With so many celebs in the news for painkiller addiction, the stories highlight a nationwide problem.

Roughly 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain lasting more than six months, according to a report from the Institute of Medicine.

Throughout the past decade, the use of painkillers such as Vicodin, Percocet and OxyContin has soared by 300 percent!

For many - 17,000 people per year, or 46 each day - the treatment is worse than the pain; those are the number of users who die from the medicine, according to the Centers for Disease Control. 

For every person who dies from the use of painkillers, 30 more are admitted to emergency rooms due to complications.

"Those figures are appalling," Dr. Frank King, a doctor of naturopathy, president of King Bio natural medicine company, and author of The Healing Revolution told us. 

"Death is just one of the many side effects of heavy-duty pharmaceuticals, and researchers unanimously agree that addiction to painkillers has risen drastically in recent years," the physician continued.

"People are so focused on pain that they miss the fact that it is a signal of deeper health problems. Don't shoot the messenger! Listen to the pain, and it will lead you to the root causes."

With decades of experience helping patients, Dr. King offers up four great natural suggestions for pain management: 

Identify the root causes of pain. Pain is a signal of deeper problems, similar to the warning light on the dashboard of your car.

"You can mask the light with duct tape, which is what prescription drugs do with pain," King expalined. "You can cut the wires, which might symbolize a surgical approach."

"Or you can look for the root causes, which is what our more natural, holistic approach seeks to do. Address the problem, and the pain will subside."

Make good choices. King says most chronic conditions are caused by bad lifestyle choices.

"Try walking more, eating and sleeping better, eliminating stress and bad habits from your life, and watch pain decrease and health increase," the doctor instructed.

"It's that simple. Moreover, surround yourself with a healing community of like-minded "healing buddies" who support your healthy choices."

Look out for the next set of natural ways to manage your pain Monday.