Opioid Crisis Has Sad Unintended Consequences

A table with many different types of pills on it.


The national awareness that has been created by the opioid crisis is a great thing, and has saved many lives.  However, The New York Times Recently ran an article about some unintended consequences caused by physicians being more cautious about prescribing pain medications.  Many doctors refer patients who need pain killers to “pain clinics,†which specialize in treating those with chronic pain and often prescribe opioids.  However, even the pain clinics have become increasingly cautious.  The Times told the story of Brent Slone, who flipped his vehicle to avoid a stalled car and suffered severe injuries.  He miraculously survived, but was paralyzed from the waist down and in intense pain.  Six years after the car wreck, the pain clinic he went to cut his pain medication in half with no explanation.  He showed up at the pain clinic in his wheelchair, but they gave him no sympathy and told him he couldn’t get a refill on his prescription for six weeks.  He sent his wife a text which said “They denied script im done love you.â€Â  He then went to a local park and committed suicide.  Although his family won a nearly $7 million malpractice judgment against his doctors and the pain clinic, this was a small consolation to his wife.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/07/opinion/opioid-crisis-pain-victims.html

 

Santa Cruz, CA Caregivers Looking For Relief For Clients With Arthritis Or Osteoporosis Might Want To Turn To Vibration Therapy Or Light Therapy

Three older women are holding pink dumbbells.


With the opioid crisis, it has becoming increasingly difficult to get doctors to embrace any kind of pain medication therapy for those struggling with debilitating and painful diseases which impact the muscle and bone.  Amplitude Vibration Therapy is now getting a lot of buzz in the medical community, providing relief for a number of ailments without having to turn to prescription drugs.  It works by stimulating muscles and ligaments, which increases blood circulation and can reduce pain and inflammation, promote immune response and improve joint strength as well as more flexibility.  A recent study by the National Institutes of Health and researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa found that those living with rheumatoid arthritis showed improvements in functionality and decreased pain after using vibration therapy over three months, and an even better response after six months.

 

https://www.homecaremag.com/june-2021/buzz-vibration-therapy

 

Best of all, vibration therapy doesn’t bring the feeling of electric shock that is commonly associated with some other therapies.  Clinical studies suggest vibration therapy may offer benefits for patients with arthritis, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis and other ailments. It is also a trendy workout recovery option due to ease of use. A study completed earlier this year indicates that five minutes of low-level vibration therapy was as effective as a 15-minute massage at reducing muscle soreness and improving recovery time after strenuous exercise.

Potential Benefits of Vibration Therapy:

  • Increased blood and lymphatic circulation
  • Reduced pain and inflammation
  • A boosted immune response
  • Additional joint strength and flexibility
  • Increased healing of fractures, strains and sprains
  • Decreased stress and increased energy levels
  • Assistance in detoxification and removal of wastes from the body
  • Safe and effective

Source : www.brownmed.com

Locally, Sol Santa Cruz provides a number of different therapy programs for those in pain, including exercises like Pilates, Active Relief and Light Therapy.

https://solsantacruz.net/about-us/featured-services/a-perfect-light/

Commonly Treated Conditions

  • Back pain
  • Ligament injuries
  • Muscle strains
  • Contusions and bruising
  • Arthritis
  • Muscular atrophy
  • Chronic pain conditions
  • Muscle aches and pains
  • Tendinitis

Source : Sol Santa Cruz

 

Experiment with these traditional and non-traditional treatments and see what is best for you.  You may be surprised at how your body reacts.  My chiropractor has evolved over the years to combining massage therapy, ultrasound, laser therapy and other services which are sued to relieve chronic pain along with traditional chiropractic treatments.  I’ve been very pleased with the results.

 

https://drbarkalow.com/services/