Constantly Needing Your Pain Meds Refilled? Talk to Your Doctor About How Physiotherapy Can Help You Ditch the Opioids!
Don’t Go Through Bottles of Pills — Go to Physiotherapy
Another day, another trip to the pharmacy. This is the treadmill that many chronic pain sufferers find themselves walking, month after month and year after year. Prescription pain medications can only do so much to keep your suffering at bay — and in the case of opioids, you may find yourself purchasing larger amounts more frequently just to keep up with your ever-increasing tolerance to these powerful drugs. If you’re tired of exhausting your patience, wellness and wallet, maybe it’s time you talked to your doctor about switching from your pain meds to physiotherapy as your primary pain management strategy.
Dependencies, Dangers and Dollars: Pain Medication Perils
There’s no disputing the fact that pain medication is a profitable industry. In addition to the enormous sums spent by consumers on over-the-counter pain relievers, the worldwide market for opioid drugs has been estimated at $25.4 billion — and it’s expected to keep growing. Opioids prevent pain signals from reaching the brain, enabling them to combat even the most severe pain. Unfortunately, the price of frequent opioid use far exceeds the money you pay for these drugs. The more you use opioids, the more likely your body is to develop a tolerance against them. As a result, you need to keep taking more frequent and/or more potent doses to achieve the same degree of pain relief. This is a fast, potentially deadly path to addiction.
Don’t assume that you’re getting a good deal from non-addictive pain relievers, by the way. Milder drugs such as ibuprofen, aspirin, and acetaminophen may not get you “hooked,” but their painkilling effects are short-lived, forcing you to keep dosing yourself every few hours. These medicines can also cause health problems with frequent or heavy use, with risks ranging from stomach bleeding to liver failure.
Get Meaningful Pain Relief From a Physiotherapist
Instead of emptying your pockets on frequent drug refills that don’t even address the source of your discomfort, ask your doctor whether physiotherapy might help you wean yourself off of opioids or other pain meds (You may need medical supervision to reduce heavy opioid use safely). An experienced physiotherapist can examine the reasons for your pain and then devise a targeted, personalized pain management plan. Here are just a few of the ways physiotherapy can replace all those bottles of pills:
- If you suffer from crippling arthritis pain, physiotherapy, chiropractic, and massage therapy treatments will help settle things down.
- Severe neck or back pain can be managed through a combination of soft tissue and joint mobilization, specific exercises, and strength training.
- Chronic headache/migraine pain can be reduced through a combination of massage, chiropractic adjustments, and lifestyle or dietary changes to help you avoid known headache or migraine triggers.
- Chronic muscle spasms respond massage therapy and graduated exercise program.
- Chronic nerve pain can be controlled specific exercises and nerve mobilization techniques.
Ready to Ditch the Drugs in Favour of Physiotherapy?
If you’re going to invest time, effort and money into feeling better, do it in a way that actually helps your body for safer long-term solutions. If your doctor agrees that physiotherapy can help you ditch the drugs, contact our physiotherapist to schedule an initial appointment and work out a pain management program!