Alternatives to Opiods for Pain

Over-the-counter pain medications like acetaminophen (Tylenol) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) like ibuprofen work well for many people with a variety of types of pain. Adjuvant medications, which aren’t designed to treat pain but have been found to help manage it nonetheless, include certain antidepressants, anti-seizure medications and sedatives.

Pain related to the joints, tendons and bursae often respond well to steroid injections. Cortisone injected directly into the area of pain works well to manage pain, but injections are a short-term solution and typically part of a broader pain management plan.

Exercise can reduce the severity of some types of chronic pain. An exercise program specific to your pain needs will help boost core strength and improve flexibility, range of motion and balance.

Pain skills workshops teach specific skills, strategies and techniques to reduce pain and help to cope with it. These include techniques for reducing stress and utilizing distractions; optimal self-care skills; good sleep hygiene; and self-massage.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on changing dysfunctional or unhelpful thought and behavior patterns to help change your perception of pain. It helps with development of self-confidence for managing pain, and improves mood.

Stress can cause physical pain and worsen existing pain. Lowering stress and reducing the body’s stress response, including muscle tension, elevated heart rate and body temperature, is central to pain management for many people. Effective stress reduction techniques include meditation, guided visualization, progressive relaxation and deep breathing exercises.

A physical therapist will create an exercise regimen that improves functioning and decreases pain. Physical therapy may also include heat therapy, deep-muscle massage and other interventions.

This therapy provides short-term pain relief-especially for muscle pain-by sending low-voltage electrical signals to the area of pain. Researchers believe this interrupts the nerve signals to the brain and stimulates the body’s natural painkillers.

Acupuncture involves long, thin needles that are inserted into specific points on the body. This practice is believed to improve energy flow through the body, stimulate the immune system and reduce pain. A review of studies published in the Archives of Internal Medicine involved 18,000 pain patients and found that acupuncture relieved pain by about 50 percent.

Opting for opioid alternatives to manage your pain is safer than using opioids, and it often works as well as-or better than-opioid medications. The right combination of non-opioid treatment therapies can reduce your pain and help you better cope with it. A holistic approach to treating your chronic pain will help reduce pain and improve your overall quality of life and sense of wellbeing for the long haul.