Many patients who come to Spine LLC are on chronic opioid pain medication because they have been led to believe that opioids are the only solution for pain management. These patients have often been through multiple surgeries and therapies, to no avail. At Spine LLC, we believe that there are alternative options to chronic opioid pain medication.
Opioids Do Not Treat Pain; They Mask It
The problem with using chronic opioids is that they do not treat the pain. They simply mask the pain. Over time, the effect from taking opioids diminishes. And while opioids may be used short-term to help patients cope with the discomfort, the pain must be treated at its source in order to truly be effective.
Chronic Opioid Use Is Harmful
Chronic opioid use does not improve quality of life. In fact, it increases your sensitivity to pain. Taking opioids can also increase health complications. There are unpleasant side effects from chronic opioid use that include addiction, sleep disturbance, poor sleep quality, and interference with other medications, including psychiatric medications. As well, chronic opioid users may suffer from constipation and decreased bowel motility that can become serious enough to cause a blockage. Opioids can also elicit hormonal balances, thereby affecting mood, libido, and mental health.
Overall, chronic opioid use decreases quality of life. Opioids are highly addictive. Even if you are taking opioids for a legitimate need, it is quite easy to develop an addition, and the longer you take them, the more likely addiction becomes.
Reduce Your Use of Opioids and Treat the Pain
At Spine LLC, we use a multi-modality treatment plan: treatment of pain with non-opioid modalities to decrease opioid dependence, including non-opioid medication; physical therapy modalities; home exercise treatments; weight reduction coaching; injections, including nerve blocks; radiofrequency ablation; steroid injections; spinal cord stimulation; and other treatments. This approach not only increases quality of life and reduces reliance on opioids but also directly treats the underlying cause of chronic pain.
Don’t Settle for a Life of Pain
If you are living with pain and believe that opioids are your only solution, please make an appointment to be evaluated at Spine LLC. We often are able to help patients who believe there is no hope. At Spine LLC, our focus is on giving our patients the ability to reclaim their lives through better pain management, more innovative healing therapies, and increased functional ability. We specialize in treating pain conditions applying a spectrum of proven therapy options ranging from conventional procedures to the latest technology- and science-based approaches. Get in touch today.
Step away from chronic pain.
