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

June 12, 2018

Opioids. They’re in the news. Groton doesn’t escape the opioid issue. Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office sees some Groton chiropractic patients with Groton back pain struggle with opioids that were, at some point, prescribed to help them cope with their back pain and now desire to be off of them. Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office understands and is prepared to help Groton back pain sufferers find relief without opioid drugs. The effectiveness of opioid drugs for control of Groton back pain is doubted while spinal manipulation such as offered at Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office is recommended.

WHY OPIOIDS FOR BACK PAIN

Low back pain burdens a back pain patient’s life. It’s no wonder that a back pain sufferer wants a pill to get rid of the pain, a Groton back surgery to get rid of the pain’s source 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 last or produced an unexpected outcome. Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office appreciates the role of drugs for pain relief when necessary, admires the part back surgery has in a Groton back pain sufferer’s trip toward pain relief and a better quality of life. Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office also offers complementary care to those back pain relief choices and, for some Groton back pain sufferers, back surgery prevention as well as post-back surgery rehabilitation and Groton 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 brief compared to placebo. The side effects, serious ones for those who use strong opioids for a long period of 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) Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office understands the Groton back pain patient who comes for Groton chiropractic care and establishes the suitable treatment plan to get some back pain relief.

OPIOIDS AND BACK SURGERY

Patients choose back surgery often for pain relief or a quick fix 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 fix the problem and not have to take opioids anymore. Reality shows that of 2491 adults who underwent lumbar fusion back surgery, 1045 took long-term opioids before surgery, and 1094 needed opioids after surgery. 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, but 44.8% continued with a higher dose. Of those who didn’t use any opioids before back surgery, 12.8% became long-term users. What was the end result? What do patients need to know who are considering Groton back surgery as the ultimate answer to their Groton back pain? Lumbar fusion back surgery seldom 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 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 suggest that clinicians coach and encourage patients, guide them to remain active and perform 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) Groton chiropractic care at Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office suits these guidelines. Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office offers a Groton chiropractic treatment plan of spinal manipulation with Cox Technic, exercise, rehabilitation, and more.

CONTACT Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office

Schedule you Groton chiropractic appointment today with Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office. Opioids aren’t the only option for Groton back pain relief, particularly Groton chronic low back pain. Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office offers optimism for chronic low back pain relief to Groton back pain sufferers desiring a way to avoid or escape the opioid epidemic.

Chiropractic spinal manipulation at Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office is worthwhile over opioids for back pain control.

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