How To Manage Pain Without Opioids

By Author: Dr. Nick Zyrowski
Total Articles: 9
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If you’ve ever been on a narcotic pain reliever, you know they can come with a host of side effects and make you feel unwell. Many people complain about feeling fuzzy and fatigued. We also understand that so many people today deal with chronic diseases and pain that keep them from enjoying regular activities. (2) In this article, we want to give you some actionable steps to address these problems and show you some natural remedies we recommend to our patients who deal with pain.

Medication decisions

We want to stress that we are not telling you pain medications are always a bad thing. We know that often surgical procedures require a short term of pain medicine, and other conditions where there is high-level pain may help your doctor decide that pain medications are the best course of action.

Our issue with opioids is that they are given too freely sometimes, and you can become addicted to them. You may not know that opioids are actually related to the opium family, where drugs like morphine and heroin come from. (3)

With the opioid epidemic still looming in America and so many problems related to ...
... their use, we don’t recommend them for most conditions. They should also be a last resort for many chronic conditions, like fibromyalgia and arthritis.

Opioid side effects

Aside from being highly addictive, opioids come with side effects that can often be more severe than the reason they were prescribed. (4) When you take opioids, you can easily have unpleasant or even dangerous symptoms that accompany them. Some of the most common side effects reported are:

Sleepiness
Nausea
Vomiting
Constipation
Fatigue
Breathing issues

Drug names you should know

If you don’t know which medications are considered opioids, we have some of the most frequent ones prescribed. If your doctor recommends any of these medicines, you’ll want to be sure you understand the reasons and try to only take them for a short time to avoid any side effects or addiction issues.

Oxycodone
Hydrocodone
Codeine
Tramadol
Buprenorphine

Other opioids are typically not given unless you’ve had surgery or a serious medical condition, such as cancer. These are also often sold illegally.

Fentanyl
Morphine
Methadone

What about NSAIDs?

Now, you may be thinking you’ll just take some ibuprofen or acetaminophen for the pain, and you’re good to go. After all, these are over-the-counter medications, so they are safe, right? Well, not so fast. These medicines can cause many different health issues, especially if you take them frequently. (6) Here are some of the most common conditions caused by taking NSAIDs:

Kidney disease
Crohn’s disease
Ulcerative colitis
High blood pressure
Liver disease
Stomach ulcers or bleeding
Heart failure
Acid reflux

Although this is not an exhaustive list, it should give you pause when you start to take these medicines for aches and pains.

Why we recommend natural pain management

You know we believe genuine health only comes naturally and we strive to ensure our families and patients know there are other options for pain. Now, many people aren’t aware that there are other things that can help. The medical industry doesn’t spend much time on natural medicines and methods. The pharmaceutical industry has spent billions pushing medications so they can continue making more money.

It is our passion to help people become healthy and show you how you can be a wellness warrior without pharmaceutical medications. You do not have a medication deficiency, but you may have nutrient deficiencies that could contribute to pain issues.

Our top recommendations for pain relief

So, what do we recommend to our patients and loved ones who are experiencing pain? We know that having to deal with these conditions can be debilitating and frustrating. You want to enjoy life and continue with your regular activities, but how can you do that when you’re in pain? Below, we have some of our top suggestions to help you relieve pain and feel better fast.

Herbal support

For centuries, many people have used herbs to help with medical conditions like chronic pain and inflammation. They’d use ginger for its anti-inflammatory properties and pain relief. Turmeric is powerful for arthritis and other pain conditions. Boswellia is also incredible for joint and arthritis pain, infections, and autoimmune diseases.

You could purchase each of these separately, but we recommend Herbal Flam for anti-inflammatory support. It contains all these herbs, plus black pepper for a powerhouse supplement that doesn’t come with a host of dangerous side effects.

Another natural pain reliever that has helped many of our patients and that we take ourselves is Pain Eaze. This supplement is great for things like migraine headaches, back pain, joint pain, and fevers. It has a unique formula that helps regulate pain and promotes immune health. You’ll also get antioxidants to help with inflammation.

Chiropractic adjustment

If you haven’t seen a chiropractor for your pain, you are missing out on a key component of health. Not only can a chiropractor help with pain reduction, but adjustments can assist with improved mobility, better nervous system function and improved posture, and it is a non-invasive treatment method. (7) Here are a few reasons people make chiropractic appointments:

Sports injuries
Fibromyalgia
Arthritis
Sciatica
Neck pain
Lower back pain
Plantar fasciitis
TMJ
Headaches and migraines

Exercise

We understand that if you are in a great deal of pain, the last thing on your mind may be exercise. Yet, sometimes, gentle movement can ease many aches and pains. Taking a walk and getting your joints moving can reduce pain. Also, simply being in nature has been found to reduce pain for many people.

Meditation

Some may feel they don’t have time to meditate or that it is too new and doesn’t have enough benefits. Mindfulness meditation can be a powerful way to control pain issues and can also help with stress, which can cause those tension headaches and neck pain. (8)

Epsom salt baths

Epsom salt is a mixture of magnesium and sulfate. It looks like table salt but can have powerful effects on pain. All you need to do is pour some salt into your warm bath water and let it dissolve. Your skin will absorb it into your body, relax sore muscles and reduce pain and swelling from conditions like arthritis. (9) It can also be beneficial for those deficient in magnesium, which is common in today’s agriculture. Epsom salt baths are an excellent way to wind down before bed, helping you get a better night’s sleep.

Getting healthy again

If you’re sick and in pain, it can feel like your old life is out of reach. We want to encourage you and give you hope for a better tomorrow. Natural pain medicines and methods have been overlooked for far too long. If you want to feel better and need some help becoming healthy, please contact your chiropractor in Macomb MI with any questions you might have. We are here to help you feel better and get healthy with natural recommendations that don’t come with dangerous side effects.