MADISON, Wis (WMTV) — Protestors voiced concerns surrounding policies that restrict access to pain medication during the 5th annual nationwide “Don’t Punish Pain” rally.

Protesters took to the streets with colorful signs and their voices to tell their stories of pain.

“I’ve been in pain… constantly,” Joanne Cocchiola, protester said.

She has degenerative disc disease among other health complications, and she said pain is all she knows.

“I have arthritis in my knee. I have a plate in my foot, and they take the pain medicine away,” she said.

She said she used to paint pictures and ride horses, but now that piece of her life is gone.

“I can’t go for a walk with my husband anymore because of my knee and my feet and my hips. So what do I do all day? I have to lay down. It’s either on the couch or the bed,” Cocchiola said.

In 2016, the CDC issued prescribing guidelines highlighting risks of addiction encouraging providers to lower dosages when possible.

Pain experts said after the CDC released those guidelines, prescribers reduced or completely stopped the availability of opioids to chronically-ill patients.

“The problem with that is that in many of these patients, on an individual basis, they do obtain a substantial amount of benefit in addition to other medications, but they still get a benefit out of opioids and safely, ” Paul Hutson, UW-Madison Pharmacy Professor said.

Health experts said the regulations don’t consider that there’s no “one size fits all” with medical care.

“We’re having negative consequences from rapid stopping of individuals with opioids who have legitimate needs for these prescriptions. So it’s finding that balance,” Cody Wenthur, UW-Madison Assistant Pharmacy Professor said.

State lawmakers have passed bills over the last three legislative sessions to combat the opioid epidemic.