Stop Your Opioid Use, Once and for All, With Physical Therapy

If you’ve been struggling with serious pain for a while and gotten little relief from over-the-counter painkillers, your doctor may want to prescribe opioids to control that pain. But as tempting as it might be to numb yourself with these powerful drugs, you’re often better off saying no.

Opioid medications can create major problems in your life without actually addressing your pain at its source. That’s why the CDC recommends that patients find ways to relieve their pain through physical therapy instead. Before you take another pill for your pain, consider scheduling an appointment with a physical therapist.

Why are opioids so dangerous?

People use opioid medications as a kind of last resort for eliminating pain that less severe methods can’t control, often as the last stop before major surgery. Opioids such as morphine are used in hospitals and combat situations to ease the pain of traumatic injuries, terminal cancer, and surgical procedures. Opioids such as oxycodone and hydrocodone are also prescribed for managing severe pain at home.

Opioids are so powerful because they act directly on opioid receptors, the parts of the brain that process feelings of pain and pleasure. When an opioid fills these receptors, it blocks pain sensations while flooding the body with feelings of euphoria and well-being.

How can my pain be managed naturally?

In some ways, opioids represent too much of a good thing; in other respects, they’re inadequate for coping with long-term pain issues. Over time, these drugs can take the place of the body’s own pleasure-generating chemicals, meaning their absence causes severe withdrawal. This combination of positive and negative reinforcement results in dangerous degrees of addiction.

The other shortcoming of opioids is that they don’t actually help heal anything. Even the strongest pain-management drug can do nothing more than kill pain, and only temporarily. The underlying injury or ailment generating the pain signals is still there, possibly getting worse from day to day, affecting your function and health as well as your comfort.

Physical therapy and pain relief go hand in hand

Physical therapy not only helps ease your pain safely and naturally, it also gives your body what it needs to control or recover from the underlying problem. Here are three of the ways physical therapy can help you feel better:

• Flexibility exercises increase your range of motion. Both passive and active exercises can loosen arthritic joints or tight tissues. Over time, these exercises can loosen your muscles, promote joint lubrication, and reduce the inflammation that contributes to many pain syndromes.
• Strength training improves posture, balance, and support. Many painful problems are caused or worsened by improper posture, musculoskeletal imbalances, and structural weaknesses that place too much stress on muscles and joints. Strength training can help your body stabilize itself and support its weight more comfortably.
• Aerobic exercise can help control inflammation. A physical therapy program that includes walking, cycling, swimming, or other aerobic exercise can help control inflammation by boosting circulation and altering hormone levels, while also improving blood pressure and overall well-being.

Physical therapy is worth considering if you’re interested in treating the underlying cause of your pain instead of just numbing it, if your pain is musculoskeletal or neuromuscular in origin, if you’re facing a chronic condition that might otherwise require a lifetime on opioids, or if you’re experiencing issues such as addiction, depression, or physical side effects from opioid use, or are determined to avoid them.

These natural pain-relieving methods are just a few of the physical therapy techniques we can employ. Contact Zone Physical Therapy today to schedule an appointment with one of our physical therapists.