The Hidden Risk of Back Pain

Back pain, whether chronic or acute, is one of the most common reasons people miss work and go to the doctor. It is also one of the leading causes of long term disability throughout the world. There are a variety of causes and levels of severity for the issue. While back pain may be temporary, far too many people who are prescribed painkillers to treat the pain become addicted to the opiates. These individuals face greater long-term consequences from the subsequent abuse of their prescription than the original injury. 

They also may develop an alcohol addiction problem during this time and may need help recovering from that. 

Causes of Back Pain

There are many different types of back pain and numerous causes for each type. For the sake of simplicity, we will divide the back into two sections; upper and lower. It is important to note that some back pain is actually deferred pain from other areas. This can happen when a patient has an infection in another part of the body as in the case of gall bladder disease or cancer.

Upper back pain is typically caused by muscle strain to the ligaments and muscles that support the spine, poor posture, or damage to the connective tissue between muscles. This type of pain can occur from habitually slumping when one is sitting at a desk, doing yard work, playing sports, lifting something heavy, or being hit on the back.

Lower back pain typically occurs from medical conditions that exist over longer periods, including osteoarthritis, fractured vertebrae, or spinal deformity from medical conditions such as kyphosis or scoliosis. Other causes may include a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, or degenerative disc disease.

Holistic Options

Knowing how dangerous opiate use can be, a greater number of patients and doctors are turning to holistic approaches to managing pain before resorting to prescriptions for painkillers. Some of the most popular options include exercise, physical therapy, and herbal or dietary remedies that have pain relieving properties.

Some options offer more relief but take a bit longer to see results. These include active therapies such as yoga or a stretching regimen, strength training with a professional, chiropractic care, osteopathic manipulation, stress reduction techniques such as meditation, Tai Chi, massage, aquatic therapy, and weight loss.

Preventing Addiction

When holistic remedies do not offer sufficient relief pain medication may be the only option. The most important part of preventing opioid addiction is proper education for both patients and doctors. Physicians need to be aware that their patients may easily become addicted and be mindful of requests to refill prescriptions early. Patients need to be made fully aware, through discussion or classes, of the dangers and know that they should only take their medication exactly as prescribed.

Physical signs that someone has become addicted to their opioid prescription include obvious feelings of euphoria, significant levels of sedation, confusion, slowed breathing, constricted pupils, and constipation. Other signs may include going to different doctors in an attempt to get a new prescription, dramatic mood changes, social isolation, and sudden financial difficulties. If a patient has become addicted and is unable to obtain a supply adequate enough to fuel that addiction, he or she may exhibit flu like symptoms. These can include nausea, vomiting, anxiety, fatigue, headache, diarrhea, and excessive sweating.

It is important to remember that while opioids do have tremendous potential for abuse, the majority of patients who take them are able to do so without becoming addicted. By limiting use to strictly when it is needed and being aware of the symptoms of dependency it is possible to utilize these types of medications for much needed pain relief without becoming addicted.