Opioids. They’re in the news. Lynchburg doesn’t escape the opioid issue.
Palmer Chiropractic Center sees some Lynchburg chiropractic patients
with Lynchburg back pain struggle with opioids that were, at one
time, prescribed to help them cope with
their back pain and now want to be off of them.
Palmer Chiropractic Center understands and is ready to help
Lynchburg back pain sufferers find relief without opioid
drugs. The effectiveness of opioid drugs for control of Lynchburg back
pain is doubted while spinal manipulation such as offered at
Palmer Chiropractic Center is suggested.
WHY OPIOIDS FOR BACK PAIN
Low back pain overwhelms a
back pain patient’s life. It’s no wonder
that a back pain sufferer desires a pill to get rid of the pain, a Lynchburg back surgery to get rid of
the pain’s cause now. Sometimes
it’s not that easy: the pill may have unwelcome
effects or the benefits may not last long
enough; the surgery relief may not continue or produced an unexpected outcome. Palmer Chiropractic Center values
the role of drugs for pain relief when necessary, admires
the part back surgery has in a Lynchburg back pain
sufferer’s journey toward pain relief and a better quality of life.
Palmer Chiropractic Center also offers coordinating care to those back
pain relief options and, for some Lynchburg back pain
sufferers, back surgery prevention in addition to post-back
surgery rehab and Lynchburg 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 decided that the effectiveness is poor. Opioids’ effects on pain reduction and function improvement
are small to moderate and brief compared to
placebo. The side effects, serious ones for those who use strong opioids for a
long time, were common. (1) Some patients react
better to drug therapies than others. Researchers found it hard to figure
out just how effective drugs like oxycodone and clobazam and imipramine
will be for which chronic low back pain patient. (2) Palmer Chiropractic Center understands
the Lynchburg back pain patient who seeks
for Lynchburg chiropractic care and establishes the suitable
treatment plan to produce some back pain relief.
OPIOIDS AND BACK SURGERY
Patients opt for back surgery often expecting quick pain relief that
will remove 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 eliminate the
need for opioids. Reality
shows that of 2491 adults who underwent lumbar fusion back surgery, 1045 took
long-term opioids before surgery, and 1094 took opioids subsequently. Of the pre-operative opioid patients, 77.1% kept
consuming them long-term, 13.8% occasionally, and just 9.1%
discontinued or took 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 end result? What
do patients need to know who are thinking about Lynchburg
back surgery as the ultimate answer to their Lynchburg
back pain? Lumbar fusion back surgery rarely stopped the
long-term opioid use and heightened the risk of creating
the need for 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 work to create guidelines for
back pain relief treatment. These guidelines direct that
non-effective treatments
should be avoided (systemic corticosteroids, TENS, traction,
electrical muscle stim, benozodiazepines, botulinum toxin injection, etc.) and suggest
that clinicians teach and reassure
patients, guide them to stay active and do
self-care. Acute back pain patients can do 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)
Lynchburg chiropractic care at Palmer Chiropractic Center fits these guidelines.
Palmer Chiropractic Center offers a Lynchburg chiropractic
treatment plan of spinal manipulation with
Cox Technic, exercise, rehab,
and more.
CONTACT Palmer Chiropractic Center
Schedule you Lynchburg chiropractic appointment today
with Palmer Chiropractic Center. Opioids aren’t the only way to deal with Lynchburg
back pain, particularly Lynchburg chronic
low back pain. Palmer Chiropractic Center offers hope for chronic low back
pain relief to Lynchburg back pain sufferers wanting to avoid or escape the opioid epidemic.