Who Do You Know?

Who do you know…..that has used or abused ……Oxycontin, Vicodin, and or Percocet, all prescription pain pills, classified as opioids.  You see, in the 1990’s pharmaceutical companies re-assured physicians that patients would NOT become dependent on these prescription pain relievers. As a result, healthcare providers began prescribing them at greater rates.  These medications, besides being able to relieve pain, have a profound impact on the brain producing a euphoric feeling, and hence why there can be a preponderance to addiction or dependence. [...]

These medications are nothing to fool around with…. here are some alarming stats:
--Almost 30 percent of people who use an opioid will misuse them (11.4 million)
--4-6% of people that used an opioid will transition to heroin (886,000)
--1/10 people who have used opioids will develop a serious disorder (2.1 million)
--130 people DIE every day due to opioid related drug overdoses
-- 1 single prescription of an opioid increased the likelihood of DEATH in the first 30 days of use by 400%        (Journal of American Medical Association)

I have patients on a daily basis that make mention that they took a left over prescription opioid they had from a prior surgery or they had a friend “lend” them a “pill”.  Maybe it’s because I am in the healthcare field but this scares the daylights out of me.  These medications may help in the short to mid -term, but a solution needs to be found to resolve why a person is experiencing pain.
Many of you know I had a biceps tendon repair, as I ruptured my bicep tendon off the bone near my elbow.  After the surgery, I had scrip for Oxycontin, I was “allowed” to take like 2 pills every 4-6 hours.  I took ½ of 1 pill, only 4 times.  A total of 2 pills in in 24 hours caused me constipation for 5 days.  Not fun.

I understand the pain you or a loved one is dealing with may have been long term.   But there are many other avenues to investigate in order to help solve the source of the problem.  It may be chiropractic manipulation, corrective exercise, neuromuscular massage, acupuncture, and/or supplements.  With that being said, I have attached a video that reviews MAJOR key points, including anti-inflammatory diet tips and some basic supplements that will keep inflammation down in order to help manage pain.

Dr. Marc Fondino
Also, please subscribe to our YouTube channel to get notifications about our educational videos!