People are finally starting to wake up to the opioid epidemic and realize that painkillers aren't always worth the risk.
Back in 2011, the National Institute of Health reported that 76 million people in the U.S. live with chronic pain.
60% of adults dealing with pain have had it for over a year.
The most common types of pain were lower back pain, neck pain, and headaches.
Most of those people visited their doctors about their pain, and in turn, most of them were prescribed painkillers.
Painkillers can provide temporary relief, but they don't treat the root cause of pain, and they come with a myriad of unhealthy side effects.
Recently, more and more people have found that chiropractic care is a much safer as well as a much more effective way to treat their pain.
Chiropractic care doesn't just mask the pain, but it treats what's causing the pain, getting rid of it for good.
Are you considering chiropractic care due to a painful shoulder subluxation? Read our blog post: "Everything You Should Know About Shoulder Subluxation."
In the article below, we will see why chiropractic care is a safer, more effective remedy for pain.
Table Of Contents
- The Dark Side Of Painkillers
- Chiropractic Care As An Alternative To Painkillers
- Lifestyle Changes
- You Have Options
The Dark Side Of Painkillers
More and more people are searching for natural, non-invasive ways to treat their pain.
Prescription painkillers come with several severe side effects.
According to the CDC, from 1999 to 2017, almost 218,000 people died in the United States from overdoses related to prescription opioids.
Overdose deaths involving prescription opioids were five times higher in 2017 than in 1999.
Even when the results aren't that dire, painkillers decrease pain perception.
On the surface that sounds good because you won't have to deal with your pain anymore.
That can be very dangerous though because your body depends on pain signals to alert you to illness and injuries.
Some of the other side effects related to painkillers are:
- Depression
- Weakened immune systems
- Liver toxicity
- Hormonal imbalances
- Constipation and other digestive problems
- Increased pain
- Infertility
- Gastrointestinal bleeding
- Drug abuse or dependence
Chiropractic Care As An Alternative To Painkillers
Chiropractic care can benefit most people, especially those living in pain.
People living with conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, shoulder pain, back pain, neck pain, headaches, and similar chronic pain issues stand to benefit the most from chiropractic care.
When your chiropractor performs spinal manipulations, they are reducing your pain as well as promoting your body's ability to heal itself.
Chiropractic adjustments don't mask your pain, they correct what causes the pain, as well as enable your body to heal itself to prevent the pain from coming back.
The American College of Physicians, as well as the American Pain Society, recommended that physicians consider spinal manipulation when self-care isn't effective.
This is all due to the numerous benefits that chiropractic care offers.
Multiple studies have shown that individuals who received chiropractic treatments for 3 months or more experienced greater reductions in pain than those who didn't receive care.
Chiropractic treatments were as effective or more effective than prescription painkillers were in many cases.
Want to learn more about the effectiveness of chiropractic care? Read our blog post: "Spinal Adjustments | What They are and How They're Performed."
Lifestyle Changes
As researchers continue to research the effectiveness of chiropractic care, they all agree that patients who pair chiropractic care with lifestyle changes experience the greatest benefits.
Exercise has been proven to relieve stress, and it improves range of motion and posture.
It strengthens the core muscles that support your body and could help treat the underlying source of pain.
And the exercise doesn't have to be strenuous. There's no need to spend hours on end in the gym.
You can do bodyweight exercises at home, yoga, or even a 30-minute walk.
When you meet with your chiropractor, she can recommend the exercises and stretches she thinks are appropriate for your situation.
To go along with chiropractic adjustments and exercise, your chiropractor may also recommend relaxation techniques and electrical stimulation using a TENS unit.
Your chiropractor can also counsel and give you advice regarding your diet and nutrition, and recommend dietary supplements, weight loss ideas, or lifestyle changes.
For example, if you're dealing with inflammation, your chiropractor might recommend eating more turmeric, a natural anti-inflammatory.
They may also limit your refined carbohydrates because refined carbohydrates increase your levels of cytokines, which cause inflammation.
They also cause glucose and insulin problems, as well as contribute to a variety of other diseases.
You Have Options
If you're dealing with any type of pain, there are numerous options out there for you to manage your symptoms and live a healthy, active lifestyle.
You do not have to rely on painkillers to find relief from your pain.
Chiropractic care, paired with lifestyle changes recommended by your chiropractor, is an excellent alternative to dangerous painkillers.
If you're experiencing should pain, we recently wrote a blog post about symptoms of a shoulder subluxation here.
If you're currently taking painkillers, you should always talk to your doctor before stopping your medications.
You may need to gradually reduce the amount you take to avoid experiencing any adverse effects of quitting cold turkey like withdrawal symptoms.
Once you've met with your doctor, you can visit a chiropractor.
During your first visit, your chiropractor will review your medical history as well as complete a physical examination.
Based on that, they will design a treatment plan that is tailored to meet your specific needs.
To get started with a chiropractor as soon as possible, contact the team at the Car Wreck Doctor.
They have a network of experienced chiropractors, and they will pair you with one that will help you get over your pain issues naturally and safely.