The public’s tab for pain management has ballooned due to the increased use of nerve blocks, an exclusive Toronto Star investigation looking at how chronic pain management has become big business in Ontario has revealed. The tax-funded health system has paid more than $420 million for these kinds of nerve blocks since 2011. Ontario allows for doctors to bill for up to eight nerve blocks per patient, per day, without a limit on a frequency of those visits. While many patients swear by the injections, there is not much evidence supporting that regular, repeat injections are an effective way to treat chronic pain. Listen to this episode and more at This Matters or subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts

Source: thestar October 08, 2020 19:30 UTC