Physical Therapy Represents A Safer Alternative To Pain Medications

Alarming statistics on opioid use and abuse

Any amount of pain can be a nuisance to your life, especially when it lasts for a while. There are many options available to treat it.  One of these options is narcotics and pain medications like opioids, which are garnering loads of national attention these days due to the wide-ranging problems they’ve created.

The U.S. is currently experiencing an epidemic due to the over-prescription of opioids. Our country consumes more than 80% of the global supply of opioids.  The number of opioid prescriptions increased by 600% from 1997-2007.

These shocking figures show just how big of a problem opioid use is in the U.S. There are many patients that truly need opioids because they are in pain that can’t be treated with anything else, there are many others who use them for the wrong reasons.  These individuals are usually looking for a “magic bullet” to immediately fix them, and opioids can often give them the most immediate short-term relieve, even if it doesn’t solve their problem.  In other cases, patients are prescribed opioids to help them deal with pain following surgery.  Sadly, this can also have some negative effects.

Studies have shown that patients who continue to use opioids after surgery have worse outcomes than those who don’t.  This has been seen with a greater number of symptoms, more stress, more disability and higher tolerance for opioids.  This higher tolerance for opioids is very dangerous and can lead to addiction if the drugs are taken for long enough.  This is why many people who are prescribed opioids after surgery or for an injury eventually develop addictions.  They often get too reliant on the drugs during their recovery to mask their symptoms, and aren’t able to stop taking them afterwards.

How physical therapy approaches the problem from a different angle

Physical therapy, on the other hand, offers a wide range of possible benefits that far outweigh any risks involved.  This is primarily because all good physical therapy Doctors are always focused on finding the origin of a patient’s pain and properly addressing it.

Unlike narcotics, which are only meant to mask someone’s perception of pain, physical therapists treat pain by improving the mobility and stability of painful the area.  In effect, this leads to a far superior long-term solution.

Physical therapy is not a temporary solution.  It’s the best possible option for managing your pain; however, not all physical therapy Doctors and physical therapy practices are the same.  The most important factor in choosing a practice should not be the proximity of the facility to your home or work, which does not guarantee good services.  Instead, one critical detail is to make sure that most of the physical therapists at the clinic are licensed Physical Therapy Doctors.  This means that they have each completed at least 6-7 years of education and several clinical rotations before passing their licensing exam, and therefore have the necessary experience to properly treat you.

At Physical Therapy Doctors of Florida, we are committed to Helping You Move Without Pain.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call us at 941-264-1414.