The Impact of Chiropractic Versus Opioids Over The Years

​The synthetic opioid fentanyl, now ubiquitous in the illegal drug market — is increasing. The State Medical Examiner reported in 2019 that there were 1,200 accidental drug deaths; this equates to an 18% spike from the previous year. The opioid crisis has become the worst drug epidemic in modern American history with over 70,000 deaths across the nation.

​Opioids are drugs that need to be cultivated from a plant, specifically the poppy plant. Once harvested, the dried ruminates of the plant can be manufactured to make morphine, opium, and heroin. This type of opioid has been used for thousands of years, dating back to 3400 BC for medicinal purposes.

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Utilization of nonpharmacological pain management may prevent unnecessary use of opioids. In a retrospective study analyzing back pain patients from 2012-2017 residing in 3 different US states, the study compared the use of primary care intervention versus chiropractic care. The results showed that patients with spinal pain who saw a chiropractor had half the risk of filling an opioid prescription. Among those who saw a chiropractor within 30 days of diagnosis, the reduction in risk was greater as compared with those with their first visit after the acute phase.

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​Opioids affect the limbic system where our dopamine reward center is located. When opioid molecules cross the blood-brain barrier, the drug latches on to GABA neurons which flood the system with all the feel-good neurotransmitters, creating a feeling of euphoria. When we consistently flood our brain with dopamine by using drugs, the only time a person feels “happy” is when they use whatever created the rush of dopamine to begin with. When the high is over, the brain is exhausted of all the feel-good neurotransmitters thus leaving the individual feeling hopeless, agitated, and sick. This, in turn, makes the person want to avoid feeling that way. This prompts the cycle of addiction. 

If you, or a loved one, suffers from pain, call our office today at (203) 842-8631
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Information provided by PubMed®
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Website: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed
Pain Med. 2020 Mar 6. pii: pnaa014. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnaa014. [Epub ahead of print]
Impact of Chiropractic Care on Use of Prescription Opioids in Patients with Spinal Pain.
Whedon JM1, Toler AWJ1, Kazal LA2, Bezdjian S1, Goehl JM2, Greenstein J3.