Back Pain, Opioid Addiction, & Chiropractic Care

A holistic approach to opioid addiction means caring for the mind, body, and soul. In recent years, the rise in opioid addiction has been tied to the increase in opioid drug prescriptions by physicians as a method in treating moderate to severe back pain. These medications do not treat the condition as much as they simply cover the pain. Even if someone who is experiencing this kind of pain goes through medical detox, it is still going to be important to find a treatment plan to manage the discomfort or they will just end up in the same situation that they were prior to their opioid addiction. Chiropractic care can not only help with the detox process but may also help address the underlying issue that led to prescription opioid use in the beginning.

Chiropractic Care and Pain Relief

There are a few different ways that back pain can be addressed, ranging from massage to surgery. However, there is rarely and intervention that can guarantee long term success. Even surgery is not always successful on top of the fact that it is expensive and involves a significant recovery period. Chiropractic therapy is an alternative option that has been shown to help many people eliminate or reduce pain associated with the spine. Although not every person is a candidate for chiropractic care, it is an option to help many people avoid surgery, other invasive procedures, and addictive prescription medications. An alignment can actually address the issues that lead to back pain and eliminate the need for prescription opioid drugs. 

Research on Eliminating Opioid Use with Chiropractic Therapy

One meta-analysis reported numbers on chiropractic patients who sought help with muscular-skeletal conditions that were causing them pain. These individuals were almost half as likely to be prescribed opioid pain killers compare to those who when to non-chiropractic care providers for treatment of the same conditions. 

Another study looked at the use of chiropractic alignments specifically for treating lower back pain and how it correlates with prescription opioid use. The hypothesis of the study was that “Pain relief resulting from services delivered by doctors of chiropractic may allow patients to use lower or less frequent doses of opioids, leading to reduced risk of adverse effects.” The results of the study showed that recipients of chiropractic care were 55% less likely to fill an opioid painkiller prescription.

Chiropractic Therapy During Detox & Addiction Treatment

When seeking treatment for opioid addiction that is rooted in pain pill prescriptions, treating the root issue is paramount to recovery. For those who started taking prescription opioid medications to treat back pain, a doctor of chiropractic therapy may be able to help eliminate or reduce this pain so that you can detox with the comfort that sobriety does not necessarily mean a lifetime of pain. Additionally, a chiropractic alignment can help progress the detox process. 

This alternative drug treatment option is offered at Level Up Lake Worth to all patients that are good candidates for chiropractic therapy as per their physician. If you or a loved one suffers from back pain and has developed an addiction any type of opioid drugs (illicit or prescription) to manage the pain, access to spine alignments at an alternative addiction treatment center may be key to success in recovery. Call our admissions office to get started today.