction presents a major U.S. health crisis. Dr. Savage has 9 steps everyone can take to better their quailty of life and remain healthy. Learn More: Dr. Seddon R. Savage
