Eliminating Pain without Narcotics and Other Pain Medications
Pain is the single most common health issue people experience. According to the American Academy of Pain Management, chronic pain (pain that lasts over three months) afflicts almost a third of our population. The most common treatment for pain has been narcotic medications, but the over use of these substances has lead to the opioid crisis that has become a major concern in our country.
Pain killing drugs, including narcotics, though useful and necessary at times, should not be relied on as a permanent solution for chronic pain and are best used for shorter time periods until the cause of a person’s pain is corrected. Prescription narcotics in particular are addicting and can be dangerous, being responsible for more drug related deaths than heroin and cocaine (source).
Another problem with narcotic medications is that the body often rapidly develops a tolerance or resistance to these medications, decreasing their effectiveness.
So what can be done for chronic or acute pain?
Alternative Pain Therapies:
There are effective natural pain therapies that work by correcting the cause of the pain and not just blocking the pain signals. In our office we may use any of the following tools, depending on the particular case. We have found that correcting the cause of the pain is much more effective and desirable than only blocking the pain signals the body is generating with narcotics and other chemical pain killers.
When a patient comes to our office because of pain, they are carefully evaluated before any treatment begins. We review your personal medical history, family health history, past treatments, dietary practices and life style factors. A physical and neurological examination and, in many cases, laboratory evaluation and testing are also used. It is important to determine if your pain is caused by an autoimmune problem, a biochemical imbalance, a mechanical dysfunction, a loss of integrity of your support tissues such as the ligaments or some other cause. Knowing this, will determine the course and nature of your treatment.
Chiropractic: Dr. Johnson provides chiropractic therapy for muscle and joint pain and pain issues related to faulty nervous system function.
Musculoskeletal Pain
- Neck pain
- Back pain
- Muscle pain (any)
- Bursitis
- Joint pain
Inflammation
- Sinusitis
- Bronchitis
- Gastritis
- Colitis
- Cystitis
Allergy Problems
- Asthma
- Eczema
- Hay fever
Headaches
- Migraines
- Tension headaches
- Whiplash injuries