Opioid prescriptions skyrocketed from 112 million in 1992 to nearly 249 million in 2015. Experts refer to this shift as the Opioid Epidemic. Opioid pain-relieving drugs result in over thirty-two thousand deaths every year in the United States. Opioid addictions become a larger health threat as more people than ever seek relief from pain at the expense of quality of life and terminal addiction. Serious side effects of opioid use include sedation, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, constipation, physical dependence, tolerance, and respiratory depression.
Most opioid prescriptions treat a form of muscle or skeletal pain. Military servicemen and women rank among those most plagued with opioid dependency. Training injuries and on-duty traumas account for the most significant reasons most begin opioid drug use. Real and identifiable pain exists without a safe and effective path towards resolution. Any treatment or strategy designed to alleviate pain without the use of dangerous drugs carries the potential to save millions of lives per year. Research proves that Chiropractic works.
A former Dartmouth MD conducted a study that showed patients with back pain who experienced Chiropractic care reduced opioid use by 57% compared to patients who did not utilize spinal adjustive care. This minor study requires further investigation on a larger scale but introduces another avenue of evidence that further proves what Chiropractors see in practices across the country every week. Pain reduction, improved movement, and increased function serve as side effects to the larger process of improving the structure of the spine and nervous system.
Understanding the purpose of Chiropractic helps clarify the outcomes of countless scientific studies. Harvard University described Chiropractic as, “A health care system that holds that the structure of the body, particularly the spine, affects the function of every part of the body. Chiropractors try to correct the body's alignment to relieve pain and improve function to help the body heal itself.” This definition describes the unique purpose and benefits that Chiropractic delivers, particularly as spinal care relates to helping patients avoid or overcome opioid addictions.
Chiropractic began in 1895 with a mission to help people get and stay well without the use of drugs or surgery. Everyone deserves to live comfortably in their own body. Chiropractic provides relief from pain and pharmaceutical side effects by pursuing the optimal function of the body. Research attached to prestigious names like Harvard and Dartmouth provide a strong starting point when educating the public about Chiropractic. Drugs and surgeries create dependencies and addictions that rob citizens of precious life quality. Chiropractic research and results help provide a catalyst for health care change in every family and local community.