As a nation, we are facing an unprecedented opioid crisis that is killing more than 65,000 people a year. It is destroying our families and decimating our neighborhoods. And it is costing us billions. Dr Akhtar Purvez is a researcher, pain specialist and pain advocate and has the intimate knowledge and expertise to analyze this crisis and offer his insight. He has been managing patients for last 17 years. This book starts with the basic information about pain and common pain conditions and then goes on to describe its cultural aspects and genetics, its association with depression and medications used. The readers will get a concept of the latest minimally invasive, interventional approaches like nerve blocks, ablation procedures and neuromodulation techniques like peripheral nerve, spinal cord and brain stimulation. This publication assists patients in figuring out what to look for, and chose a doctor. It guides you on fighting pain, looking at alternative approaches to pain management, legal aspects and other ways of dealing with chronic pain. Dr Purvez talks about the double whammy of morbid obesity and chronic pain, recent changes in marijuana legalization and then gives a n exhaustive view of the elephant in the room - the opioid crisis. He talks about the inciting factors and the dimensions of the crisis including recent declaration of it as a health care crisis. He discusses the approaches to managing addiction. The book ends on an optimistic note--latest technologies and non-opioid medications that are being developed to combat, and avoid future crises safely and effectively.