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Effectiveness of Opioids for Pain Control is Questionable while Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation is Recommended

June 12, 2018

The opioid epidemic. It’s in the news. New York City does not2 escape the opioid issue. Rosenberg Wellness Center knows some New York City chiropractic patients with New York City back pain struggle with opioids that were, at one time, prescribed to assist them in coping with their back pain and now want to be done with them. Rosenberg Wellness Center understands and is ready to help New York City back pain sufferers get relief without opioid drugs. The effectiveness of opioid drugs for control of New York City back pain is questioned while spinal manipulation such as offered at Rosenberg Wellness Center is suggested.

WHY OPIOIDS FOR BACK PAIN

Low back pain overwhelms its sufferers’ life. It’s no wonder that a back pain sufferer desires a pill to get rid of the pain, a New York City back surgery to get rid of the pain’s cause now.  Sometimes it is not that simple: the pill may have unwelcome effects or the benefits may not last long enough; the surgery relief may not last or produced an unexpected result. Rosenberg Wellness Center appreciates the role of drugs for pain relief when needed, admires the part back surgery plays in a New York City back pain sufferer’s trip toward pain relief and a better quality of life. Rosenberg Wellness Center also offers complementary care to those back pain relief choices and, for some New York City back pain sufferers, back surgery prevention in addition to post-back surgery rehabilitation and New York City 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 not very good. Opioids’ effects on pain reduction and function improvement are small to moderate and short-lasting compared to placebo. The side effects, serious ones for those who use strong opioids for a long period of time, were common. (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) Rosenberg Wellness Center understands the New York City back pain patient who seeks for New York City 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 stop the need for pain control drugs. Researchers checked into this idea and found that many back pain sufferers who were prescribed opioids before surgery expected that surgery would fix the problem and not have to take opioids anymore. Reality shows that of 2491 adults who underwent lumbar fusion back surgery, 1045 needed long-term opioids before surgery, and 1094 used opioids afterwards. Of the pre-operative opioid patients, 77.1% continued consuming them long-term, 13.8% occasionally, and just 9.1% discontinued or consumed them short-term afterward. 34.4% continued with a lower dose while 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 considering New York City back surgery as the final answer to their New York City back pain? Lumbar fusion back surgery rarely ended the long-term opioid use and increased the risk of beginning their use afterwards.  Patient expectations of pain reduction and opioid use reduction need to be reexamined. (3)

ALTERNATIVES TO OPIOIDS FOR BACK PAIN RELIEF

Researchers work to create guidelines for back pain relief treatment. These guidelines state that non-effective treatments should not be used (systemic corticosteroids, TENS, traction, electrical muscle stim, benozodiazepines, botulinum toxin injection, etc.) and suggest that clinicians coach and reassure patients, advise 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 choose exercise, yoga, manual therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, acupuncture, biofeedback, massage, rehabilitation, etc. Radicular back pain patients may choose exercise, spinal manipulation, NSAIDs.  (4) New York City chiropractic care at Rosenberg Wellness Center  suits these guidelines. Rosenberg Wellness Center offers a New York City chiropractic treatment plan of spinal manipulation with Cox Technic, exercise, rehab, and more.

CONTACT Rosenberg Wellness Center

Schedule you New York City chiropractic appointment today with Rosenberg Wellness Center. Opioids aren’t the only option for New York City back pain relief, particularly New York City chronic low back pain. Rosenberg Wellness Center offers optimism for chronic low back pain relief to New York City back pain sufferers wishing to avoid or escape the opioid epidemic.

 
Chiropractic spinal manipulation at Rosenberg Wellness Center is worthwhile over opioids for back pain control.