"Our nations are the first prisoners [American Indians] suffer from the worst health inequalities in the world, and this should not be acceptable to all, ”says Donald Warne, MD, MPH, in his article in Winter 2008 Pain practitioner official Journal of the American Academy of Pain Management. While studying for his masters in public health, Dr. Varn gathered these initial and disturbing facts about this forgotten population in our health care system.
"Mortality from preventable diseases among [American Indians] significantly higher than among non-Indians:
* Diabetes (type 2): 291% more
* Alcoholism: 638% more
* Accidents: 215% more
* Suicide: 91% more "
Dr. Varn suggests that these problems are associated with synergies, reminding us of the triad of diabetes, depression and alcoholism. Depression is common among diabetics, alcohol is a convenient tool for self-treatment, alcohol increases blood sugar and alcohol levels, and its effects can also aggravate depression leading to suicide.
High rates of alcoholism and type 2 diabetes are associated with neuropathy — nerve damage and nerve pain. Over time, diabetics can develop diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Painful DPN can be felt as a burning sensation, throbbing, or painful tingling in the limbs, arms, and / or legs. Self-medication of these painful symptoms is often associated with the use of alcohol and the abuse of prescription drugs in this underserved population. This leads to less willingness of the medical community to provide drugs, when necessary, for these patients.
The healing solution for the ethnic American-Indian community includes the knowledge and use of the medical wheel system. “The wheel of medicine, the traditional and ancient symbol of the Lakota for medicine, symbolizes the balance in our lives. The wheel is divided into four segments: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. ” When an American is treated by an allopathic doctor, the doctor needs to refer not only to the physical component (high blood sugar level), but also to the cultural specificity of the patient. In the traditional cultures of American Indians, medicine includes the spiritual realm and is a healing power, and not a person’s control — neither a doctor nor a patient. "Traditional healers directed this energy in the right direction, but they did not possess this energy."
“In Arizona, the average age of death is 72.2 for the general population and 54.7 for AI. This should be the news on the front page, and this should be seen as a crisis. This should be considered unacceptable in this country. ” The first step in resolving this crisis of physical and mental health among ethnic Americans is awareness, public awareness and a deeper understanding from the medical community of this complex interactive preventable medical triad: diabetes, depression and alcoholism.
