Opioids, what are they? Have you used these before? Opioids are a class of drugs that are used for pain relief. They go by names such as, Vicodin, Percocet, Tramadol, Oxycodone, Fentanyl and heroin. Some of the most common uses of opioids are for cancer patients experiencing pain, wound healing and back pain. They are effective for decreasing pain, however they also are prone for abuse. Pharmaceutical companies made a synthetic version that were supposed to be less addictive but that was not the case. Opioids have a high predilection for abuse. Once someone starts to use these drugs, they lose their effectiveness with time and dosages need to be increased to continue to have the pain-relieving properties. Many times when people are cut off from their physicians prescription pad, they will look to street drugs to decrease the pain.
Many people that are injured in an accident will experience short- and long-term pain. Typically, emergency rooms will evaluate and treat the patient after an accident. Usually, there are no life-threatening injuries, but the pain associated with muscle strains, ligament sprains, disc bulges and herniations can cause tremendous pain. Since doctors are cutting down on prescribing opioids, they use other forms of treatment that are not as effective. But there is a much better treatment for motor vehicle accidents. The mechanism that occurs when someone is involved in an accident is that the muscles tense up. This is a normal phenomenon that is the body’s way of protecting itself. It is normal, but what happens when the muscles tense up and are stretched due to the forces involved in a motor vehicle accident? Muscle fibers tear, oftentimes from the insertion of the muscle to the bone. This will cause pain and if not treated properly, scar tissue forms limiting the pliability of the muscle. So a cascade of events occurs through time that leads up to Wolff’s Law (see my previous blog on this). Discs in the spine may already be degenerating in a person involved in an accident which predisposes them to more damage at less impact. So, a small disc bulge in the back may get larger from the accident, or a disc bulge may turn into a full-blown herniation.
Therefore, chiropractic treatment is the preferred method of treating patients that are in a motor vehicle accident. Chiropractic is safe, conservative and effective. Joints that are out of alignment from the muscles pulling on the vertebrae, will put pressure on nerves that can cause a variety of symptoms. These can range from numbness and tingling in an extremity, localized pain, headaches, neck and mid-back pain, jaw pain, ringing in the ears, blurred vision, dizziness and limited range of motion. At the Auto Accident Pain Relief Center of Illinois, we provide a variety of non-invasive treatments that are patient specific. Once we have a proper diagnosis, prognosis and treatment plan, you will be on your way to getting better. Remember, these injuries do not get better overnight. It may take weeks or months before you get back to your pre-injury status. We also work with attorneys. Not only is getting a patient well a priority for us, we also are involved in case management, giving the attorneys the proper information so that they can be an advocate for you in court.
If you have been involved in a car accident, truck accident, slip and fall, contact us at 800-862-5914 to schedule an appointment.
