7 Solutions for Chronic Pain Management Without Opioids
Legacy Healing Center Blog
Discover how you can manage chronic pain without pain pills.
Chronic pain is a problem across the entire globe, from severe headaches to back pain, people out there are hurting.
Unfortunately with the amount of individuals struggling with chronic pain management has risen and so has the number of prescriptions for opioids.
Opioid pain management may seem like the right way to go when someone is in extreme, chronic pain, but many of them are so powerful that they are not only causing side effects but also addiction.
Here we’re going to take a look at non-opioid pain medication as well as options for chronic pain management without opioids.
Chronic Pain Management Without Opioids
The good news is that there are many treatment options available for non-opioids pain management such as certain over the counter medication and other remedies such as massage, acupuncture and technological treatments.
Here are a few non-opioid pain management options that can be used in combination with other non-opioid pain medications to relieve pain:
1. Nerve blocks or injections – speak to a medical professional about options in regards to nerve blocks or injections that can ease muscle spasms or nerve pain. This can be local anesthetics or other non-opioid pain medication that can help slow the pain.
2. Acupuncture – Acupuncture is a great chronic pain management without opioids options because of the way it can interrupt pain signals. Speak to your doctor and do research on a good acupuncturist that has worked with pain management in order to get the most out of it.
3. Physical Therapy – Physical therapy isn’t just for someone who is recovering from an accident. Physical therapy is a great option of non-opioid pain management because a physical therapist is a physician who knows the ins and outs about rehabilitation and will be able to create activities that can not only help the ability to function but also decrease the pain.
4. Massage – A masseuse understands the muscles and bones like a physical therapist but is able to provide relaxation through techniques such as deep muscle combined with movements like in physical therapy. A masseuse or physical therapist may also use an ultrasound machine or whirlpool to help relieve build-up of pain.
Other ways to look for treatment for chronic pain management without opioids is through technological treatments.
This may be a route for individuals who unable to find relief from non-opioid pain medication. Some of these non-opioid pain management technological treatments may include:
5. Nerve Blocks – This same treatment was stated above but is used in combination with technology. Doctors use X-ray imaging, they are able to inject numbing medication that can block pain into the source. Sometimes this option requires a series of injections and repetition of treatment.
6. Radio Waves – This type of non-opioid pain management treatment involves a needle being inserted into the nerve giving off the pain and then burning it with an electric current through radio waves. When the nerve is burnt in this way, it stops the pain signal and can give relief up to one year.
7. Spinal Cord Stimulation – This type of chronic pain management with opioids may be recommended by a specialist. This type of technology uses a device that is placed in the lower back attaching it to the spinal canal. This device is used to give off a more tolerable sensation in the body, instead of pain, such as tingling or massage. When this device is inserted, patients have a remote control that can be used to send signals to the area in pain. Technology is ever-improving in this area.
At the end of the day, pain management without opioids is completely possible and the promising note is that technology is ever-evolving and research is ongoing about what can be done to help people stay healthy and live without pain.
Contact Legacy Healing Center today at 888-597-3547 to find out how the journey to recovery can be the next step!
At Legacy Healing Center, our approach to recovery is built around a holistic methodology. We look at addiction as a comprehensive issue and offer a complete set of services to heal the physical body, the mind, and the spirit. Combining research-evidenced practices from medicine and psychology, our team of highly trained professionals looks at all aspects of our clients’ lives on an individual basis. Our holistic approach to healing encompasses more than dealing with addiction through primary treatment strategies like therapy and meetings. We offer a full range of services to heal the whole person, body, mind, and spirit.