HASTINGS — One local pain management specialist says opioid addiction is not just a national problem; it is a problem right here in central Nebraska.
A physician and educator, Dr. Kartic Rajput recently was named president of the Nebraska Society for Interventional Pain Physicians. Dr. Rajput provides multidisciplinary treatment for chronic pain, including cuttingedge spine interventions. He also is an expert in cancer pain, working with the Morrison Cancer Center. He is a psychiatrist with an advanced fellowship in interventional spine and pain management.
The society is an advocacy group for physicians, promoting guidelines and education on best practices for pain medicine, Dr. Rajput said.
Dr. Rajput, who has practiced in Nebraska for more than fi ve years, said he has seen evidence of the opioid epidemic and its effects on patients. In his practice, he offers treatment for patients who are struggling with opioid addiction, chronic pain and substance abuse.
Dr. Rajput serves as a panel member for the Hall County Opioid Prevention Project, a grant-funded effort for central Nebraska. He collaborates with other physicians across Nebraska to address the President’s initiative on opioid abuse, a nationwide public health emergency.
“We are working to find the best ways to rectify opioid addiction, the needs to detox, recovery and maintenance in the community,” Dr. Rajput said.
Dr. Rajput said he hopes that in the future, similar efforts will be created in Adams County, as well.