Call us to set up an appointment! 814-344-8883

Effectiveness of Opioids for Pain Control is Questionable while Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation is Recommended

Opioids. They’re in the news. Carrolltown doesn’t escape the opioid issue. Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation knows some Carrolltown chiropractic patients with Carrolltown back pain struggle with opioids that were, at some point, prescribed to help them cope with their back pain and now desire to be off of them. Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation gets it and is prepared to help Carrolltown back pain sufferers find relief without opioid drugs. The effectiveness of opioid drugs for control of Carrolltown back pain is questioned while spinal manipulation such as offered at Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation is suggested.

WHY OPIOIDS FOR BACK PAIN

Low back pain overwhelms its sufferers’ life. It is not a surprise that a back pain sufferer desires a pill to get rid of the pain, a Carrolltown back surgery to remove the pain’s source now.  Sometimes it’s not that simple: the pill may have unwanted effects or the benefits may not last long enough; the surgery relief may not continue or resulted in an unexpected outcome. Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation appreciates the role of drugs for pain relief when needed, admires the part back surgery has in a Carrolltown back pain sufferer’s trip toward pain relief and a better quality of life. Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation also offers complementary care to those back pain relief options and, for some Carrolltown back pain sufferers, back surgery prevention in addition to post-back surgery rehab and Carrolltown back pain relief.

OPIOIDS’ ROLE IN BACK PAIN RELIEF

A recent Cochrane data review of randomized clinical trials on the effectiveness of opioids and other drugs for chronic low back pain decided that the effectiveness is sadly quite modest. Opioids’ effects on pain reduction and function improvement are small to moderate and brief versus placebo. The side effects, serious ones for those who use strong opioids for a long time, were usual. (1) Some patients respond better to drug therapies than others. Researchers found it hard to figure out just how effective drugs like oxycodone and clobazam and imipramine will be for which chronic low back pain patient. (2) Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation figures out each Carrolltown back pain patient who comes for Carrolltown chiropractic care and sets the appropriate treatment plan to get some back pain relief.

OPIOIDS AND BACK SURGERY

Patients choose back surgery often for pain relief or a quick fix that will stop the need for pain control drugs. Researchers checked into this idea and reported that many back pain sufferers who were prescribed opioids before surgery expected that surgery would fix the problem and not have to take opioids anymore. Reality shows that of 2491 adults who underwent lumbar fusion back surgery, 1045 needed long-term opioids before surgery, and 1094 took opioids after surgery. Of the pre-operative opioid patients, 77.1% kept consuming them long-term, 13.8% occasionally, and just 9.1% discontinued or consumed them short-term afterward. 34.4% continued with a lower dose while 44.8% continued with a higher dose. Of those who didn’t take any opioids before back surgery, 12.8% became long-term users.  What was the end result? What do patients need to know who are considering Carrolltown back surgery as the final solution to their Carrolltown back pain? Lumbar fusion back surgery seldom stopped the long-term opioid use and increased the risk of starting their use afterwards.  Patient expectations of pain reduction and opioid use reduction demand reevaluation. (3)

ALTERNATIVES TO OPIOIDS FOR BACK PAIN RELIEF

Researchers strive to create guidelines for back pain relief treatment. These guidelines direct that non-effective treatments should not be used (systemic corticosteroids, TENS, traction, electrical muscle stim, benozodiazepines, botulinum toxin injection, etc.) and recommend that clinicians teach and comfort patients, advise them to stay active and perform self-care. Acute back pain patients can do exercise, manual therapy, heat, and NSAIDS. Chronic back pain patients can choose exercise, yoga, manual therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, acupuncture, biofeedback, massage, rehabilitation, etc. Radicular back pain patients may use exercise, spinal manipulation, NSAIDs.  (4) Carrolltown chiropractic care at Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation  suits these guidelines. Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation presents a Carrolltown chiropractic treatment plan of spinal manipulation with Cox Technic, exercise, rehabilitation, and more.

CONTACT Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation

Schedule you Carrolltown chiropractic appointment today with Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation. Opioids aren’t the only way to deal with Carrolltown back pain, particularly Carrolltown chronic low back pain. Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation offers optimism for chronic low back pain relief to Carrolltown back pain sufferers wanting to avoid or escape the opioid epidemic.

 
Chiropractic spinal manipulation at Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation is worthwhile over opioids for back pain control. 
« View All Featured Articles
"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by Dr. James M. Cox I."