Just say No! to Opioids

Is there an alternative to prescribing opioids for back pain?

I am sure that I don’t need to tell you that the abuse of highly addictive prescription opioids is an epidemic in this country. Many people who become addicted started using opioids because they were dealing with real problems: acute back pain or chronic pain which needed genuine treatment. However, the unfortunate reality is that pain with opioids over the long-term can lead to dependency and addiction. Studies have shown that 36% of people who overdose on opioids were first prescribed those medications for back pain.

So what if there was an effective treatment for back pain that didn’t involve dangerously addictive medication? Guess what: there is! It’s called ‘chiropractic’!

“Sure, Dr. Renne,” you may be saying to yourself. “You are a chiropractor. Of course you are going to recommend chiropractic treatment for back pain.”

In fact, you don’t just have to take the word of this chiropractor. A new research study has shown that chiropractic is indeed an effective treatment for back pain and chronic pain, and that it keeps people from turning to opioids!

People in pain do better with chiropractic

The US Department of Veterans Affairs did a study of 14,000 veterans who had received chiropractic at least one chiropractic treatment. Many of those veterans were also prescribed an opioid for their pain. Of those that were, Veterans Affairs found that those who continued chiropractic treatment were significantly less likely to obtain further opioid prescription refills. Why? People who are able to manage their pain with chiropractic treatments are less likely to turn to addictive prescription medications.

This is not the first study to show that patients who use chiropractic to treat their pain are less likely to rely on opiates. Two other recent studies show very similar results. In one of these studies, patients who received chiropractic care were 55% less likely to use opioids. That’s less than half as likely, which is pretty incredible!

Recent research has also shown that over the long term opioids are not actually very effective for controlling chronic pain. Meanwhile, studies have also shown that a combination of chiropractic and over-the-counter drugs like Tylenol are just as effective as stronger prescription drugs in many cases.

Addictive pills are not the way to beat long term pain

If you are experiencing chronic pain or back pain, I highly recommend that you not try to use addictive prescription pain meds like opioids to try and recover. I have seen firsthand the devastating effects that opioid addiction can have on people’s lives. You do have alternatives when it comes to dealing with back pain or with chronic pain. Chiropractic is a real and effective method and has been scientifically tested.

If you’re experiencing back pain or chronic pain, get in touch with Active Medical & Chiropractic. I’d love to sit down with you and talk about how we can get you back on the road to wellness.

Yours in health,

Christopher B. Renne, D.C.
Active Medical & Chiropractic
www.activechirocenter.com

Our team:
Sanford Z. Pollak, D.O
Richard L. Woody, D.C.
Christopher B. Renne, D.C.
Paul A. Busse, M.D.