In Response To The Opiate Crisis

The opioid epidemic in the United States has reached a peak that can no longer be ignored by the federal government. Over 63,000 opioid related deaths in 2016 alone has led the FDA to look for solutions to the crisis in alternative health care.

Acupuncture and chiropractic are leaders in the alternative health care world for pain management and are finally being recognized by the government as a viable option to chronic and acute pain. The FDA has begun to lay a blueprint for health care providers urging them to become educated in the benefits of acupuncture and chiropractic therapies so that they may know when it is appropriate to refer their patients to these therapies rather than turning to prescription medication as the first line of defense. Read more here.

Acupuncture is excellent for pain relief for 3 primary reasons:

1. It reduces inflammation and promotes blood circulation making it extremely effective for relieving muscle pain and tension as well as pain in the joints.
2. It corrects structural imbalances due to incorrect posture or past injury that are causing pain in everyday activity.
3. It reduces stress and alleviates symptoms associated with stress such as headache, stomach pain, anxiety and insomnia that prevent the body from healing.

Chiropractic is great for pain relief for the following reasons:

1. Adjustments to postural alignment take the pressure off impinged nerves and allows for proper muscle function and coordination in everyday activity.
2. In combination with ART therapy, adjustments flush out inflammation.
3. It resets the nervous system allowing reduction of pain signals sent from the brain to the body that are often a major contributing factor to chronic pain.

Most importantly acupuncture and chiropractic are treating the root cause of pain rather than masking it, as opioids do. This is why these alternative therapies are so important. Those suffering from pain need solutions to their pain, rather than a band-aid that happens to be powerfully addictive.

In addition to treating pain, acupuncture is great for opiate addiction. In the 70’s the Black Panthers developed the NADA protocol to get help heroine addicts get clean. It consists of 5 needles in the ear to stimulate detoxification as well as rewire the way an addict’s brain responds to their substance of choice. The NADA protocol is used in rehabilitation centers across the country.

Written By Hayley Jackson

Originally published at Chiropractic Care | Truspine San Francisco.