Want to Avoid Opioids? Here Are Some of Your Pain-Management Alternatives

You’re in pain, but you’re hesitant about resorting to potentially addictive medications like opioids. The good news is that there are plenty of viable alternatives that can help you find relief, and we offer them here at Comprehensive Pain Management.

Our team of pain-management specialists, led by Drs. Do Chan and Boris Shwartzman, is at the forefront of the latest treatments for managing pain. We do the research and offer the most effective advancements in pain management, which can help you lead a life that’s free from pain.

To give you an idea about the many alternatives to opioid-based pain medications, we briefly review a few of your options.

Alternative medications

The first thing to understand about managing your pain through medications is that opioids aren’t the only option.

Often, milder medications are enough to handle the discomfort, such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and naproxen. We’ve also had success with antidepressant and antiseizure medications for managing pain.

If you’re in pain, our goal is to find a medication that helps you find relief, without the risks that opioids represent.

Procedures and interventions

At our practice, we offer a wide range of procedures and interventions that effectively manage pain, including:

Finding the right procedure for you depends upon the underlying cause of your pain. After an extensive evaluation of your problem, our goal is to find a procedure or intervention that provides meaningful and long-lasting results, rather than simply masking the symptoms behind painkillers.

Wherever we can, our goal is to address your pain at its source. To illustrate this point, some of the procedures we list above are designed to put an end to the problem, especially ones in your spine.

Physical therapy

When we get your pain under control, the role that physical therapy can play in helping you maintain your results is important. For example, if you have a problematic disc that’s causing lower back pain, physical therapy helps strengthen the supporting tissues in your back to relieve the pressure on your damaged disc, giving it space to heal.

This same principle applies to many of the major joints in your body, such as your knees, hips, and shoulders.

Cognitive behavioral therapy

Through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), you get the tools you need to change the behaviors and emotions that can trigger your pain. The goal of CBT isn’t to suppress or struggle against your pain, but to accept it and find ways to prevent it from becoming your main focus in life.

Pain is incredibly complex and can take on a life of its own if it’s not managed properly. Often, we use an approach that combines several therapies for your best chances of declaring victory over your pain.

If you want to find relief from your pain while avoiding opioid medications, simply contact one of our offices in Attleboro or Franklin, Massachusetts, or South Kingstown or Warwick, Rhode Island, to explore your options.