Beyond the Pill: Non-Opioid Care for Chronic Pain
Opiates vs. Opioids: What’s the Difference?
Opioids and opiates have caused millions of people looking for pain relief to enter a cycle of addiction. The scary part is that many people dying from opioids aren’t recreational drug users looking for the next high; they were people prescribed these drugs by their doctors to treat chronic pain.
To understand how this epidemic has happened, it’s essential to understand the differences between opioids and opiates.
Opiates describe drugs derived from the flowering opium poppy plant. Morphine is an example of an opiate. These drugs have been linked to physical dependence, increased tolerance,
and addiction.
Opioids are synthetic or made in a lab. When opioid receptors in the brain become activated, they produce feelings of pleasure and pain. All opioid drugs act on these receptors. Some are up to 50 times more powerful than heroin. Opioid drugs used to treat pain include oxycodone and hydrocodone. These drugs are highly addictive and dangerous. Oxycodone exhibits the highest risk of abuse and poses the most significant dangers. It affects the nervous system in the same way as heroin.
- Opioids can have a negative impact on your emotions, breathing, digestion, and movement.
- Fentanyl, a pain-relieving opioid, is 100 times more potent than morphine.
- Opioids are highly addictive and not meant to be used for chronic pain.
Current medical guidelines no longer recommend using opioids for most spinal pain. If you’re struggling with pain, movement based care such as chiropractic is often the best way to accelerate the healing process and put yourself in a position for long term relief. Call us today if you want to explore a relief path that doesn’t include medications.
Next Steps:
If you’re dealing with chronic pain, now is the time to tackle it naturally. But how do you deal with chronic pain without using opioid pain medication?
One of the problems with pain medications is that they only treat the symptoms; they aren’t doing anything to resolve the source of your pain. If you are looking for a long-term solution, the cause needs to be addressed. Altered biomechanics, or movement patterns, tend to be a common issue for many people dealing with chronic spine pain.
To get things moving on the path toward relief, we have found a lot of success with a plan that typically encourages:
- Whole Body Movement with Daily Exercise
It may seem impossible to get out and get active when dealing with chronic pain, but it may help you see some relief from your symptoms! For example, if you’re dealing with chronic back pain, regular walks can help relieve the stiffness and soreness of back pain.
- Specific Spinal Joint Movement with Chiropractic Adjustments
Chiropractors are an excellent resource for anyone who is dealing with chronic pain. New research has shown chiropractic care is at least as effective at relieving pain as many medications, without the risks or dangers associated with drugs. The likelihood of filling an opioid prescription is reduced by over 50% for people who see a chiropractor.
Next Steps:
You don’t need to keep struggling with chronic pain. Researchers have found that chiropractic care and active exercise can effectively reduce your symptoms and address the cause. If you or someone you know has struggled with chronic pain, please reach out to us today so that we can help provide you with options for relief that don’t include the dangerous medications that have created the current opioid epidemic.
Science Sources:
Understanding the Epidemic. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2018
Prevalence of chronic low back pain: a systematic review. Rev Saude Publica. 2015
A Comparison Between Chiropractic Management and Pain Clinic Management for Chronic Low-Back Pain in a National Health Service Outpatient Clinic. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Volume 14, Number 5, 2008
Association Between Utilization of Chiropractic Services for Treatment of Low Back Pain and Risk of Adverse Drug Events. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2018
CDC. The Opioid Epidemic. 2020
Association Between Utilization of Chiropractic Services for Treatment of Low Back Pain and Risk of Adverse Drug Events. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2018
Impact of Chiropractic Care on Use of Prescription Opioids in Patients with Spinal Pain. Pain Med 2020
Association Between Utilization of Chiropractic Services for Treatment of Low Back Pain and Risk of Adverse Drug Events. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2018