More than 30% of North Americans have some form of acute or chronic pain. Among older adults, the prevalence of chronic pain is more than 40%.  Given the prevalence of chronic pain and its often disabling effects, it is not surprising that opioid analgesics are now the most commonly prescribed class of medications in the United States.  In 2014 alone, U.S. retail pharmacies dispensed 245 million prescriptions for opioid pain relievers. Of these prescriptions, 65% were for short-term therapy (<3 weeks), but 3 to 4% of the adult population (9.6 million to 11.5 million persons) were prescribed longer-term opioid therapy. Although opioid analgesics rapidly relieve many types of acute pain and improve function, the benefits of opioids when prescribed for chronic pain are much more questionable.

However, two major facts can no longer be questioned. First, opioid analgesics are widely diverted and improperly used, and the widespread use of the drugs has resulted in a national epidemic of opioid overdose deaths and addictions. More than a third (37%) of the 44,000 drug-overdose deaths that were reported in 2013 (the most recent year for which estimates are available) were attributable to pharmaceutical opioids; heroin accounted for an additional 19%. At the same time, there has been a parallel increase in the rate of opioid addiction, affecting approximately 2.5 million adults in 2014. Second, the major source of diverted opioids is physician prescriptions. For these reasons, physicians and medical associations have begun questioning prescribing practices for opioids, particularly as they relate to the management of chronic pain. Moreover, many physicians admit that they are not confident about how to prescribe opioids safely, how to detect abuse or emerging addiction, or even how to discuss these issues with their patients.

The good news for chronic pain sufferers is that there is care available. Conservative care, including chiropractic, can help to alleviate acute and chronic symptoms as well as correct underlying mechanical dysfunctions and recommend exercises to keep the body moving. One such program for chronic pain management was developed by Dr. Carlo Ammendolia, DC, PhD, at the University of Toronto and Mount Sinai Hospital. Dr. Ammendolia’s evidence-based boot camp program helps spinal stenosis patients by providing strategies for self-management, decreasing pain and increasing function through guided exercise and manual therapy. Patients who have attended the boot camp report increased mobility, reduced pain and a greater quality of life.

Such interventions are also valuable for other Musculo-Skeletal (MSK) pain sufferers. A 2012 U.S. study has revealed that patients receiving chiropractic treatment combined with exercise for chronic neck pain were twice as likely to become pain-free than those receiving medication.

The study followed 272 neck-pain patients for 12 weeks. The patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups: 91 to the spinal manipulation therapy group, 90 to the medication group and 91 to the home exercise group.

The results of the study are encouraging for chronic pain sufferers who prefer not to take medication to manage their pain:

32% of those receiving only chiropractic care became pain-free

30% of those exercising became pain-free

13% of those treated with medication for chronic pain became pain-free

Chiropractic care as part of the healthcare team can play an important role in the assessment and management of chronic pain related to MSK conditions. More and more studies are providing evidence of effective relief of chronic pain through chiropractic treatment.

For more info on how to take control of your health, and tackle chronic pain in a smart way, please reach out to:

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