Killing Pain without Getting Addicted to Painkillers

By Staff Writer

In this modern age, we’re lucky to have such an abundant selection of medications and high-tech treatments to help us cope with pain. Whether you suffer from chronic pain, are going through physical therapy, or have recently had surgery, there is an ever-growing selection of medications doctors can prescribe to help you pull through it.

Medical science has made huge progress from as recently as a generation ago, when people had many fewer options to deal with pain, and often had to suffer through it with little or no relief.

However, there are downsides to pain medication. The side effects can be severe, and certain types of drugs can be addictive. This can cause problems for people with conditions that cause chronic or recurring pain, including fibromyalgia, arthritis, sciatica, back pain, or migraines.

With conditions like these, taking certain types of highly habit-forming medications can lead to a long-term addiction to prescription pain medications.

Because of this, recovering addicts sometimes opt to live with pain rather than risking an addiction relapse. On the other hand, there are middle-ground options – such as using pain medications sparingly, or taking drugs that are less addictive than the ones that doctors usually prescribe.  

Because there are many conditions where complete, permanent pain relief is impossible, pain experts like to use the term “pain management.” This practical approach to pain includes an understanding that the pain may never go away completely, but there are ways to deal with it that will allow you to live a normal life without addictions. 

General Treatment

For people with mild to moderate chronic pain conditions, doing the little things that we all should do anyway can have incredible benefits. A combination of muscle-building and cardio exercise done on a regular basis can build natural strength to help the body guard against pain-causing deteriorations. Depending upon your age and what you’re capable of, exercises such as walking, running, swimming and yoga can be very helpful.

Equally important is getting a healthy, balanced diet full of nutrients that the body needs to stay fit and energetic. It’s also essential to get enough sleep every night, and to sleep in a position that doesn’t cause strain.

Along with these sensible everyday practices, mild pain relievers (such as acetaminophen) or anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen or aspirin), taken as instructed on the label, may be enough to ease the pain enough for you to be able to go on with life as normal. However, if you try all of these things and the pain continues or gets worse, it’s time to see a medical professional to determine a more effective course of action.

Finally, many people who are dealing with chronic pain find that their condition causes or worsens psychological issues such as depression and anxiety. Sometimes, psychological conditions may even prevent some people from taking the basic steps that are needed to deal with physical pain, leading to a cycle of physical pain and emotional distress.

Medications with Low Addiction Risk

If taking the steps describe above doesn’t help you to cope with your pain, you may choose to talk with your doctor about prescription medications for pain. Few medications have no risk of addiction, and all prescription drugs have side effects, some of which may be severe.

When you see your doctor about chronic pain, you may need to complete a questionnaire to determine where you are on the pain scale, which will help decide which medications to use. For severe pain, the drugs tend to become more addictive and have more side effects. Opioids, for instance, are usually used in severe circumstances, as they have the potential to be highly addictive.

When it comes to pain medications, the rule within in the industry is that they’re used to treat the symptoms, not the condition. In other words, if you rely upon medications for your pain management, your condition may never improve, and it may only get worse. That’s why doctors recommend taking medications only as a supplement for other types of therapy.

Medical and Alternative Treatments

Aside from medications, the pain treatments used in the medical industry are quite varied, and they depend upon the causes of the pain. High-tech tactics such as pulsed radiofrequency therapy, neuromodulation, and ablation can be used to treat localized nerve conditions. There is also spinal chord stimulation, where an electrical generator is implanted to help control nerve signals along the spinal column.

Meanwhile, many pain sufferers find that medically guided physical therapy in combination with a variety of alternative treatment methods can work wonders. For instance, massage, meditation, aromatherapy, homeopathy, hypnosis, yoga and acupuncture are all popular treatment methods.

If you are struggling with pain, be sure to talk to your doctor to determine the safest, and most effective means of relieving your suffering.