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Why are Opioids so Dangerous?
It’s estimated that over 200 million opioid prescriptions are written each year. This use and abuse has led to an epidemic that’s been fueled by chronic pain. Opioids temporarily hide pain by attaching to receptors in the brain and boosting feelings of pleasure. Unfortunately, they do nothing to stimulate healing, leading to a pattern of pain, medications, more pain, and more medications. The good news is that there is a better way to find relief.
The Addictive Nature of Opioids
Opioids are in the same family of drugs as heroin, and some opioid medications are thought to be even more addictive. The temporary relief that they offer comes at a steep price. In lower doses, opioids can cause drowsiness or dizziness. In higher doses, they can cause your breathing and heart rate to slow down to dangerous levels. But the most dangerous aspect of opioids is the addiction rate of up to 30%.
- Opioids bind to the receptions in your nervous system that block pain and produce intense euphoria.
- Tolerance on opioids can occur within a matter of days.
- Withdrawal symptoms are severe and can lead to addiction.
Nearly all the latest healthcare guidelines have stopped recommending opioids for non-cancer pain. In most cases, these drugs should not be taken for chronic pain or back pain. To find relief without these dangerous drugs, call us today. We’ll schedule a complete evaluation to discover the cause of your pain, then find ways to help you get back on your feet.
Finding Relief Without Opioids
There is no question that opioids are powerful pain killers. The problem is they are also highly addictive and don’t actually fix the cause of your pain. But, if you’re struggling with chronic pain, you may be curious what your best options are for care. How can you fix the cause of your pain, find lasting relief, and avoid these harmful medications?
Lasting Relief and Healing through Chiropractic
You may be surprised to discover the people who saw a chiropractor for spine pain had half the risk of filling an opioid prescription than those who didn’t. It’s not just that chiropractors don’t prescribe these dangerous medications. As time went on, people were not likely to fill an opioid prescription. That indicates the care provided by chiropractors helped people find enough relief that they no longer sought medications to find relief!
- Choosing chiropractic for spinal pain can reduce your risk of filling an opioid prescription by over 50%.
- Masking spine pain with medications can possibly increase your risk of further injury.
- Movement-based care helps the body heal and can improve your likelihood of finding long term relief.
Opioids aren’t meant to treat chronic spinal pain. They don’t help your body heal and become less effective at stopping pain the longer you take them. Instead of building up a tolerance and putting yourself at risk for dependence, it’s a smart decision to explore other treatment options. Call us today to schedule an evaluation so that we can create a personalized treatment plan for you! Our practice is proud to help our community find relief from pain without the need for drugs.
Exposing the Truth Behind Opioids
The truth will set you free. While much of the information about how the opioid epidemic is shocking, it’s important to understand how we got here. For example, when we first learned that 35 billion opioids (half of all the distributed pills) were handled by about 15% of pharmacies, it became clear that there was a network of “pill mills” that weren’t concerned about helping people actually find relief from their chronic pain.
A Dependence on Opioids
Chronic pain is a real issue for tens of millions of people each day. In many of these cases, the answer isn’t found in a pill but rather with a combination of movement-based treatments. Your body heals through motion. Taking medications may provide temporary relief, but they don’t address the cause of your pain.
Nearly everyone who takes opioids for an extended time becomes dependent. We think it’s a smart idea to avoid the risks.
- In 2016, over 91 million people used prescription opioids.
- The rates of emergency department visits involving opioids more than tripled from 1999 to 2013.
- Over 16 million people currently suffer from an opioid use disorder.
In the 1990’s medical doctors were falsely lured into prescribing opioids as a treatment for pain. Aggressive marketing of the drugs downplayed the risks, and prescriptions for mild to moderate pain were continued indefinitely, with no intention of tapering off. This combination has led to the epidemic we are in today. But there is a solution. The first step is having the right information about opioids and chronic pain. The next step is to connect with a movement-based practice, like ours, to discover how you can find long-term relief without these dangerous medications.
Taking a Stand Against Opioids
About 30 years ago, medicine had a shift in how they thought pain should be addressed. “Pain is a 5th vital sign” became a rallying cry, and new medications were created to block pain…at all costs. They now know that these medications created a never-before-seen healthcare epidemic. To begin with, the drugs weren’t very good at addressing chronic pain, and they require larger and larger doses to achieve an effect over time.
Don't Wait to Get Care
Taking a stand against opioids starts with our ability to help people find relief from chronic pain. Nearly all of our primary healthcare organizations have now advocated for a non-drug approach to care. And the data is clear–people are looking for solutions for chronic pain that extend beyond a prescription.
- The Centers for Disease Control (FDA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and others have recommended a non-pharmacological approach to chronic pain should be the first line of treatment.
- Over 40% of blogs relating to opioids are focused on people trying to find solutions “beyond the pill.”
- Together, we can end the opioid crisis by breaking the cycle of chronic pain with natural and effective healthcare choices.
Chronic pain is described as biopsychosocial, which means that it’s complex and has many dimensions. Creating personalized care, goal-oriented, and coordinated care plans are critical and exactly why our practice begins each patient with a complete and thorough evaluation. Our evaluation helps us understand your history, your goals, and your current challenges. From there, we can create a comprehensive plan of care that enables you to find long-term relief from chronic pain.
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Schedule an AppointmentContact UsSetting Smart Health Goals
Have you ever felt like you were working hard but weren’t making any progress toward your goals? You’re not alone. Most people feel that way each year around this time. They set goals, and take a few action steps, but never seem to accomplish very much. Often the problem isn’t a lack of motivation, but likely because you haven’t set smart goals. Smart health goals can help you clarify your thoughts, focus your efforts, use your time to your advantage, and increase your chances of not only achieving but surpassing your expectations. Creating healthy habits and resolutions is crucial to achieving your goals towards a stronger, healthier, and happier life.
