Most of us have experienced pain and will experience pain throughout our lives. Whether the pain comes on gradually, from an injury or accident, or because of an illness or disease, the results are the same, learning how to manage the pain effectively. Opioid addiction has grown to an epidemic level over the last few decades and the use of opioids continues to rise. Some individuals choose opioids as an easy alternative to treating pain and others use opioids as a fix to their addiction. That being said, for most people that deal with pain, Physical Therapy is considered to be a better solution than opioids.
Physical therapy not only identifies the problem but helps to ease and correct the issue creating the pain. Vivek Murthy, MD, a former U.S. Surgeon General suggested that one of the better recommendations for many pain conditions would be to first treat with non-opioid means, and he listed physical therapy as a non-opioid therapy treatment.
There have been several factors leading to the over-prescription and overuse of opiod medications, including some amount of mis-information given to doctors regarding the potential risks and benefits of these medications. Generally speaking, opoid medications have been shown to be most effecting in use for short-term, intense pain. However, their effectiveness for many conditions, including low back pain, decreases as the condition becomes more chronic. While there are certain situations in which opiod medications are appropriate, physical therapy is often a safer and more functional long term solution, and is before needing to take prescription medications.
Lower back pain is one of the most common ailments a person experiences, and many people turn to a pain medication to continue their lifestyle with minimal interruptions. But consider this: if you were able to treat the source of the pain instead of just taking medication, then you could save yourself a lifetime of living with the pain and instead live life as you should. Physical Therapy is not only a safer treatment alternative but is also more cost effective in the long run. Opioids may relieve the pain for a short period of time, but our trained physical therapists at your local Oklahoma Physical Therapy offices will be happy to meet with you and create a personalized treatment plan so you can start living your life without pain. Contact the trained physical therapists at Oklahoma Physical Therapy to start your journey without opioids.