The Opioid Crisis has Reached its Boiling Point

For years, Ideal Spine has preached chiropractic as a safer alternative to prescription painkillers for those living with chronic pain. Now, after more than a decade of momentum, the opioid crisis has come to a head. More than ever, people need to break free from opioid dependence and address their chronic pain, instead of masking it. Chiropractic is well-positioned to help.

A landmark ruling in the opioid crisis

In April 2019, the first precedent for opioid manufacturer liability was handed down in Oklahoma courts. Purdue Pharma, makers of Oxycontin, settled with the court system to the tune of $270 million for misrepresenting the addictive nature of its brand-name painkiller. The company chose to settle rather than face as many as 2,300 lawsuits, spanning 23 states.

Based on the settlement amount alone, this settlement is a drop in the bucket. What’s more important is the precedent set. Purdue Pharma and its Oxycontin painkiller are just two of the many players in the opioid crisis. In this David vs. Goliath legal battle, David has prevailed—giving those affected by opioid addiction grounds to pursue other Goliaths and their addictive prescriptions.

Alternative treatments surge

Despite the landmark settlement, the opioid crisis is anything but new. It’s been front-page news for the better part of a decade. As such, people living with chronic pain have begun shying away from conventional prescription medications. Instead, they’ve begun exploring alternative therapies. Anecdotal evidence suggests it’s been effective to some degree, since demand for alternative healing is higher than ever before.

At the forefront is chiropractic—particularly Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP). A marriage of evidence-based therapy and traditional chiropractic adjustment techniques, it’s a modality people have come to trust for incremental, measurable results.

Where painkillers and prescription opioids suppressed pain and covered symptoms, CBP and other chiropractic modalities strive to treat the source of pain. Misalignment of the spine. Compressed nerves. Strained muscle groups. These are some of the core causes of chronic pain and the focus of chiropractic adjustments. Through routine adjustment, pain patients may be able to actively correct the condition causing them grief, instead of masking and/or unintentionally aggravating it.

Post-painkiller recourse

As the assault on opioid addiction continues, chiropractors nationwide need to position themselves alongside sobriety. Patients kicking an opioid addiction or those refusing prescription painkillers will be looking for answers to their pain. It’s important for chiropractors to be transparent about their abilities and their course of action in addressing chronic conditions.

It starts with education. What is chiropractic? How can adjustments improve health beyond the spine? How does a chiropractor trace symptoms to a root cause? Taking the time to explain chiropractic and the CBP approach to diagnosis and treatment gives credence to the practice. More importantly, it gives people hope in an era when the conventional solution is now the most harmful: Prescription pain medication.

Ideal Spine advocates individualized patient care using holistic, measured practices. Through CBP, we encourage incremental treatment aimed at restoring wellness and wellbeing to people suffering from chronic pain. In a time when the opioid crisis has reached its boiling point, we see the need for chiropractic like never before.

Chiropractic BioPhysics® corrective care trained Chiropractors are located throughout the United States and in several international locations. CBP providers have helped thousands of people throughout the world realign their spine back to health, and eliminate a source of chronic back pain, chronic neck pain, chronic headaches and migraines, fibromyalgia, and a wide range of other health conditions. If you are serious about your health and the health of your loved ones, contact a CBP trained provider today to see if you qualify for care. The exam and consultation are often FREE. See www.CBPpatient.com for providers in your area.