Currently, more than a million Americans depend on opiates, and averagely, 131 Americans who suffer from opiates abuse and overuse die daily, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The overdependence of opioids for pain gotten from injuries and post surgeries has taken a severe toll in the lives of tens of thousands of people in America. The opioid epidemic has risen globally and even at this, overdose remedies are still available over-the-counter.
Even though opioid abusers also get addicted to hard drugs like heroin at some point, many individuals develop addictions to drugs prescribed to them by doctors they trust for treatments.Seeking chiropractic care and other non-drug approaches to relieve pain is a better alternative. These drug-free approaches can be the first step against pain and addiction that results from the overuse of prescription opioids medications. It is important to also know that chiropractic care not only reduces pain in the body but the negative effects of the opioid epidemic in the United States of America.
What Are Opioids?
Opioids are substances that have similar effects to morphine. They are specifically produced to reduce pain but are also known to have physiological and addictive properties. Some of the most popular abused opioids today are drugs such as Tramadol, Codeine, Fentanyl (Duragesic), Oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet), Hydromorphone (Dilaudid), Morphine (MS Contin, Kadian), etc. It is important to also know that opioids are prescribed by doctors to cancer patients; they are also administered to patients that have undergone surgeries and for people with chronic pain.
Prescribed opioid medications bind to the brain receptors and prevent the brain from receiving signals. Even though this sounds favorable for someone in excruciating pain, two inherent problems come afterwards. Firstly, the brain loses its ability to respond to the opioids it receives, and then become dependent on the opioid medication – thinking that the drugs are necessary for survival. Secondly, it doesn’t solve the underlying cause of the pain, and it doesn’t improve the overall wellbeing. This is due to the fact that opioids only provide relief to pain rather than treating the cause. An individual tends to become addicted to an opioid when it is used to manage pain for very long periods. With that in mind, opioids should be the last resort for pain relief and discomfort.
How Chiropractic Care Can Help Opiate Users
One of the first options for someone in pain is seeking a chiropractor to examine the body and provide pain relief through adjustments, massage, acupuncture, IASTM, cupping, and Kinesiotape.
Furthermore, chiropractic care is a drug-free approach to pain management and relief; therefore, removing potential addiction. Chiropractic care is a safe method, and it offers a cumulative effect to pain relief in the body
The American College of Physicians (ACP) endorses the use of non-invasive and drug-free treatments such as Chiropractic for chronic pains in the body. ACP also recommends that patients should seek chiropractic care before using potential additive remedies to treat pain.
One of the leading causes of opioid dependency is lower back pain – which is very difficult to treat. It is also difficult to identify and fix the cause of lower back pain, and this is why most doctors prescribe painkillers to patients to provide a quick solution; meanwhile, the underlying cause of the lower back pain remains unresolved. It is crucial to know that chiropractors can identify the cause of lower back pain and solve it through various techniques. Most times, lower back pain is caused by problems in our ankles, knees, hips, or intervertebral disc. A bulging disc can pressurize or irritate the nerves that move from the spinal cord.
However, chronic lower back pain often arises due to structural imbalance or weakness of the musculoskeletal. Chiropractic treatments can be used to treat chronic pain regularly. Chiropractors use spinal manipulations/adjustments to apply pressure to the vertebrae so as to reduce pain and ensure normal motion and function of the joint. A chiropractor may use his/her hands or specialized tools to apply slower pressure to realign the joint.
Custom Chiropractor promotes chiropractic care as a way to avoid the use of opiates for pain relief. Our chiropractic care keeps up with the latest research to help fix the underlying cause of every pain so that you can get back to function at an optimum health level. We also want you to know that our center is the best place to relieve pain and improve your overall well-being.
Chiropractic care is the best method to relieve pain and improve your wellness. As professional healthcare providers, we strive to educate patients on the ways to treat pain and not depend on pain relief medications. The opioid epidemic is a serious health problem that puts healthy individuals at risk for addiction rather than looking for healthier methods to treat chronic pain. Opioid addiction is known to cause more harm than good to our body, and we must decrease this epidemic in our society today.
It is crucial to also know that we want you to live a long and healthy life, and we are devoted to your overall wellness. If you want to know how our chiropractors can treat any chronic pain that you might have, get in touch with us and inquire how we can improve your wellbeing.
Our team of chiropractors are knowledgeable and dedicated to improving patients’ health; they can also provide you with multiple options for drug-free treatments. With our unmatched devotion to patients’ care alongside clinical expertise, Custom Chiropractor prides itself to be number one chiropractic center in Silicon Valley. Please reach out to us for any kind of pain relief no matter what it is, whether it is headache, lower back and neck pain, sports injury, work injury, auto injury, or post-surgery pain. We are more than happy to answer you in case of any concern or inquiries that you might have about chiropractic care as an alternative to treat pain.
