A Drug-Free Approach to Back Pain Recovery

Chiropractic is based on the principle of allowing your body to heal naturally through spinal adjustments and lifestyle changes that stimulate overall health. For Dr. Matthisen, this means working hard to reestablish your body's natural functioning to avoid the need for medications or surgery. We see that most of our Anchorage patients are happy to find a natural solution for their health problems.

One advantage of chiropractic is that it helps people minimize or even eliminate the use of narcotics. Prescriptions are frequently issued to people who have back soreness. This is such a significant concern that the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) issued a report stating that opioid (painkiller) dangers outweigh the benefits when prescribed for back pain.

Some of the most common narcotics, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, include hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (OxyContin and Percocet), morphine, and codeine. Data provided by the AAN mention the fact that approximately 50% of the patients taking these drugs for a period of three months are still on them five years down the road. This can further complicate the problem of back pain and recovery, particularly if an narcotic addiction occurs.

Contrast that to chiropractic care which incorporates natural healing and the advantages are evident. While a medication might be helpful at briefly reducing the discomfort of a health condition, it's not a real solution to the problem. Drugs can't fix your injured back; it will only conceal the pain.

Dr. Matthisen will first examine you to get to the origin of your back pain and then work with you to correct the spinal interference -- without risky drugs.

If you're ready for pain relief, naturally, give our Anchorage office a call at (907) 349-4212 to make an appointment with Dr. Matthisen.

References

• Risk of opioids outweigh benefits for headache, low back pain, other conditions. American Academy of Neurology;September 29, 2014.
• What are opioids? National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/prescription-drugs/opioids/what-are-opioids