Introduction
Non-opioid pain management is a growing trend in the medical community as doctors and patients alike seek alternatives to addictive opioids. The use of non-opioid pain medications such as tramadol, acetaminophen (Tylenol), or ibuprofen (Advil) has been shown to be effective for treating acute pain but not chronic pain. However, say’s Dr Brian Blick, there are other options available on the market that can help alleviate both acute and chronic pain without risking opioid addiction.
The problem with opioid addiction
As an increasing number of people struggle with opioid addiction, we need to find new ways to treat pain. The problem is that opioids are addictive and often prescribed for chronic pain. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, more than 70 million Americans suffer from chronic pain–more than cancer or heart disease patients combined.
Opioids are commonly used to treat acute and chronic severe pain because they target specific receptors in the brain that block signals sent by nerves in response to painful stimuli. This causes a release of dopamine (the feel-good chemical) in your brain’s reward system, which leads you to feel better after taking these drugs. However, when someone takes an opioid repeatedly over time without having any surgeries or injuries requiring such treatment, they can develop an addiction due their brains’ ability recognize this pleasurable feeling as one worth repeating again and again–even if doing so comes at great personal cost or danger!
The problem with opioid side effects
There are many side effects associated with opioid use, including:
- Constipation and bloating
- Nausea and vomiting
- Itching (pruritus) or rash
In addition to these more common symptoms, opioids can also cause more serious problems when taken over long periods of time. These include:
- Respiratory depression (slowed breathing) that may lead to death if not treated immediately; this effect is due to the central nervous system depressant properties of opioids.
Non-opioid pain management
Non-opioid alternatives are available, but they are not a cure-all.
The first step in managing pain is to determine whether it’s acute or chronic. Acute pain lasts for less than six months and usually has an obvious cause, such as an injury or illness that has resolved itself. Chronic pain can be caused by either ongoing inflammation or nerve damage, and it can last anywhere from three months to several years without any sign of improvement or remission. Chronic conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia fall into this category; so do headaches caused by tension headaches (TMJD) or migraines–to name just a few examples!
The next step is figuring out which type of medication you should take: non-opioid alternatives? Opioids? Both? The answer depends on both your condition(s) and how severe they are: if you’re dealing with moderate discomfort but need something stronger than ibuprofen every now and again then perhaps looking into acetaminophen might help out; however if it’s more serious then maybe taking some tramadol would be better suited towards helping ease those pains away instead…
Non-opioid alternatives are available, but require support from doctors and patients.
Non-opioid alternatives are available, but require support from doctors and patients.
Non-opioid alternatives can be an effective treatment for chronic pain if used correctly. They’re not a cure-all, but they’re an important part of the solution to America’s opioid crisis–and they may be more effective than you think.
Conclusion
We are at a critical point in the fight against opioid addiction. The epidemic has reached a crisis point, with more than 115 Americans dying every day from an overdose of prescription painkillers or heroin. With this new class of non-opioid analgesics, we have the opportunity to revolutionize pain management without resorting to addictive drugs like opioids. However, these drugs will only be successful if they’re prescribed by doctors and taken by patients as prescribed–which means that every person who suffers from chronic pain needs to ask their doctor about whether non-opioid alternatives are available for treatment today!
