For many people experiencing pain, it is easy to turn to medication as a way to mask your symptoms. However, this can sometimes prove to be a dangerous decision. Instead, seeking the help of a physical therapist can help provide you with natural, long-lasting pain relief.
If you’ve ever sustained an injury, you know that it can turn your daily life upside down. Whether it’s a car accident, a sports-related injury, workplace injury, or even an accidental fall, the pain from a sudden injury can leave you feeling hopeless. To fight this, many people turn to pain-relieving drugs, such as opioids.
While pain medication can be necessary, the side effects can be harmful and even addictive. Opioid dependency is becoming one of the top health concerns across the United States, but physical therapy can help reverse that.
We all know opioids are dangerous – how dangerous are they?
When people turn to over-the-counter medications to help ease the pain, there aren’t many significant health risks. For the most part, Advil, Tylenol, and Ibuprofen are safe to use in moderation. But with severe pain, such as the pain that follows an injury or surgical procedure, prescription-strength medications are typically taken as a way to find relief. However, with severe pain comes severe medication, as well. Opioids are the most commonly used medication to treat severe pain across the United States, and they contain some shockingly harmful facts:
- Opioids are a highly addictive substance and are the most commonly abused prescription medication.
- Opioids are a highly dangerous class of substances. Heroin is among the opioid category, as well as prescription pain relievers like oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, and more.
- More than 2 million people in the United States become addicted to pain medication every year, many of the medications being opioids.
- About a quarter of heroin addicts began their addiction through prescription opioid dependency.
- These facts, while disturbing, cannot be ignored. They paint a bleak picture regarding prescription pain medication use across the United States, to the point where experts believe it has become an epidemic. You don’t need to have a history of addiction to become dependent on opioids – in fact, many people who become addicted have never had any issues with drug dependency in the past.
Even responsible people, with jobs and families, have become dependent on opioids as their pain became more severe and the drugs became more addictive. Fortunately, physical therapy can help provide the same pain relief in a much safer, healthier, and natural way.
Physical therapy – the natural, safe, and effective option
Physical therapy is a natural alternative to pain management and relief, and it is vastly different than popping a pill. While it may not mask the pain entirely, as prescription-strength medications can, it WILL provide you with the resources for overcoming your pain in the long-term. A physical therapist will create a personalized treatment plan for you that will focus on developing strength, improving your range of motion, and ultimately giving you the ability to overcome the cause of your pain with regular guidance and support.
Your primary physician will typically recommend physical therapy as part of your rehabilitation following surgical repair or recovery. You will receive precise instructions and guidelines that pertain to your injury, as well as to your level of strength, physical abilities, and personal goals. With physical therapy treatments, you will be able to rebuild your strength, regain optimum function, and heal from your injury or procedure.
Get started on the first steps of a PT treatment plan today!
Before masking the pain with a harmful medication, you can make the choice to get effective help from physical therapy treatments. If you are in pain and looking for relief, Contact Optimum Physical Therapy and Sports Rehabilitation today!