DON’T RELYONOPIOIDS FOR YOURPAIN 5 REASONS TO CHOOSE PT FIRST
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sales of prescription opioids have quadrupled in the United States, even though “there has not been an overall change in the amount of pain that Americans report.”
You should choose physical therapy FIRST when: 1. The risks of opioid use outweigh the
rewards. Potential side effects of opioids include depression, overdose, and addiction, plus withdrawal symptoms when stopping opioid use. Because of these risks, “experts agreed that opioids should not be considered first-line or routine therapy for chronic pain,” the CDC guidelines state. 2. You want to do more than mask the pain. Opioids reduce the sensation of pain by interrupting pain signals to the brain. Opioids make it so you can’t feel thepain, but, they donot treat thesourceof your pain. Physical therapists treat pain by finding the source and restoring movement and function. 3. Pain or function problems are related to low back pain, hip or knee osteoarthritis,orfibromyalgia. TheCDCcites “high-qualityevidence”supporting exerciseaspartofaphysicaltherapytreatmentplanforthosefamiliarconditions. 4. Opioids are prescribed for pain. Even in situations when opioids are prescribed, the CDC recommends that patients should receive “the lowest effective dosage,” and opioids “should be combined” with nonopioid therapies, such as physical therapy. 5.Pain lasts90days. At thispoint, thepain isconsidered “chronic,”and therisks for continued opioid use increase. An estimated 116 million Americans have chronic pain each year. The CDC guidelines note that nonopioid therapies are “preferred” for chronic pain and that clinicians should consider opioid therapy only if expected benefits for both pain and function are anticipated to outweigh risks to the patient.
“PhysicalTherapyvsOpioids:When toChoosePhysicalTherapy forPainManagement.”American Physical Therapy Association. N.p., 15 June 2016. Web. 10 Feb. 2017.
Is your body suffering from pain and you desire a natural solution? Call us today at 859-497-2924 to schedule an appointment with one of our doctors of physical therapy.
3041 Owingsville Road Mount Sterling, KY 40353
Phone: 859-497-2924 Fax: 859-497-2926
www.spauldingpt.com
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