Bottom Line: In the last few years, alarming news about opioids has come to light, and it hasn’t been pretty. In 2016, over 500,000 people were hospitalized – and 33,000 died – due to these dangerous drugs. Many of these individuals were taking medications for spine-related pain. While this tragedy has fractured countless families around the world, it has also inspired a fresh look at treatment options that don’t include these dangerous drugs.

Why it Matters: Top researchers have been looking for safer alternatives to not only prevent people from getting addicted to these medications but also to help those who are already taking them ween off. What they discovered may surprise you. Not only were conservative options extremely effective at keeping people off opioids, but natural care (including Chiropractic) was cited as one of the primary options people could use to help get off these medications for good.

• Nationally, opioid-related ER visits increased 99.4% between 2005 and 2014.
• Over 500,000 hospitalizations were recorded due to opioids in 2016.
• Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to provide more pain relief than many commonly prescribed medications.

Next Steps: Addiction to opioid medications can happen to anyone – rich or poor, young or old. These drugs are potent and dangerous. The chemistry of these medications can overtake anyone’s willpower, but with a team or multidisciplinary approach, the vicious cycle can be broken, and you can get your life back. Share this article with a friend who may be struggling. It just may save their life.

Science Source:
(1) FLMedical.org
(2) Hospitalizations Related to Opioid Abuse/Dependence and Associated Serious Infections from 2002 to 2012
(3) Spinal High-Velocity Low Amplitude Manipulation in Acute Nonspecific Low Back Pain: a Double-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial in Comparison with Diclofenac and Placebo. Spine 2013