Opioids. They’re in the news. Sandy Springs doesn’t escape the opioid issue.
Cross Chiropractic Center knows some Sandy Springs chiropractic patients
with Sandy Springs 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.
Cross Chiropractic Center understands and is ready to help
Sandy Springs back pain sufferers find relief without opioid
drugs. The effectiveness of opioid drugs for control of Sandy Springs back
pain is doubted while spinal manipulation such as offered at
Cross Chiropractic Center is recommended.
WHY OPIOIDS FOR BACK PAIN
Low back pain overwhelms its sufferers’ life. It’s no wonder
that a back pain sufferer wants a pill to be done
with the pain, a Sandy Springs back surgery to get rid of
the pain’s cause now. Occasionally
it’s not that easy: the pill may have unwanted
effects or the benefits may not last long
enough; the surgery relief may not last or resulted
in an unexpected outcome. Cross Chiropractic Center appreciates
the role of drugs for pain relief when needed, respects
the part back surgery has in a Sandy Springs back pain
sufferer’s journey toward pain relief and a better quality of life.
Cross Chiropractic Center also offers complementary care to those back
pain relief choices and, for some Sandy Springs back pain
sufferers, back surgery prevention in addition to post-back
surgery rehab and Sandy Springs 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 poor. 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 time, were usual. (1) Some patients react
better to drug therapies than others. Researchers found it hard to determine just how effective drugs like oxycodone and clobazam and imipramine
will be for which chronic low back pain patient. (2) Cross Chiropractic Center figures out each Sandy Springs back pain patient who comes
for Sandy Springs chiropractic care and establishes the suitable
treatment plan to get some back pain relief.
OPIOIDS AND BACK SURGERY
Patients opt for back surgery often seeking quick pain relief that
will remove the need for pain control drugs. Researchers checked
into this idea and reported that many back pain sufferers who were prescribed
opioids before surgery expected that surgery would eliminate the
need for opioids. Reality
shows that of 2491 adults who underwent lumbar fusion back surgery, 1045 needed
long-term opioids before surgery, and 1094 took opioids subsequently. Of the pre-operative opioid patients, 77.1% kept
using 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 bottom line? What
do patients need to know who are thinking about Sandy Springs
back surgery as the ultimate solution to their Sandy Springs
back pain? Lumbar fusion back surgery rarely stopped the
long-term opioid use and heightened the risk of beginning their use afterwards. Patient expectations of pain reduction and opioid
use reduction need to be reconsidered. (3)
ALTERNATIVES TO OPIOIDS FOR BACK PAIN RELIEF
Researchers strive 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 teach and encourage
patients, direct 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 use
exercise, yoga, manual therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, acupuncture,
biofeedback, massage, rehabilitation, etc. Radicular back pain patients may use
exercise, spinal manipulation, NSAIDs.
(4)
Sandy Springs chiropractic care at Cross Chiropractic Center suits these guidelines.
Cross Chiropractic Center presents a Sandy Springs chiropractic
treatment plan of spinal manipulation with
Cox Technic, exercise, rehab,
and more.
CONTACT Cross Chiropractic Center
Schedule you Sandy Springs chiropractic appointment now
with Cross Chiropractic Center. Opioids are not the only way to deal with Sandy Springs
back pain, particularly Sandy Springs chronic
low back pain. Cross Chiropractic Center offers optimism for chronic low back
pain relief to Sandy Springs back pain sufferers wishing to avoid or escape the opioid epidemic.