Chronic Pain and Addiction Treatment in Arkansas

How is chronic pain treated when someone also has a substance use disorder?

Chronic pain and a substance use disorder are treated together when pain clinicians and addiction clinicians in Arkansas work from one shared plan instead of two separate ones. Decisions about medication and therapy sit with those clinicians and the patient, and the plan may draw on several options at once.

Physical dependence on a prescribed opioid is not the same as a use disorder. Many people on long-term opioids do not have one, and a program should assess rather than assume. Cutting a long-term opioid or benzodiazepine dose abruptly, without the prescriber involved, can bring withdrawal and a rebound in pain, so any taper is planned jointly.

Options a coordinated Arkansas program may discuss include buprenorphine, a medication for opioid use disorder that also eases pain, and methadone from licensed opioid treatment programs. Non-opioid medicines, physical therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy round out the list, each aimed at daily function, sleep and how pain shapes thinking.

Three questions help when calling a program: does it treat pain and addiction together, can it start or continue medication for opioid use disorder, and will it work with your current pain prescriber? For coverage, Arkansas Medicaid is the main public route, administered by the state Department of Human Services, while private plans fall under federal parity rules.

Arkansas buprenorphine listings are on the Suboxone clinics in Arkansas page. Opioid treatment programs are on the Arkansas methadone clinics page.

Is it safe to stop or reduce pain medication on my own?

Stopping or sharply cutting a long-term opioid or benzodiazepine prescription without your prescriber is not safe. A sudden drop can bring withdrawal and a rebound in pain. With benzodiazepines, it can also bring serious risks such as seizures. A taper planned and paced with the prescriber removes the guesswork.

Benzodiazepines are not a pain treatment. They carry their own risk of dependence, and taking them alongside opioids raises safety concerns, so tell both teams about every prescription. Programs focused on these medicines are on the benzodiazepine treatment in Arkansas page.

Can I keep getting pain treatment while in addiction treatment in Arkansas?

Yes, in many cases pain care can continue during addiction treatment, as long as the two teams share information and agree on one plan. Arkansas Medicaid rules allow individual behavioral health counseling, substance use assessments and crisis intervention by telemedicine. Detox must be face to face. For people far from a clinic, telehealth programs in Arkansas can cover part of the care.

Arkansas makes naloxone available without an individual prescription. Under Act 284 of 2017, a statewide standing order lets pharmacists dispense it to people at increased risk and to anyone who might help them. The Arkansas Department of Health distributes NARCAN Nasal Spray, and the Department of Human Services runs a naloxone request page. The state’s Good Samaritan law is the Joshua Ashley-Pauley Act, Act 1114 of 2015.

Where Arkansas programs are located

Arkansas pain and addiction programs sit mostly in towns rather than big cities. About three in four are in town settings, and nearly a quarter are rural. Ninety-six percent are within 25 miles of a river, most often the Little Maumelle River, with a median distance of 10.9 miles. Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport is the most common nearest airport, followed by Fort Smith Regional. The median distance to the closest airport is 15.1 miles.

How do I pay for pain and addiction treatment in Arkansas?

Arkansas Medicaid, run by the Arkansas Department of Human Services, is the main public route to coverage. The state expanded coverage through its private option starting January 1, 2014. People with complex behavioral health needs may be placed in a PASSE plan. An undated state fact sheet lists Arkansas Total Care, CareSource PASSE, Empower Healthcare Solutions and Summit Community Care, so confirm your plan with DHS. Ask the plan which medications for opioid use disorder it covers, and which levels of care, such as outpatient programs in Arkansas, intensive outpatient or residential. More detail is on the programs that accept Medicaid page.

Private insurance is another route. Federal parity rules generally bar private plans from putting tighter limits on substance use benefits than on comparable medical benefits.

State-funded treatment in Arkansas runs through the DHS Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, which also distributes State Opioid Response funding, now in its fourth round. The Specialized Women Services program pays for assessment and treatment for pregnant women who have no insurance coverage for substance use treatment. Programs taking public funds are on the state-funded rehab in Arkansas page.

What should I ask an Arkansas program before starting?

Three questions sort Arkansas programs quickly:

• Does the program treat pain and substance use together?
• Can it continue or start medication for opioid use disorder?
• Will it coordinate with your current pain prescriber?

Each listing shows what the provider reports about chronic pain services, medication for opioid use disorder, levels of care, payment types, insurers, accreditation, languages, populations served and location. The details come from government treatment registries, state licensing records, accreditor directories and information the providers supply themselves. National background is on the pain and addiction treatment page. You can also browse all Arkansas listings.

A 2024 state flyer lists the Mental Health & Addiction Support Line at 1-844-763-0198; check that it is still active. Dialing 2-1-1 connects you to local services, and the national treatment referral line offers free referrals at any hour. For a mental health or substance use crisis, call or text 988.