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esAlternatives to Prescription Drugs
Chronic pain is debilitating. You have seen firsthand how it has affected your quality of life. Things that you used to do without thinking twice now require extreme effort, if you are able to do these things at all.In addition to the physical pain, the emotional toll brought about by chronic pain is devastating.
It can feel as if your own body has turned on you and has become a prison. Since friends and family members do not understand the pain that you are in, instead of giving you the emotional and mental support you need, they unintentionally become a source of stress and frustration.Medical professionals may add to your burden because either they doubt you are in pain, or they only want to treat your pain with pharmaceuticals.
And while there are many pharmaceuticals that are effective at relieving pain, they have their downsides.Some, such as opiates, are extremely addictive. Others take a toll on your liver or heart and can leave you dealing with systemic health issues.Thankfully, there are alternatives to prescription pain relievers that can bring you a measure of pain relief and help you get back to living the life you want.
The Changing Opinion among the Medical Community
Just a few years ago, if you would have told the doctor that you wanted an alternative pain relief option, they might have looked at you with skepticism.
Now, because of the demand by consumers, the medical community sees alternative pain treatments as a standard practice of care. As one doctor says: “The line between them (alternative pain treatments) and mainstream treatment is pretty blurry now.”
Effective Nonprescription Pain Management
It is important to understand that not every alternative pain management technique works for every type of pain. Some may help you with your osteoporosis or your arthritis but may have little to no effect on your nerve pain.
Our goal is to work with you until we find an alternative form of pain management that works for you. The following are some of the tools we have at our disposal:
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is quickly going from the realm of alternative medicine to becoming a mainstream pain treatment. Studies have shown it to be effective in managing pain associated with fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, spinal injuries, and sports injuries.
Marijuana
While there is some controversy about the use of marijuana for recreational purposes, there is strong evidence to show that when used medicinally, marijuana has a modest effect on certain types of nerve pain, most notably the pain connected to multiple sclerosis or from HIV.
Supplements and Vitamins
Supplements and vitamins can help with certain types of pain. For example, fish oil has been shown to be effective in relieving pain associated with inflammation. Topical capsaicin, which is a derivative of the chili pepper, has been shown to relieve pain associated with arthritis, diabetes, and nerve pain. There are some potential risks associated with abusing or mixing certain supplements and vitamins. For this reason, your pain management treatment must be done under supervision.
Massage
There is no question that getting a massage is relaxing. But there is strong evidence that massage can ease pain, especially pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis, musculoskeletal injuries, and fibromyalgia.
What You Can Expect from Us
We understand pain. We have had the privilege of working with many clients over the years, and we have seen firsthand how difficult it can be for them as they search for a way to manage their chronic pain. We empathize with the pain that our clients feel and help them eliminate or manage their pain.
Since the pain that every single one of our clients feels is uniquely theirs, the first step we take when someone walks into our clinic is to sit and listen to them. We want to understand their pain history, what steps they have taken in the past to address their pain, and what has worked and what has not.
After we listen to you, we are going to work with you to create a pain management program that suits your needs. We will never insult you by presenting you with a one-size-fits-all, cookie-cutter style pain management treatment. These just don’t work. For a treatment to work, it must be tailored to you.
Our goal is to create both a long-term and a short-term treatment plan. The short-term plan has the goal of getting you back to living your life with the least amount of pain as soon as possible. The long-term goal is to allow you to continue living without pain for years to come.
We will never doubt nor criticize your pain. We understand that all pain is real and all pain can be managed. Contact us today, and schedule an appointment in our clinic. Let us use our years of experience to help you get the pain management treatment you deserve.
If you’re living with chronic pain, it only makes sense that you would want to consider alternative treatments.
But remember, pain management is not a simple process. Your alternative treatments should be integrated with the overall plan for pain management.
The last thing you want to do is to try to practice these techniques on your own, without the assistance of trained medical professionals. That’s what we are here for. We will sit down and talk with you and look at the pros and cons of the different alternative approaches.
Our goal is to identify what combination of treatments will produce the best results.