You Don’t Have To Rely On Medication For Pain Relief. Try Physical Therapy Instead!
Ah, another day, another ache or pain that begs you to pop open your pill bottle. This is the rollercoaster ride that many chronic pain sufferers find themselves riding day in and day out, for months or years on end. Prescription pain medications don’t fix your problem. They can only do so much to keep your pain and suffering at bay, especially when it comes to opioids, where you may find that you’re buying larger and more expensive amounts more frequently to keep up with your pain levels and built-up tolerance to the medication. Are you tired of exhausting your patience, wellness and wallet? Our innovative care strategies at Schuster Physical Therapy will help you find quick relief. If so, maybe it’s time you talked to your doctor about switching to physical therapy as your primary pain management strategy.
What are opioids?
Opioids prevent pain signals from reaching the brain, enabling them to combat even the most severe pain. Oftentimes people have prescribed these medications after severe injuries or surgeries that put the body through trauma. The painkilling and pleasurable benefits of opioids come at a dangerously high price.
The simple fact that these drugs are so effective at making you feel good creates a compulsion to keep using them. At the same time, the body builds up an ever-increasing tolerance to the drugs, requiring larger and larger dosages to achieve the same effects.
This cycle can lead to a strong, dangerous level of addiction.
Several types of opioids are often prescribed for pain.
- Fentanyl
- Morphine
- Oxycodone
- Codeine
These are also sometimes sold under brand names such as OxyContin, Vicodin, and Percocet. They can be administered in a variety of ways.
They are often taken in pill form but can also be taken by IV, an injection, nasal sprays, skin patches, or even as lozenges.
The many perils of pain medication…
There’s no disputing the fact that pain medication is a profitable industry. In addition to the enormous sums spent by consumers on over-the-counter pain relievers, the worldwide market for opioid drugs has been estimated at $25.4 billion — and it’s expected to keep growing. It’s little wonder, then, that more than 11 million Americans abuse opioids. Eventually, escalating tolerance can force users to take a fatal dose. Two-thirds of all overdose-related deaths in the U.S. are related to some form of opioid.
You should not assume that you’re getting a good deal from non-addictive pain relievers, by the way. Milder drugs such as ibuprofen, aspirin, and acetaminophen may not cause addiction, but their painkilling effects are short-lived, forcing you to keep dosing yourself every few hours. These medicines can also cause health problems with frequent or heavy use, with risks ranging from stomach bleeding to liver failure.
Physical therapy can give you true, long-lasting relief
You might be wondering exactly what options you have if painkillers are off the table. Instead of emptying your pockets on frequent drug refills that don’t even address the source of your discomfort, ask your doctor whether physical therapy might help you wean yourself off of opioids or other medications. (You may need medical supervision to reduce heavy opioid use safely.)
Physical therapists are trained movement specialists who can pinpoint the source of your pain and target it with exercises, stretches, and modalities. An experienced and skilled physical therapist can examine the reasons for your pain and then devise a targeted, personalized pain management plan.
Here are just a few of the ways physical therapy can replace all those bottles of pills:
- Severe neck or back pain can be managed through a combination of strength training, stretching exercises, and chiropractic adjustment.
- If you suffer from crippling arthritis pain, physical therapy exercises and massage therapy can help you control joint pain and stiffness.
- Chronic muscle spasms respond well to cold laser therapy, massage therapy, and heat/cold therapy.
- Chronic nerve pain can be controlled with a technique called transcutaneous electrical muscle stimulation (TENS), which uses electrical impulses to intercept pain messages. Cold laser therapy can ease neuropathy symptoms and promote nerve healing.
- Chronic headache/migraine pain can be reduced through a combination of massage, cervical spinal adjustment, and lifestyle or dietary changes to help you avoid known headache or migraine triggers.
Are you ready to say goodbye to drugs once and for all?
You should invest your time, money, and effort towards recovering in a way that is healthy and conducive to overall healing. Why not do that with physical therapy, a long-term solution to your pain problems?
If your doctor agrees that physical therapy can help you ditch the drugs, contact our physical therapist to schedule an initial appointment and work out a pain management program!
