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Do you experience chronic pain? If so, you are in good company—millions of others are in the same boat.
Chronic pain is severe, life altering and difficult to control. Many who live with this condition will admit that they feel trapped in and helpless against the unceasing aches that trouble them on a daily basis. With good reason, some of these individuals have turned to prescription drugs to quell their pain.
Canada’s Problem with Opioids
Most individuals who take pain medications, especially prescription opioids, consider them both a blessing and a curse. Although these drugs usually ease pain, opioids come with a host of unwanted side effects. The article entitled Canada’s Prescription Opioid Crisis reports:
“There is a prescription opioid crisis in Canada. While these drugs are effective in treating acute pain, and pain near the end of life, the evidence to support long-term use in patients with chronic pain is weak, and for many people the harms exceed the benefits. Prescription opioids are also highly addictive and easily misused.”
Canadians spend over $20 billion on prescription drugs each year. A fair percentage of this figure is spent on pain medications. While it is certainly not wrong to responsibly take prescription drugs for legitimate reasons, more and more people are becoming interested in breaking away from prescription drug use via natural methods of pain relief.
There are multiple drug-free therapies that are reported to control and even erase aches and pains. One powerfully effective therapy is physiotherapy. Can physiotherapy help YOU avoid prescription drug use?
Can Physiotherapy Naturally Control Your Pain?
For some, physiotherapy is the magic bullet that nips pain in the bud. This therapy is effective because it heals the underlying roots of pain and doesn’t merely decrease a patient’s symptoms. Physiotherapists, who are experts on human anatomy, understand why pain emerges and how to treat it. They work with individuals to strengthen and stretch their muscles and work their joints, which can decrease inflammation and pain. (Contrary to popular belief, it’s typical for physical activity, not rest, to quell aches and pains.)
Is Physiotherapy Powerful Enough to Prevent the Need for Drugs?
It is practically undisputed among medical professionals that physiotherapy is an effective treatment for certain types of pain. But, is it powerful enough to prevent the usage of prescription drugs? For some people with specific types of pain, yes.
Diana Rodriguez of Everyday Heath says, “A January 2012 article in Annals of Internal Medicine found that doing home exercises taught by (physiotherapists) was more helpful for neck pain than drugs.” This finding indicates that physiotherapy may help some patients manage pain without prescription medications.
While there is no promise that physiotherapy will end your need for prescription drugs, there is a chance that it will. If you have chronic pain and are tired of the expense and side effects that come with drugs, you have nothing to lose by looking into physiotherapy. Contact a physiotherapist in your area today to discuss your desire to manage pain in a natural, drug-free manner.