HAVRE DE GRACE, MD -- (Marketwired) -- 07/21/14 -- -- Father Martin's Ashley

• Carol Bowman, M.D., staff physician and director of Ashley's Pain Recovery Program, calls for treatment that addresses the cause, not the symptoms
• Growing number of patients need to treat chronic pain while gaining freedom from dependence on prescription pain medications

Carol Bowman, M.D., a physician board-certified in internal medicine who heads Father Martin's Ashley's Pain Recovery Program, commented on the growing problem of prescription drug addiction as part of Baltimore magazine's recent article, "Suburban Secrets" by Ron Cassie (July 2014).

The story focuses on a professional and mother who struggled with addiction to prescription medications used to treat pain after an injury. The narrative features commentary from a former Ashley patient who has also dealt with addiction to prescription pain drugs.

In the article, Dr. Bowman calls for an approach that doesn't just treat the symptoms, but addresses the cause of the pain.

"There's a misperception that someone who has pain needs to be maintained on opiates and other addictive drugs. That's not necessarily true," said Dr. Bowman. "Ashley is changing the paradigm. There are alternatives, and our Pain Recovery Program offers patients those options right now."

Ashley created its Pain Recovery Program in response to a growing incidence of patients with addiction to prescription pain medications, including opiates and other addictive drugs. Many of these patients present the special challenge of needing to treat their chronic pain, while gaining freedom from the dependence they've developed to their pain medications. The program launched in October 2012.

"Some legal drugs are as lethal as illegal street drugs. But addiction to them requires a unique approach to treatment," said Dr. Bowman. "It's important for people to know that there is help available today."

Ashley's program utilizes its current strong medical and clinical care combined with comprehensive pain and addiction education, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and pain counseling groups, and holistic and physical therapies.

Dr. Bowman is board certified in Internal Medicine, certified by the ABIHM in Integrative Holistic Medicine and a diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management. She is a national speaker on Holistic Integrative Medicine with expertise in bioenergy and mind-body medicine.

Dr. Bowman earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania and completed her residency in internal medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. She also holds a B.S. in environmental health from University of California at Berkeley.

Visit http://fathermartinsashley.org/TREATMENT-OPTIONS/Pain-Recovery-Program.aspx for more information.

ABOUT FATHER MARTIN'S ASHLEY
Father Martin's Ashley is a nationally-recognized leader in the treatment of alcoholism, chemical dependence and chronic pain. Accredited by The Joint Commission and located on a 147-acre campus in Havre de Grace, Maryland, Father Martin's Ashley has helped chemically-dependent people, those in recovery, and their families, since its co-founding by Father Joseph C. Martin, S.S., and Mae Abraham in 1983. Father Martin's Ashley is a division of Ashley, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and has treated nearly 40,000 patients, offering inpatient treatment as well as sobriety enrichment, community and family and children's educational programs.

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