Should You Seek Physical Therapy Before Using Opioids?
The simple answer is yes, you should!
You’ve seen the headlines, and you know that opioids are the major driver behind the widespread drug crisis in America. We also know that if you or a loved one has chronic pain, you may be feeling frustrated and confused about your options.
At Carolina Prime Physical Therapy’s physical therapy clinic in North Wilkesboro, NC, we stand with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other professional organizations that recommend physical therapy and other alternatives over prescription opioids for the management of chronic pain.
Many people simply don’t realize just how effective physical therapy can be for alleviating even the most stubborn symptoms—all without the need for drugs or invasive procedures.
We’re happy to show you exactly how physical therapy can help you start feeling (and functioning) better than ever.
Call Carolina Prime Physical Therapy today to learn more about the benefits of physical therapy over medication, and let us help you to begin feeling your best, as soon as possible!
5 reasons to choose physical therapy over medication
If you’re searching for solid reasons to lean on the help of a physical therapist instead of continuing to toss pills back with every meal, we’ve got five for you!
- Physical therapy empowers you to be the best version of yourself. Physical therapists, unlike many other healthcare providers, have a lot of face-to-face interaction with their patients and can take the time to learn about their goals, demands, and preferences. This ensures that patients are involved in their treatment programs, are well-informed about their health conditions, and have access to the exercises, stretches, and other lifestyle changes that will help them achieve their goals. Physical therapy is a hands-on activity that puts you back in control of your own health.
- Physical therapy services can benefit you in more than one way! You won’t get just one sort of treatment when you go to a physical therapist for pain relief. You’ll get a variety of services that work together to improve your overall effectiveness. What’s the end result? For you, a cost-effective and all-encompassing healing experience!
- Manual therapy stimulates healing and eases pain and tension. A physical therapist is trained in techniques like joint mobilizations and manipulations, massage, myofascial release, Active Release Techniques, and Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation.
Physical and physiological alterations in the body’s connective tissues, central nervous system, lymphatic system, and other areas can result. These methods have been shown to reduce pain and induce healing responses, which can help prevent pain from returning. - A physical therapist gets you moving! Research tells us that exercise is one of the best ways to manage chronic pain. But if a person is in so much pain they can barely get out of bed, how are they supposed to start exercising more? Enter physical therapy.
Your physical therapist can help you manage your condition as well as other variables that make exercise difficult (such as range of motion limits, tissue tension, weakness, and incoordination). A physical therapist can help you minimize your risk of various chronic diseases by assisting you in getting more exercise and showing you which activities are best for you as well as how to execute them appropriately. - Modalities a physical therapist may use to relieve pain and inflammation are non-invasive, drug-free, and safe. Practitioners of physical therapy utilize tools like diathermy, dry needling, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, and other techniques to reduce pain, muscle spasms, inflammation, and more.
Your physical therapist can help you manage your condition as well as other variables that make exercise difficult (such as range of motion limits, tissue tension, weakness, and incoordination).
A physical therapist can help you minimize your risk of various chronic diseases by assisting you in getting more exercise and showing you which activities are best for you as well as how to execute them appropriately.
Why are opioids so risky?
Opioids are the most commonly used medication for pain management across the United States. Even though they are commonplace, they contain some shockingly harmful facts:
- Opioids are a highly addictive substance and are the most commonly abused prescription medication.
- Opioids are a highly dangerous class of substances. Heroin is among the opioid category, as well as prescription pain relievers like oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, and more.
- More than 2 million people in the United States become addicted to pain medication every year, many of the medications being opioids.
- About a quarter of heroin addicts began their addiction through prescription opioid dependency.
These facts, while disturbing, cannot be ignored. They paint a bleak picture regarding prescription pain medication use across the United States, to the point where experts believe it has become an epidemic.
When people turn to over-the-counter medications to help ease pain, there aren’t many significant health risks. For the most part, Advil, Tylenol, and Ibuprofen are safe to use in moderation if you are trying to find immediate relief when recovering from a minor accident or injury.
It is important to note that opioids and over-the-counter drugs are very different.
However, if you are in excruciating pain as a result of a more serious injury you may have incurred in the accident, prescription-strength drugs may be recommended to you. However, extreme pain necessitates strong medication.
You don’t need to have a history of addiction to become dependent on opioids – in fact, many people who become addicted have never had any issues with drug dependency in the past.
Fortunately, physical therapy can help provide the same pain relief in a much safer, healthier, and more natural way.
Physical therapy can help you govern your pain without drugs, giving you a chance to break away from your reliance on opioids.
Request an appointment with us today!
Don’t just hide your pain—heal your pain from the source!
Whether your pain is caused by a sports injury, a chronic joint disorder, stroke, or something else, we invite you to schedule an appointment at our physical therapy clinic today.