PAIN – PAIN, GO AWAY!
Everyone complains of pain from time to time, whether it’s a headache, a sprain or something more serious due to surgery or a chronic illness. But what exactly is pain?
It is described as “physical suffering or discomfort caused by illness or injury”. It is synonymous with suffering, agony, affliction, torture, torment, discomfort or soreness.
Everyone has their own level of pain they are able to endure at any given time. Pain levels, however, are subjective and everyone interprets them differently. Pain is measured on a scale of 0-10 with 0 being no pain, and 10 being the worst pain you’ve ever experienced.
Since everyone has their own perception of the severity of pain, the way they deal with it varies as well. Treatments can vary from a cold or hot compress to some peppermint oil, and from 2 Advil to something stronger that has been physician prescribed.
Prescription pain meds such as oxycodone (Oxycontin) and hydrocodone (Vicodin) are in a class of drugs known as opioids. They’re typically used to treat severe pain after surgery, and sometimes to treat chronic pain. Although these drugs have benefits for a narrow margin of the population, they come with many risks factors as well, including addiction.
Risks and benefits
- Opioids are powerful pain medications that block messages of pain to the brain, as well as decrease the body’s perception of discomfort.
- Opioids can create a feeling of euphoria.
- They can be useful for a short time following a surgery.
- Some side effects include nausea, itching, drowsiness or constipation.
- They can be used for long term illnesses, such as cancer.
- Long term pain relief is debatable because pain relief is not sustained.
- More serios side effects include bowel distention, falls, delayed reaction time and slow breathing.
It has been determined that taking opioids for four weeks or longer can put you at risk for dependence and sometimes for addiction. Being dependent on opioids means your brain has become accustomed to having them. When you stop taking opioids, however, it may cause withdrawal symptoms such as sweating, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, and/or depression. Addiction is different though and considered a mental health disorder characterized by compulsive use and preoccupation with the drug.
Symptoms of Opioid addiction:
- Sudden changes in weight
- Withdrawing from activities/obligations
- Mood swings – aggression or irritability
- Lethargy or fatigue
- Depression
- Changes in social circles
- Insomnia – difficulty sleeping
- Financial difficulties
- Lying and/or stealing
- Nausea or vomiting
- Red eyes OR pinned pupils
- Sweating
- Cravings for OR unable to stop taking opioids
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms – as listed above
Is this medication right for you?
You’ve read the benefits and risks, as well as the symptoms of addiction to opioids. Due to the recent addiction epidemic, thankfully, many changes have been made in the screening process prior to prescribing opioids to patients. But, please be aware of the facts and statistics:
Staggering statistics regarding opioids:
Statistics from the CDC, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the United States (US) Department of Health and Human Services reveal the serious nature of the problem.
1. In 2016, health care providers across the US wrote more than 214 million prescriptions for opioid pain medication—a rate of 66.5 prescriptions per 100 people.
2. As many as 1 in 5 people receive prescription opioids long-term for non-cancer pain in primary care settings.
3. More than 11 million people abused prescription opioids in 2016.
4. Every day, more than 1,000 people are treated in emergency departments for misusing prescription opioids.
5. More than 40% of all US opioid overdose deaths in 2016 involved a prescription opioid.
6. Drug overdoses claimed the lives of nearly 64,000 Americans in 2016. Nearly two-thirds of these deaths (66%) involved a prescription or illicit opioid.
7. The CDC estimates the total economic burden of prescription opioid misuse in the US is $78.5 billion a year, including the costs of health care, lost productivity, addiction treatment, and criminal justice involvement.
Do you know someone who is struggling with a significant pain problem? Encourage them to talk to a health care professional about safe ways to manage it. A few alternative options may include, but are not limited to:
- Massage
- Energy work – The Emotion Code, Reiki, Pranic Healing
- Essential Oils
- Physical Therapy
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Sound Healing
- Hypnotherapy
Many of these techniques have been used for thousands of years to manage health and wellness with great success and without any side effects. Noted improvement can be made in overall well-being to include pain relief, mobility, sleep quality, stress level, self-awareness and self-confidence. It appears that healing the body from the inside out and at the root cause of the problem has many long-term and long-lasting benefits that go way beyond just the physical that are worth looking into.