​7 Alternatives to Chronic Pain Medication

Chronic pain can impact your life in ways that go beyond discomfort. For the over 50 million Americans who suffer from it, chronic pain can make it hard to sleep, hard to concentrate, and even hard to eat. Plus, pain can make it hard to do daily activities, like walking or even sitting on the couch. In many cases of chronic pain, doctors will prescribe opiates to help provide relief. While opiates can reduce or eliminate pain, they are not a perfect solution.

Opioids are strong medications that can alleviate pain. While they are fine for short-term pain, such as when healing from an injury or from surgery, they can cause issues if they are taken over a long period of time. Opioids are very addictive and can cause dangerous side effects, such as respiratory issues, and mental issues such as anger and depression. Because of this, many patients choose to use alternatives that do not have the same side effects or come with the same risk of addiction. Here are 7 alternatives to chronic pain medication.

Chiropractic Treatment

The back is particularly susceptible to chronic pain. Your back carries a big load all day long. If you have bad posture when you are walking, sitting, or lying, then the muscles around your spine will stop providing the right support, leading to discomfort and pain. Chiropractic treatments that involve manipulating the spine to keep it loose and straight have become more popular in recent years. Regular treatments will keep your back pain-free and allow you to function normally throughout the day.

Yoga

Yoga is also a manipulation treatment, but it focuses on flexibility and balance. It can help strengthen and lengthen your muscles and keep your body aligned. Often chronic pain is the result of muscles being out of alignment and taking on too much pressure. Yoga can help prevent that from happening by keeping the body strong and flexible. It is very effective for pain that’s related to muscle cramps, arthritis, and joint pain.

Vitamins and Supplements

You can also use non-addictive and side-effect-free supplements and vitamins that help with the pain. For instance, fish oil can help reduce swelling and inflammation in the gut. Topical capsaicin, which is derived from peppers, is thought to relieve nerve pain and arthritis. Glucosamine can also help with chronic arthritis pain and helps you gain more flexibility. Even though they are safer than opiates, supplements can still be dangerous. Some of them may thin the blood, and some could damage your nerves or organs if you take doses that are too high. Always consult with an expert before taking a regimen of supplements.

Marijuana

Marijuana, especially for medical reasons, is becoming legalized in more places around the world and here in the United States. There are many good reasons for that. One of the top ones is how effective it can be to treat and relieve chronic pain. It is particularly effective for nerve pain, and it can help those who suffer from chronic nausea due to treatments such as chemotherapy. To get it, you must have a medical marijuana card in NY. This proves that you have a condition that can be treated with marijuana and will allow you legal access to purchase it.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a strange option, and intimidating to some people, but there is evidence that it can help with chronic pain. Patients go to acupuncture treatments to help with a variety of ailments, including osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, soft tissue injuries, and back pain. There is no good scientific theory as to why it works, although it may somehow affect the nerves that send pain signals to the brain. There are no side effects other than the small punctures, and you can go about your day as normal after treatment.

Exercise

Chronic pain can often be chalked up to muscles in the body that aren’t able to handle their responsibilities anymore. They are regularly squished in awkward positions due to bad posture, or they are called upon to do physical activities for which they aren't strong enough. Regular exercise will help to keep muscles loose and flexible, and will also keep them strong. That way they will be better able to withstand being placed in uncomfortable positions and having to take on extra weight and pressure. Certain exercises will also help with posture itself, which can prevent many causes of chronic pain.

Therapy

Sometimes, pain doesn't have a physical cause. It can also be caused by issues in the brain. Depression is strongly linked to causing chronic back pain and headaches. When the brain is stressed, it can manifest itself in the body. It could also be that being stressed or anxious can cause the muscles to be tense for long periods of time, which can cause aching and pain. Therapy can help deal with the root cause of depression or other mental health issues, and possibly relieve the stress the brain is putting on the body.

As you can see, you don’t have to take the risk of ingesting opioids if you are experiencing chronic pain. Try any one of these alternatives and you could get pain-free without medication.