Why it Matters:
Living a healthy life requires more than just being free from pain. Setting health goals, stretching your comfort zone, and celebrating small wins are important parts of a fulfilling life. As you plan your New Year’s resolutions for a healthy year, plan smart goals. Smart health goals are an effective way to provide the clarity, focus, and motivation you need for success. By setting a completion date, you are more likely to reach your goals.
S – Specific: Make your goals specific for more effective planning.
M – Measurable: Define how you are making progress.
A – Attainable: Make them reasonable to accomplish.
R – Relevant: Your goals should align with your values.
T – Time-Based: Set a date of completion.
If you struggle to follow through on your New Year’s resolutions each year, try setting health smart goals. There is no better time than right now to begin setting goals to improve your health this year. Living a healthy life is a journey, so don’t forget to celebrate each step of your progress. Our practice is here to help guide you along the way. If you have a health challenge or an ache or pain that’s holding you back from reaching your goals, let us know. We’ll be happy to help! Just talk with Dr. James Beadle and Dr. David Miranda.
How to Cultivate a Positive Mindset
Mindset is the #1 predictor of success. Often, the conversations that you have with yourself determine your growth (or lack thereof). Whether you believe you can or can’t do something, you’re probably right. Thinking that you can’t do something can become a self-fulfilling prophecy that prevents you from taking action and making the decisions you need to live your best life.
Why it Matters:
The good news is you can change your habits, beliefs and transform your thinking. When you do, you’ll be able to look at the world with a new perspective, which empowers you to become the person you know you can be. Take some time this week to think about the thought loops that play in your head. Be more conscientious about what you tell yourself. Each day, identify what thoughts you can switch to cultivate a more positive mindset.
- Positive thinking can help with managing stress and improve your
- A positive outlook can decrease your likelihood of a heart attack or cardiovascular event by over 30%.
- Negative emotions may weaken your immune
Cultivating a positive mindset isn’t just a woo-woo, granola way to approach life. A positive mindset has been shown to improve your overall health and well-being. New research on the mind-body connection has proven that our mental health impacts much of our physical health.
Moving Your Way to Better Health
You’ve heard it before, but regular exercise is good for your physical and mental health. Creating healthy habits of daily exercise can help you lose weight, lower your risk of future health challenges, reduce your stress, and improve your mental outlook. But, if you’re like many people (over 80% to be exact) you aren’t getting enough exercise each week.
Why it Matters:
As a chiropractor, we focus on three types of movement- segmental (your body’s individual joints), regional (your neck, low back, leg, etc.), and whole body. All three types of movement are essential for you to stay well. Full body movement is general exercise such as running or walking. Regional movement may be the stretches and smaller exercises you perform daily. Segmental motion is what we focus on here as chiropractors.
To generate the benefits of regular exercise, your body needs all three types of movement.
- Whole Body: Daily exercise can improve your mood, sleep, and lower your risk of chronic
- Regional: Dynamic stretching can improve your range of motion, biomechanics, and energy
- Segmental: Adjustments can positively influence the function of your nervous system, decrease aches and pains, and relax your muscles.
Millions of people make New Year’s resolutions to get more active each year. And each year, they seem to come up short. But this year, you have the tools and resources to succeed. By setting smart health goals and cultivating a positive mindset, you can begin moving your body towards better health this year. If you notice yourself struggling to stay on track, or sidelined by chronic aches and pains, let us know. We’re here to help you get active, stay healthy, and reach your goals.
Increasing Your Energy
Have you found yourself tired and drained at the end of each day? It may be easy to grab a second (or tenth) coffee or energy drink, but boosting your energy level doesn’t mean you need to rely on caffeine’s short-term effects. Short-term bursts of energy can often lead to a crash. Creating healthy habits each day can increase your energy level, mental focus, and endurance.
Why it Matters:
Walking through a store, you’ll notice dozens of products that are designed to increase your energy level. Many of these synthetic stimulants aren’t very healthy, and some can even become addictive. Instead of a daily quick fix, it’s better to consider the effect that stress, exercise, and diet can have on your energy levels.
Stress: Being stressed out consumes a ton of energy. Discovering ways to decrease your mental stress with meditation or physical stress with chiropractic care can help increase your energy levels.
Exercise: Daily exercise will help you sleep better, elevate your mood, and circulate more oxygen in your body.
Diet: Eating foods with a low glycemic index (where sugar is absorbed slowly) can help you avoid a crash after eating and keep you more energized throughout the day.
A lack of energy is often a symptom of a more significant issue. Too much stress, less than ideal food choices, and a lack of exercise are major factors in your energy level. Developing an awareness of your daily habits and making small changes can result in big changes. Try to avoid using caffeine as a crutch and make positive lifestyle choices instead. If you’re struggling or would like specific natural supplement recommendations, let us know, and we’ll be glad to help.
Science Sources:
SMART Goals: How to Make Your Goals Achievable. MindTools. 2022.
Positive Thinking: Stop Negative Self-talk to Reduce Stress. Mayo Clinic. 2022.
The Power of Positive Thinking. Johns Hopkins Medicine. 2022.
The Use of Spinal Manipulation to Treat Injury. J Can Chiropr Assoc. 2016.
9 Tips to Boost Your Energy Naturally. Harvard Health Publishing. 2020.
Start Creating Healthy Habits Today!
Call or schedule an appointment online and we can help you create healthy habits, enabling you to achieve your goals so you can live your best, most healthy life ever!
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