Back Pain, Opioid Use, & Chiropractic

Back Pain, Opioid Use, & Chiropractic

There are no miracle pills, and there is no greater testament to that than the misfortunate misuse of opioids. Nearly 50,000 people died in the United States in 2019 as a result of opioid-related overdoses, and that number spiked to over 60,000 in 2020. Prescription pain medications (hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, etc.), heroin, and synthetic opioids like fentanyl are great at numbing all sorts of pain, but at the cost of being some of the most addictive drugs on the market. One wrong move, and you could lose everything you’ve ever loved to them.

With all this in mind, many people are hesitant to try opioids as an option for relieving severe pain, and there are many more people who are trying to reduce their dependence on opioids. Here at Vitality Precision Chiropractic, we believe that chiropractic care may provide a safe, natural, and drug-free route for those in need.

What Opioids Are

Opioids are a class of medicines found in the opium poppy plant that work in the brain to create a number of effects, the most common of which is pain relief. Opioids can be either prescribed as prescriptions (commonly referred to as painkillers) or illegal substances (such as heroin). They are considered Schedule II controlled substances due to their highly addictive nature and are only available by way of prescription or illegal purchasing.

What Went Wrong

So, what is it about opioid addiction that makes it an American crisis? The quick and dirty about it is that the American Pain Society, in tandem with many others in the pharmaceutical industry, dishonestly marketed opioids as non-addictive and completely safe in the mid-late 90s. This led to a rise in prescriptions that weren’t always given or taken responsibly, leading to the first wave of addicts.

Since then, the government has cracked down on and criminalized opioid use outside of prescriptions. However, this has only given the substances a sort of forbidden allure for those curious, as well as a large amount of stigma against those addicted. This has led to addicts not seeking help, which ultimately leads to their addictions getting worse until they either hit rock bottom or die.

Chiropractic: the Natural Alternative Back pain is one of our society’s most common complaints nowadays. Chronic back pain can lead to a reliance on medicine for relief, and many people have shared their stories of suffering from back pain or undergoing back surgery only to become addicted to opioid painkillers. Fortunately, not only is chiropractic a completely holistic option, but there have also been studies that suggest that it can help reduce opioid dependence. If you’d like to learn more, contact us at our office in Rochester Hills and speak with Dr. Thomas Madigan and Dr. Brendan Shanahan. Leave your worries at the door—we’re here to help you heal, not to judge you.