Physical Therapy vs Opiods

In recent years the sale of opiods through prescriptions has increased almost four-fold, in spite of research revealing that the majority of Americans aren’t experiencing any additional pain as a whole. The CDC has identified this concern as an ‘opioid epidemic’ and released stringent guidelines to control when and how these medications were distributed. While opiods are absolutely necessary for many forms of pain management, there are other options available for many sources of pain. One of those options is physical therapy, and it has the added bonus of actually reducing the amount of pain a patient is experiencing, rather than just hiding it.

Patients Should Consider Getting Physical Therapy

• When the consequences of opioid use outweigh the benefits. The use of opiods can result in addiction, fogged mental function while taking them, and of course the risk of undergoing withdrawal when you stop taking them. Opiods should not be considered as the first step in handling pain, or even a routine option for chronic pain when non-narcotic options are available.

• When the patient wants to address the source of the pain, not just mask their experience of it. Physical therapy can help restore normal function and reduce the amount of pain a patient is actually experiencing.

• When the pain source is from fibromyalgia, low back pain, knee osteoarthritis, or the hips. Physical therapy has shown excellent results when used to treat these sources of pain.

• When opiods are being expressly prescribed to handle pain, physical therapy is a superior option. The minimal dosage necessary should be used to manage the pain while physical therapy is used to help reduce the cause.

• When the pain lasts for more than three months opiods aren’t really helping, they’re just hiding the pain. Over 100 million Americans are living with Chronic Pain every year, and the majority of them are being ‘treated’ with pain medication rather than effectively tackling the cause.

Before you agree to use opiods to treat your pain you may want to consider scheduling a consultation with a physical therapist. These experts are able to provide superior options and can speak realistically about the effectiveness of physical therapy on your pain. There are significant drawbacks to having your pain treated with opiods, and many patients report the reduction of pain thanks to opiods. However, these same patients often report being less connected with life or living in a fog thanks to these treatments.

If you want to know if physical therapy can help you manage chronic pain, and reduce your dependence on the pain controlling properties of narcotics, contact Dr. Todd Bromberg at Delaware Valley and Spine for a consultation. Their staff has been helping patients like you find new ways to manage their pain and live fuller lives free from opiods. Don’t let your pain control your life or make you live with a clouded mind when other options are available, call for an appointment today.