Treating Pain Without Opioids
Treating Pain Without Opioids:
Why You Should Consider Alternatives to Opioids
- While there are a time and place for opioids, other pain management techniques are available to help reduce pain without the fear of overdose or addiction. Some of the reasons to consider treating pain without opioids include:
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- It reduces the risk of overdose
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- Opioids do not address the source of the pain
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- Opioids do not increase function
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- Opioids may increase pain and pain sensitivity over time (doctors call this condition enhanced pain sensitivity)
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- Opioids don’t relieve neuropathic (nerve) pain
An estimated 20 percent of Americans experience chronic pain.1 There are many non-opioid pain treatment alternatives. Frequently, a combination of pain-relieving techniques can help reduce reliance on opioids for managing pain.
If you or a loved one currently takes opioids for pain management, consider speaking to your physician about potential non-opioid treatment options. By working with your doctor and exploring new ways of relieving pain, you may find relief without using opioids.
Treating Pain Without Opioids:
Physical Non-Opioid Pain Management
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine that involves inserting small, thin needles into key areas of the body to re-direct energy flow in the body. Several studies suggest that acupuncture works particularly well at addressing chronic back and neck pain, knee pain, and headache. There is also some evidence to suggest that acupuncture may help prevent migraines.
Some people don’t like the idea of acupuncture because they’re afraid of someone sticking and leaving needles in their bodies. However, the needles are very small and thin. They aren’t meant to inflict pain, but instead, they relieve pain by releasing endorphins, the body’s natural pain-killing chemicals, and work to improve an overall sense of well-being.
Exercise
Exercise involves moving, stretching, and engaging in physical activity. Though it may seem counterintuitive, exercise can help some people address chronic pain. Exercise helps maintain a healthy weight, which helps to reduce pain related to conditions like arthritis. Also, exercise helps to relieve stress and anxiety while also releasing chemicals in the brain called endorphins. These are feel-good chemicals that can help reduce pain naturally and increases a sense of well-being.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews conducted a review of studies about exercise and pain relief.1 They included 21 studies that enrolled more than 35,000 participants. Some of the pain-related conditions they studied included low back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, spinal cord injury, and patellofemoral (knee) pain.
Researchers found that exercise helped to reduce pain severity and improved physical function in people with chronic pain. Those with chronic pain who engaged in exercise also reported an improved quality of life compared to those who did not exercise.
It’s important to understand that some people may have medical conditions that prevent rigorous exercise. It’s always important to talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program if you have concerns about physical ability. Doctors may be able to suggest adaptive exercises or low-impact movements that would work better for you.
Nerve Blocks
Nerve blocks are a pain treatment approach where a doctor injects a local anesthetic into the skin and around nerves that are responsible for the pain. While doctors can’t block all nerves, they can typically block abdominal, knee, back, and shoulder pain. Sometimes, doctors will insert special catheters (small, thin plastic tubes) that can deliver continuous amounts of a local anesthetic to provide longer-lasting pain relief.
Non-Opioid Medications
Opioid medications like morphine, fentanyl, and hydrocodone aren’t the only medicines that can relieve pain. There are over-the-counter(OTC) medications that provide pain relief. The benefit of these medicines is that they don’t have the addictive potential of opioids. While it is possible to overdose on some OTC medications, the amount you’d have to take is extremely high.
Examples of non-opioid medications used to treat pain include:
Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
Aspirin (Bayer)
Naproxen Sodium (Aleve)
These medications often work to relieve inflammation and reduce pain in the body. They’re inexpensive and usually available as generic options. When used in combination with other treatments, like physical therapy, non-opioid medicines can effectively help manage pain.2
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is the use of exercises and equipment like whirlpools, massage, and ultrasound therapy to help stretch and strengthen muscles and tendons in the body. Physical therapy can help build up muscles around injuries, so there is less demand on the injured area.
Physical therapy also helps address what’s causing pain in the first place. By rehabilitating an injured part of the body, a physical therapist can teach ways to improve overall functioning. This education has the power to help a person feel better long-term.
Radiofrequency Ablation
This approach involves using radio waves to relieve pain. To do this, a doctor will insert a thin needle near the nerve sending pain signals to the brain. They then use electric current to damage or destroy the nerve. This will prevent the nerve from transmitting pain signals for some time.
If the approach sounds similar to nerve blocks, it is. However, according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists, using radio waves can last up to a year.
Spinal Cord Stimulation
Spinal cord stimulation is a special device that doctors can implant near the spinal cord. The device itself is in the lower back and has special wires that go to the spinal cord. A special remote control can be used by the person when pain sensations occur. The spinal cord stimulator releases signals that help to “interrupt” traditional pain signals. Instead of feeling a sharp or stabbing pain, they may instead feel a tingling sensation.
In addition to treating problems like back pain, spinal cord stimulation also helps to reduce symptoms in people with peripheral neuropathy, which is a common source of pain and numbness in people who have diabetes with nerve damage.
Therapeutic Massage
Therapeutic massage involves using the hands to knead and rub the skin to help relieve muscle tension. Other benefits of therapeutic massage include:
Reducing joint pain
Relieving stress
Reducing anxiety
Some researchers think that therapeutic massage helps to reduce pain by stimulating the surrounding nerves that aren’t transmitting pain signals.3 Basically, the massage and stimulation to healthy nerves drown out the signals of pain, resulting in an overall improvement in well-being.
Several studies have shown the benefits of massage for those with chronic pain. A 2014 study published in the Annals of Family Medicine found that hour-long massage sessions two to three times a week helped to relieve chronic neck pain when compared to shorter massage sessions or no massage at all.3
There are many different types of massage. Sometimes, a person may be afraid the massage will be too “deep” or strenuous on their body. That’s why doctors recommend finding a licensed massage therapist that can help a person identify the best approach to massage with consideration to overall health and pre-existing medical conditions. If there is an active or inflamed area of skin, the massage therapist should know to avoid that area of skin to prevent the further transmission of the infection.
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Therapy
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy involves using special devices that send out low-voltage electrical signals. The device is typically worn and is called a TENS unit. The device has small electrodes on it that can transmit electricity to the skin.
Doctors are the first to admit, they don’t know exactly why TENS units work. They think that the therapy may stimulate the feel-good chemicals called endorphins and that it interrupts pain signals between the brain and body.
Yoga
Yoga is a therapeutic approach that involves engaging in a series of stretching exercises. Yoga practitioners also commonly engage in breathing exercises to focus the minds while bending and stretching in different poses.
There are many options to participate in yoga, including taking a yoga class at a gym, exercise studio, or community center. There are also a variety of yoga videos available on streaming sites and YouTube that anyone can watch at their home. This makes yoga a low-cost option to relieve chronic pain. Typical yoga sessions include deep breathing and moving through several different poses.
Yoga doesn’t have to mean a person can bend and twist like a pretzel. A lot of different adaptive yoga positions are available for people of all movement abilities. Some people can even perform yoga from a seated position, which is very helpful for those with chronic pain who are wheelchair-bound.
According to the Harvard University Press, several studies support the use of yoga in treating chronic pain.4 For example, an analysis of 17 studies found yoga helped improve daily functioning for patients with fibromyalgia with osteoporosis-like symptoms and back pain. Another study found that weekly yoga sessions helped improve mobility and reduced pain in people with chronic lower back pain.
Treating Pain Without Opioids:
Mental Non-Opioid Pain Management→
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- See also:
- Medication Assisted Treatment for opioid addiction
- Guide to Fentanyl