Decrease Opioid Use with Chiropractic Care in Zionsville - Natural Pain Relief

The Downside of Opioids

1 in 3 people is suffering from some sort of musculoskeletal discomfort every year and are looking for answers for their pain.

More than 191 million prescriptions for opioid pain medication were given in 2017. That's nearly a rate of 59 prescriptions per 100 people.

Opioids result in over thirty-two thousand deaths every year in the United States. The high prevalence of opioid prescriptions has led to something that has been written about extensively and has been coined the Opioid Epidemic.

Unfortunately, opioid addictions have become a prevalent health threat as more people seek relief from pain in Zionsville, not knowing the potential consequences. Serious side effects of opioid use include sedation, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, constipation, physical dependence, tolerance, and respiratory depression.

Alternative Options in Zionsville

With the extreme risks that come with opioid use, many are looking for alternate forms of therapy to manage pain. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American College of Physicians, and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have issued guidelines and reports urging health care providers to pursue safe non-drug alternatives.

Recent research published in 2020 concluded that Chiropractic is a safe alternative for natural pain relief and decreases the likelihood of being prescribed opioids by up to 64%. Chiropractic care and opioid prescription have an inverse relationship. The likelihood that opioids are prescribed is lowered when chiropractic care is incorporated in the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions.

In 2017, The Journal of American Medical Association published a systemic review of the literature on spinal manipulation and low back pain. The review found that patients that were adjusted had a “statistically significant association” in decreasing pain and improved function after 6 weeks of treatment for acute low back pain. There were no serious adverse reactions reported in any of the randomized control studies that were sampled.

When considering treatment for any discomfort or pain you may be having it is important to be informed about the treatment options.

Chiropractic Care and Pain Management

Harvard University's definition of Chiropractic is, “A health care system that holds that the structure of the body, particularly the spine, affects the function of every part of the body. Chiropractors try to correct the body's alignment to relieve pain and improve function to help the body heal itself.”

This definition is exactly what the focus of Chiropractic care is. Improving the function of the body which in turn will decrease the amount of stress and pain that the body is experiencing.

Opioids have been used to treat pain for a long time but the fact remains that there are serious side effects and the use is not sustainable in creating a healthy internal environment. Recent research illustrates the effectiveness of incorporating less invasive and conservative care first before proceeding to more invasive options to treat pain. The inclusion of non-pharmacological approaches to treat back pain and other musculoskeletal conditions has now become part of today’s guideline-based approach for pain management. By abiding by the new guidelines we are able to decrease opioid use and help improve the function of our bodies.

Chiropractic first, medication second, and surgery last.

Resources:

• Cleveland University- Kansas City
• JAMA Systemic Review
• Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics
• Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
• Oxford Academic