How to Manage Pain without Prescription Drugs: Opioid Alternatives
The opioid epidemic has been ravaging the United States for the past few years, with no end in sight. In 2015, more than 33,000 Americans died from an overdose of an opioid drug, and the numbers have only been going up since then. With the death toll rising and no end in sight, many people are looking for alternatives to opioids for pain management, as noted by the reputed pain medicine expert Dr Brian Blick.
The past scenarios:
In the past, opioids were not seen as being particularly dangerous. In fact, they were often prescribed rather liberally for all sorts of pain management. However, as the number of overdose deaths began to rise, studies began to be conducted on the risks associated with taking these drugs.
It was found that opioids are addictive and that they can lead to overdose and death. As a result of these findings, Dr Brian Blick have become much more reluctant to prescribe opioids to their patients.
The present-day case
Nowadays, there are many non-opioid alternatives available for pain management. These include over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, as well as prescription medications such as tramadol and gabapentin.
There are also non-medication alternatives, such as acupuncture and massage therapy. These alternatives have been shown to be effective for many people suffering from chronic pain.
What does the future hold?
The future of pain management looks promising. With the development of new technologies such as gene therapy and nanotechnology, there is hope that even more effective pain management treatments will be developed in the future.
These new treatments will be much safer than opioids and will not carry the same risks of addiction and overdose. If these new treatments can live up to their promise, then the opioid epidemic may finally come to an end.
Conclusion:
The future of pain management looks promising with the development of new technologies such as gene therapy and nanotechnology. These new treatments hold the promise of being much safer than opioids while still being effective at managing chronic pain.