It’s estimated that over 200 million opioid prescriptions are written each year. This use and abuse have led to an epidemic that’s been fueled by chronic pain. Opioids temporarily hide pain by attaching to receptors in the brain and boosting feelings of pleasure. Unfortunately, they do nothing to stimulate healing, leading to a pattern of pain, medications, more pain, and more medications. The good news is that there is a better way to find relief.
Opioids are in the same family of drugs as heroin, and some opioid medications are thought to be even more addictive. The temporary relief that they offer comes at a steep price. In lower doses, opioids can cause drowsiness or dizziness. In higher doses, they can cause your breathing and heart rate to slow down to dangerous levels. But the most dangerous aspect of opioids is the addiction rate of up to 30%.
Nearly all the latest healthcare guidelines have stopped recommending opioids for non-cancer pain. In most cases, these drugs should not be taken for chronic pain or back pain. To find relief without these dangerous drugs, call us today. We’ll schedule a complete evaluation to discover the cause of your pain, then find ways to help you get back on your feet.
There is no question that opioids are powerful painkillers. The problem is they are also highly addictive and don’t actually fix the cause of your pain. But, if you’re struggling with chronic pain, you may be curious about what your best options are for care. How can you fix the cause of your pain, find lasting relief, and avoid these harmful medications?
You may be surprised to discover that people who saw a chiropractor for spine pain had half the risk of filling an opioid prescription than those who didn’t. It’s not just that chiropractors don’t prescribe these dangerous medications. As time went on, people were not likely to fill an opioid prescription. That indicates the care provided by chiropractors helped people find enough relief that they no longer sought medications to find relief!
Opioids aren’t meant to treat chronic spinal pain. They don’t help your body heal and become less effective at stopping pain the longer you take them. Instead of building up a tolerance and putting yourself at risk for dependence, it’s a smart decision to explore other treatment options. Our practice, Health in Motion Chiropractic is proud to help our community find relief from pain without the need for drugs.
The truth will set you free. While much of the information about how the opioid epidemic is shocking, it’s important to understand how we got here. For example, when we first learned that 35 billion opioids (half of all the distributed pills) were handled by about 15% of pharmacies, it became clear that there was a network of “pill mills” that weren’t concerned about helping people actually find relief from their chronic pain.
Chronic pain is a real issue for tens of millions of people each day. In many of these cases, the answer isn’t found in a pill but rather with a combination of movement-based treatments. Your body heals through motion. Taking medications may provide temporary relief, but they don’t address the cause of your pain. Nearly everyone who takes opioids for an extended time becomes dependent. We think it’s a smart idea to avoid the risks.
In the 1990s medical doctors were falsely lured into prescribing opioids as a treatment for pain. Aggressive marketing of the drugs downplayed the risks, and prescriptions for mild to moderate pain were continued indefinitely, with no intention of tapering off. This combination has led to the epidemic we are in today. But there is a solution. The first step is having the right information about opioids and chronic pain. The next step is to connect with a movement-based practice, like ours, to discover how you can find long-term relief without these dangerous medications.
About 30 years ago, medicine had a shift in how they thought pain should be addressed. “Pain is a 5th vital sign” became a rallying cry, and new medications were created to block pain…at all costs. They now know that these medications created a never-before-seen healthcare epidemic. To begin with, the drugs weren’t very good at addressing chronic pain, and they require larger and larger doses to achieve an effect over time.
Taking a stand against opioids starts with our ability to help people find relief from chronic pain. Nearly all of our primary healthcare organizations have now advocated for a non-drug approach to care. And the data is clear- people are looking for solutions for chronic pain that extend beyond a prescription.
Chronic pain is described as biopsychosocial, which means that it’s complex and has many dimensions. Creating personalized care, goal-oriented, and coordinated care plans are critical and exactly why our practice begins each patient with a complete and thorough evaluation. Our evaluation helps us understand your history, your goals, and your current challenges. From there, we can create a comprehensive plan of care that enables you to find long-term relief from chronic pain.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation and discover safe and effective ways to manage your pain without the risks of addiction and other dangerous side effects. Take the first step towards a pain-free life and call us now.
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