It could even help you save money!
In America, if there's any indication that we have an opioid problem, it's that patients can obtain and use opioid painkillers 100 times the potency of morphine in the form of a sweet candy-hued sugar-coated lollipop, a cough-drop like lozenge, a concealed patch, or even a nasal spray. Furthermore, in 2016, Blue Cross Blue Shield found that the number of people diagnosed with opioid addiction including legal prescriptions has climbed to a staggering 493 percent, and according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, death from opioid overdose has become the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S.
So what can we do? Well, to start, the Denver Public Library has become the first in the nation to carry Narcan -- a medication used to reverse an opioid overdose. And addiction treatment needs to be more accessible to all, but the best place to start is with other forms of pain management.
What other forms of treatment can you try?
For one, a lot of people have great success with chiropractic care. It's a method that's been practiced in America since the late 1890s, and it's part of the NFL's standard medical treatment. In total, about 27,200 adjustments are given to NFL athletes in a 120-day period.
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Medical cannabis and CBD also seems like a viable option for Coloradans. Medicinal marijuana has been praised for its effectiveness in treating various illnesses, and according to the FDA, two medications containing cannabinoids have been approved to treat nausea and anorexia. Many more are expected to follow -- especially as it relates to pain management.
Physical therapy -- often times improving the strength and mobility of your muscles -- can help reduce pain. The more your muscles can work together to bear the load, the more stable you will be and the less sore you will be after performing your daily tasks.
Last but not least, good old ibuprofen and acetaminophen. In a study published by Dr. Andrew K. Chang, a professor of emergency medicine at Albany Medical College, a combination of Tylenol and Advil worked just as well as opioid pain relievers for the relief of pain in the ER. You can read more about it in the article in the
New York Times here.
Let's face it -- doctors are extraordinarily busy, are incessantly being harassed by drug companies, everybody's pain tolerance is different, and they're not you. They're doing the best with what they have. If you tell them you would like to try managing your pain by other means -- like physical therapy, chiropractic care, or even Advil -- they'll likely agree that's the best path and remind you that they're just a call away.
What are your thoughts? Do you have a good way to manage your pain? Let us know in the comments below!
