Accidents and injuries are sometimes an inevitable part of life, and these days when you suffer from pain following these events, a physician will often prescribe pain medication to try and help. While pain medications can be a good option for short-term relief, they can become dangerous and addictive if taken over long periods of time. The population of the United States makes up about 5% of the total world population, but consumes about 75% of all prescription medications—and narcotic painkillers were the most commonly abused.
The problem is that millions of Americans suffering from chronic pain from workplace, automobile, or other accidents, find that their pain is difficult to live with, and turn to prescriptions because they believe that is the only way they will get relief.
Alternative Treatment Options
As the staggering statistics on prescription drug abuse mount, many doctors, healthcare professionals, and patients are looking for ways to get pain relief besides popping more pills. There are several alternative treatment options out there, and one of the best and most effective is chiropractic treatment.
Treatment Options
Chiropractic treatment is particularly effective for problems associated with neck and back injuries, which are among the most commonly reported pain issues that cause people to turn to prescription drugs. Chiropractors are trained to understand issues associated with muscle, joint, and bone injuries, and treat the underlying causes of pain rather than just masking the pain with pills. Depending on the cause of your pain, you might need:
- Spinal adjustments
- Spinal decompression
- Stretching for improved flexibility and mobility
- Acupuncture or massage to relax muscles
In addition to addressing misalignments that put pressure on your nerves and cause pain, these treatments can offer a more holistic approach to pain and effectively reduce your need for painkillers. Adding services such as massage and mobility treatments can also allow your body to recover better and make future adjustments easier, while increasing your range of motion to reduce the chance of re-injuring yourself in the future.
Prescription pain pills can effectively mask pain and offer temporary relief after you suffer from an injury, but can come with significant side effects and long-term consequences that often are not worth the relief they provided for a short time. Becoming addicted to these medications can have serious, life-altering consequences, so if you are suffering from pain, it’s worth your time to visit a chiropractor and find out if you are able to obtain long-lasting relief by addressing the underlying causes of the pain.