5 REASONS TO CHOOSE PT OVER OPIOIDS
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sales of prescriptionopioidshavequadrupled in theUnitedStates,even though “there hasnotbeenanoverallchange in theamountofpain thatAmericans report.”
supporting exercise as part of a physical therapy treatment plan for those familiar conditions. 4. Opioids are prescribed for pain. Even in situations when opioids are prescribed, the CDC recommends that patients should receive “the lowest effectivedosage,”andopioids “shouldbecombined”withnonopioid therapies, such as physical therapy. 5. Pain lasts 90 days. At this point, the pain is considered “chronic,” and the risks for continued opioid use increase.An estimated 116 million Americans havechronicpaineachyear.TheCDCguidelinesnotethatnonopioidtherapies 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.
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 todomore than mask thepain. Opioids reduce thesensationof painby interruptingpainsignals to thebrain.Opioidsmake itsoyoucan’t feel the pain, but, they do not treat the source of 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, or fibromyalgia. The CDC cites “high-quality evidence”
“Physical Therapy vs Opioids: When to Choose Physical Therapy for Pain Management.” American Physical Therapy Association. N.p., 15 June 2016. Web. 10 Feb. 2017.
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