Should You Stay Away From Pain Meds?

By Randi Morse

Nobody likes to be in pain, and when you find that you're in pain you may be like most people and immediately reach for a pain reliever. Pain relievers are a good option for many situations. If you strain your ankle accidentally, pain relievers can help bring the swelling down and give your ankle a chance to heal. When you're dealing with acute problems, ones that simply pop up unexpectedly and are likely to heal fairly rapidly, pain relievers are a great option. Those people who are dealing with chronic pain, however, can have a problem with pain relievers. Here are a few reasons why you should skip pain relievers if you are dealing with chronic pain.

Addictive

We are only just starting to understand the problems that have been caused due to over-prescribing pain relievers. There used to be a misconception that if a medication was prescribed, you didn't have to worry about addiction. Most prescribed pain relievers have an opioid base, which means that they are addictive. This means that while the pain relievers may work to help you feel better when you first start taking them, over time you will need to have higher and higher doses in order to escape the pain. When you stop taking those pills, you may deal with withdrawal symptoms, which can be excruciating.

Not a Cure

When your body is in pain it is trying to tell you something. Taking pain relievers, especially high strength ones, simply drowns out your body's voice. Because painkillers mask the pain, it can be difficult to tell your doctor or chiropractor all of the symptoms you are having. Without thorough knowledge of your problem, you can't expect to have correct diagnosis. For long-term care it's important that you are able to discover the source of the pain so that it can be repaired. 

Chiropractic care is an excellent way to help deal with chronic pain. At The Joint Chiropractic you will find caring personnel who can help you determine the cause of your pain and can work with you to create a plan to help minimize, or eliminate, that pain. The Joint Chiropractic has affordable rates and open office house, helping to make it easy for everyone to participate in receiving high quality chiropractic care.

To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Elgin, Ill.