OPIOIDS: A Prescription for Disaster!

All we’ve been hearing about the past year or so is how devastating opioids have become, opioid abuse and how this has become a growing alarming epidemic lately! Well what are opioids, how are they suppose to work or help us, how do they cause harm, why do people take them, why are they addictive and why do people die from them? These are just some of they very alarming and disturbing questions that are in the news, and frankly, I hear almost daily from patients.

Opioids, by terminology, are a general classification of drugs belonging to the opiate family of drugs derived from opium. These drugs, including morphine, are medically primarily used for pain relief, post-surgically and pain management. Non-medically, they are used for recreational euphoric effects- “to get high”! Other opioids are semi-synthetic such as hydrocodone and oxycodone, while fentanyl is synthetic. These are all classified as narcotics and can be highly addictive even after limited use! Patients’ tolerances increase with repeated use and dependency develops with continual use whereby requiring increased dosage of the medication needed to obtain the “desired” pain-free state. This pattern also lends itself to “withdrawal syndrome” upon stopping or discontinuation of an opioid drug. And yes, heroin, especially heroin laced with fentanyl (as found in our streets and back alley ways) falls into this classification of drugs.

Here are some very alarming statistics about opioids that you may not know: 90 americans per day of opioid abuse, in 2015, more than 33,000 americans died from opioid induced overdoses, more than 2 million americans suffered from opioid substance abuse leading to addiction and over 591,000 americans suffered from heroin use disorder related to taking opioids first!

So how did this horrible, dark and alarming epidemic begin? Well, in the 1990’s, pharmaceutical companies reassured the medical community that patients would not become addicted to prescription opioid pain relievers. At that time there was a sharp spike in opioid prescriptions as many doctors began to increase their rates of ordering these dangerous addictive drugs to patients as we know them to be today. Unfortunately the medical community was mislead, which is why you see states and the federal government campaigning for education and restriction of these addictive and killer drugs as well as filing lawsuits against the drug manufacturers (pharmaceutical companies) and doctors who over-prescribed or mis-prescribed opioids.

Ok, so what was the original intended use of these highly addictive drugs we call opioids? Well in acute pain cases they were intended post-operatively following surgery, but for short-term and sparingly as needed until healed. Their long-term use should have only ever been used for moderate-severe pain where all other therapies have been exhausted or failed. Quite frankly, their only original intended use was for chronic cancer pain and other terminal illness conditions……not for daily pain-management, lack of pursuing viable treatment alternatives or out of convenience! Here’s what you’re not being told by the pharmaceutical companies or some doctors in opioid use for chronic/non-cancer pain: recent guidelines have suggested that the risk of opioids is likely greater than their benefits when used for most non-cancer or chronic conditions, including headaches, back pain and Fibromyalgia to mention a few!

Some other alarming figures about present day opioid drugs is as follows: 21-29% of patients misuse them for chronic pain, 8-12% develop an opioid-use disorder (they either need more due to tolerance buildup or become addicted), and 4-6% of patients transition to illegal heroin usage. What is startling is that 80% of the people who use heroin, misused prescription opioids first!

There are many adverse effects from taking opioid drugs, many of which you may not be aware of or were never told by your physician or pharmacy. A major one which has led to the widespread, non-discriminatory and deadly epidemic we are facing right now is tolerance. Tolerance is the continual need for more, creating physical, mental and emotional dependence, leading to the terrible and sometimes terminal or fatal addiction. You may fall into dysphoria, a state of unease or generalized dissatisfaction with life or become clinically depressed.

Hormone imbalances can occur leading to hypogonadism in males (decreased sperm counts) and low levels of LH (lutenizing hormone) in females, both of which can cause or influence problems with getting pregnant because it produces abnormal menstrual cycles and ovulation does not occur in women. Over-use, mis-use or addiction can produce Endocrinopathy (abnormal Endocrine system functioning) which has been linked to Osteoporosis and bone fractures. Unpleasurable symptoms such as excessive sweating, nausea, tremors, drowsiness, itchiness, constipation and respiratory depression (can ultimately lead to cardiac arrest) are to name but a few.

In my chiropractic office, I’ve unfortunately seen patients with headaches and myalgia associated with long-term or mis-use of opioid prescription usage. Of note, a condition can develop where people paradoxically experience even more pain than originally felt prior to taking an opioid drug called induced hyperalgesia.

There is good news though, Chiropractic care is safe and effective for treating many conditions, disorders and ailments for which people are prescribed opioids! Many acute or chronic pain conditions such as neck/mid-back/lower back pain, headaches, arthritis, TMJ disorders, CTS (carpal tunnel syndrome), extremity joint pain or dysfunction, pes planus (flat feet), plantar fascitis, bulging/herniated discs, sciatica, radicular nerve pain, torticollis, and fibromyalgia are to but a few! Chiropractors not only perform safe, gentle and effective adjustments (CMT- chiropractic manipulative therapy), manual muscle release techniques, trigger point therapy and use computerized adjusting instruments, but also have a host of therapies and modalities at their disposal such as LLL- low level laser (“cold laser therapy”), electrical muscle stimulation, ultrasound, thermo/cryo therapy, traction units, and kinesiology taping protocols to help or resolve many physical conditions that plague us everyday.

Many chiropractors are not necessarily opposed to short-term or the occasional use of low level pain killers, especially if you’re receiving corrective care like chiropractic to help resolve your condition. Drugs, be it prescription opioids, OTC (over the counter) or illegal sources don’t “fix” anything. Just because opioids or the aforementioned other sources may reduce or take away pain or symptoms temporarily, they do not permanently repair or heal your condition.

Quite frankly, as we’ve seen they are not only addictive and have a host of terrible and detrimental side effects, but they could actually worsen your condition by blocking receptors that signal the brain that something is wrong and you’re aggravating it worse and/or causing more damage. The human body has an inherent, recuperative, innate intelligence that heals itself with proper care and treatment.

Modern day chiropractic care works with this universally innate power within to help bring about homeostasis and balance by restoring communication, proper function and balance between the brain and body through a properly functioning nervous system.

Give us a call to set up a free consultation about your condition and see how we can help.