Cooler weather is around the corner, schools are back in session, and with it comes the observance of a topic
that, in recent years, has become more and more prominent in the public: the ability to manage
pain without the use of prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medications. As such,
September is National Drug-Free Pain Management Awareness Month. The American Chronic
Pain Association (ACPA) established this observance in 2002, along with the Partners for Understanding
Pain, and a coalition of 80 healthcare organizations and consumer groups, including the American
Chiropractic Association.
The goals of Pain Awareness Month are: 1. To raise public awareness of issues around pain and
pain management, 2. To improve knowledge and understanding of chronic pain, so it may be
more easily recognized and appropriately treated and managed;, 3. To remove the traditional
stigma felt by those who suffer from it; and 4. For health care professionals, employers,
individuals, and families to recognize it as a serious public health issue.
Today, more than 100 million individuals in the United States battle some form of chronic pain, and
many of those people are searching for some form of instant relief. After all, who doesn’t like being
pain-free? Simple “Over the Counter” pharmaceuticals (or OTC’s) like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, can
provide relief for some people, but others may feel like more is needed – this is when the danger for
drug abuse can become a very real problem, through the misuse or over-reliance of pharmaceuticals like
opioid painkillers, muscle relaxants, and other similar drugs.
So often in our office we hear a line such as- “ My back doesn’t hurt that much- as long as I take an Advil
a couple times a day.” But did you know that nearly 200,000 Americans are hospitalized each year for
misuse of OTCs? Taking too much Tylenol or Advil can increase the risk of dangerous complications;
OTCs can cause kidney and liver damage, internal ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding, and even risks for
heart problems.
Even worse though, is that these medications are often the gateway to more powerful and much more
addictive drugs like Oxycodone. In recent years, we have seen synthetic opioids, such as illicitly
manufactured fentanyl, drive many overdose deaths with cocaine- and methamphetamine-related
deaths also increasing at alarming rates. The COVID-19 pandemic this past year has exacerbated the
overdose epidemic, as necessary pandemic restrictions made it harder for individuals with addiction to
receive the treatment and support services they need. These factors contributed to the more than
93,000 drug overdose deaths in 2020, the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a 12-
month period, according to recent provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC). And if you think this is could never happen in “our neighborhood- realize that there were 96
Opioid Related Deaths in Rockland County last year- a frightening number that was Tripled from the year
before! ” Therefore as a community as well as a nation, we need a strong response to America’s
overdose epidemic and an investment in prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery services,
as well as strategies to reduce the supply of illicit drugs.
Some common reasons people turn to prescription or OTC medications include low back or neck pain,
migraines/headaches, and the various forms of arthritis and the aches and pains associated with
everyday life. Despite this, 78% of Americans want to try to find alternative ways to handle physical pain
rather than turning to pain medication, according to a Gallup Palmer Annual Report.
Luckily for those with back pain, chiropractic care is a beneficial alternative form of treatment that
millions of Americans enjoy. According to a study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary
Medicine, the likelihood of actually filling a prescription for an opioid painkiller was about 55% lower for
those receiving chiropractic care than for those who are not. Overall, chiropractic patients are less likely
to use less OTCs or pain medications! This is an Amazing Statistic and one that we need to let more
people know about!
In addition to Chiropractic care, other common drug-free alternatives to pain management include
physical therapy, acupuncture, massage therapy, and yoga, as well as simple things such as weight
management, stretching and exercise, biofeedback and meditation. By incorporating these drug free
choices instead of depending on medications- we can begin to change the culture of our Western based
“pharmaceutical “society. Drugs need to be our Last Line of defense- not our First Choice.
So- If you or someone you care about are dealing with chronic pain and are worried about the use of
potentially harmful pharmaceuticals or drugs, contact our office or talk to us. Pain can be effectively
managed without the use of drugs, and it just takes a bit of experimentation and following the advice of
your healthcare provider to establish what works (or doesn’t work) for you. Let’s all do our part to fight
this growing epidemic.