Opioid deaths in Iowa have increased by 250 percent in the past decade, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control predicts the state will see even greater increases over the next five years if current trends hold. Rural areas are being hit hardest, with the drugs impacting the lives and livelihoods of individuals, families, and entire communities. Barring decisive, coordinated, and creative...

Two University of Iowa researchers are proposing a new avenue for treating pain that may have a significant impact on the U.S. opioid epidemic. Kathleen Sluka, professor of Physical Therapy, and Barbara Rakel, professor of Nursing, are piloting a program encouraging the “prescribing” of targeted exercises and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) to patients suffering from chronic...