A Drug-Free Approach to Back Pain Recovery

Chiropractic is centered on the philosophy of aiding your body to heal naturally through spinal adjustments and lifestyle changes that encourage wellness. For Dr. Covington, this involves working to restore your body's normal performance to avoid the need for medications or surgical treatments. We find that most of our Yakima patients are relieved to find a natural approach for their health problems.

One benefit of chiropractic is that it helps people minimize or eliminate the use of drug treatments. Prescription medications are commonly supplied to patients who have back problems. This is such a serious concern that the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) issued a news release stating that opioid (painkiller) dangers overshadow the benefits when administered for back pain.

Some of the most well-known narcotics, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, include hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (OxyContin and Percocet), morphine, and codeine. Numbers presented by the AAN cite the fact that roughly half of the patients taking these types of substances for a period of three months are still dependent on them five years down the road. This can further complicate the difficulty of back pain and healing, particularly if an opiate dependency arises.

Contrast that to chiropractic care which engages natural healing and the advantages are evident. While a medication might be helpful at briefly suppressing the discomfort of a health problem, it's not a real solution to the problem. Drugs can't mend your damaged back; it will only conceal the pain.

Dr. Covington will first examine you to get to the origin of your back problems and then work with you to solve the spinal interference -- without the need for risky medications.

If you're ready for relief of your pain, naturally, give our Yakima office a call at (509) 895-7535 to make an appointment with Dr. Covington.

References

• Risk of opioids outweigh benefits for headache, low back pain, other conditions. American Academy of Neurology;September 29, 2014.
• What are opioids? National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/prescription-drugs/opioids/what-are-opioids