We all have pain. Whether you’ve been in an accident or are just experiencing the aches and pains that come with aging, one thing will always remain true – if you’re in pain, you need relief.
We all know about painkillers (opioids) and the relief that they can bring to even the worst ailments. But the dangers behind their addictive nature have been and continue to be ignored. Addiction to prescription painkillers is a national emergency, but just how bad is it?
The Dangers of Opioids
To shed light on this, take a look at some of these astonishing statistics from the CDC:
From 1999-2017, almost 400,000 people died from an opioid overdose
Around 68% of the more than 70,200 drug overdose deaths in 2017 involved an opioid
In 2017, the number of overdose deaths involving opioids was 6 times higher than in 1999
On average, 130 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose
Shockingly many of these addictions begin with nothing more than a routine visit to the doctor’s office.
It’s very clear that opioid addiction is a serious problem. One that needs to be brought to light now more than ever.
More interesting is that while sales of prescription opioids in the U.S. have more than quadrupled since 1999, there has been no overall change in the levels of pain that Americans report.
In 2017, the Department of Health and Human Services declared the opioid epidemic a public health emergency and announced a 5-Point Strategy to fight the crisis.
Unfortunately, the numbers since then have not improved. So, what’s the solution to fixing this growing problem?
Finding a Solution
As the nation’s attention to the opioid epidemic heightens, interest in options for non-pharmacological care for pain is also increasing.
More consideration is being given to chiropractic care as a safe, effective, drug-free solution – especially for people with back, neck and headache pain.
Doctors of chiropractic are specifically trained to diagnose, evaluate and provide non-pharmaceutical care and rehabilitation to individuals suffering from back pain, neck pain, headaches, and other related syndromes.
Opioids are not your only choice to manage your pain.
If you or someone you know is relying on prescription painkillers to alleviate pain, we urge you to look into non-pharmaceutical alternatives.
Only by educating people and offering them alternatives can we put an end to the opioid epidemic.
Are you experiencing pain?
Contact us today to see if chiropractic care could be the answer to finding the relief you need.