Chiropractic and the War on Opioids
Every day, more than 115 people in the United States die after overdosing on opioids. The misuse of and addiction to opioids—including prescription pain relievers, heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl—is a serious national crisis that affects public health as well as social and economic welfare. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the total "economic burden" of prescription opioid misuse alone in the United States is $78.5 billion a year, including the costs of healthcare, lost productivity, addiction treatment, and criminal justice involvement.
The dangers of opioid medicine can include addiction, anxiety, and an overall feeling of anxiety and fear when the prescription is not renewed. The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) is focusing its efforts to bring attention to alternatives to opiates to manage pain. Currently, there is a “U.S. opioid epidemic” that is sweeping the nation. The ACA is encouraging physicians to try conservative methods to pain management before prescribing pain medication.
A Non-Invasive Approach
the ACA raised awareness to the value of using an overall conservative approach when dealing with pain management. Since almost everyone will experience pain in some form or fashion in their lifetime, the different ways to deal with pain should be explored. If a patient is handed an opioid prescription first, when the prescription is not renewed, the pain may return and the patient may feel fear and anger. Therefore, exploring other pain management options are best for most patients. Conservative Measures
Doctors and patients should look at opiates as a last resort in controlling pain after all other conservative measures have been exhausted. Some successful conservative measures for back pain include:
Exercise
Stretching
Yoga
Chiropractic
Chiropractic addresses the source of the pain, unlike opioids which only mask the pain. Therefore, it makes sense to try chiropractic first before moving on to potentially addictive opioids.
Doctors of chiropractic use natural methods to treat pain. Spinal manipulation is a proven successful natural treatment for spinal and joint pain. Many studies have confirmed that spinal manipulation is an effective treatment option for acute and chronic spinal and joint pain. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests using chiropractic methods for pain management. If you are suffering from acute or chronic spinal and joint pain, visit our office for relief of your pain without the use of opioids. At our office, doctors of chiropractic work with patients to develop a plan of treatment that puts the patient in control.
Sources:
https://www.thejoint.com/california/san-marcos/san-marcos-grand-plaza-31155/203296-chiropractic-natural-alternative-to-opioids
http://www.acatoday.org/Patients-Why-Choose-Chiropractic-Chiropractic-and-the-Opioid-Epidemic
