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

June 12, 2018

Opioids. They’re in the news. Tonawanda doesn’t escape the opioid issue. Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation sees some Tonawanda chiropractic patients with Tonawanda back pain struggle with opioids that were, at some point, prescribed to help them cope with their back pain and now want to be off of them. Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation gets it and is prepared to help Tonawanda back pain sufferers find relief without opioid drugs. The effectiveness of opioid drugs for control of Tonawanda back pain is doubted while spinal manipulation such as offered at Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation is recommended.

WHY OPIOIDS FOR BACK PAIN

Low back pain burdens a back pain patient’s life. It is no wonder that a back pain sufferer desires a pill to be done with the pain, a Tonawanda back surgery to remove the pain’s source now. Sometimes it’s not that simple: the pill may have unwelcome effects or the positive effects may not last very long; the surgery relief may not last or resulted in an unexpected result. Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation values the role of drugs for pain relief when necessary, admires the part back surgery has in a Tonawanda back pain sufferer’s trip toward pain relief and a better quality of life. Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation also offers complementary care to those back pain relief options and, for some Tonawanda back pain sufferers, back surgery prevention in addition to post-back surgery rehab and Tonawanda 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 concluded that the effectiveness is sadly quite modest. Opioids’ effects on pain reduction and function improvement are small to moderate and short-lasting versus placebo. The side effects, serious ones for those who use strong opioids for a long period of 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) Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation figures out each Tonawanda back pain patient who comes for Tonawanda chiropractic care and sets the appropriate treatment plan to secure some back pain relief.

OPIOIDS AND BACK SURGERY

Patients choose back surgery often for pain relief or a quick fix that will remove the need for pain control drugs. Researchers checked into this idea and reported that many back pain sufferers who were took 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 took long-term opioids before surgery, and 1094 took opioids subsequently. Of the pre-operative opioid patients, 77.1% continued consuming them long-term, 13.8% occasionally, and just 9.1% discontinued or took them short-term afterward. 34.4% continued with a lower dose, but 44.8% did so with a higher dose. Of those who did not 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 Tonawanda back surgery as the ultimate answer to their Tonawanda back pain? Lumbar fusion back surgery rarely stopped the long-term opioid use and heightened the risk of creating the need for their use afterwards. Patient expectations of pain reduction and opioid use reduction demand reevaluation. (3)

ALTERNATIVES TO OPIOIDS FOR BACK PAIN RELIEF

Researchers work to develop guidelines for back pain relief treatment. These guidelines state that non-effective treatments should be avoided (systemic corticosteroids, TENS, traction, electrical muscle stim, benozodiazepines, botulinum toxin injection, etc.) and recommend that clinicians coach and encourage patients, advise them to stay active and do self-care. Acute back pain patients can choose 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 choose exercise, spinal manipulation, NSAIDs. (4) Tonawanda chiropractic care at Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation suits these guidelines. Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation presents a Tonawanda chiropractic treatment plan of spinal manipulation with Cox Technic, exercise, rehabilitation, and more.

CONTACT Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation

Schedule you Tonawanda chiropractic appointment today with Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation. Opioids are not the only means to find Tonawanda back pain relief, particularly Tonawanda chronic low back pain. Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation offers hope for chronic low back pain relief to Tonawanda back pain sufferers wanting to avoid or escape the opioid epidemic.

Chiropractic spinal manipulation at Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation is worthwhile over opioids for back pain control.

Back to Blog