Chronic pain is one of the most debilitating conditions with which to live. Every day may seem like a trial to endure. For many sufferers, the only relief comes in the form of prescription medications.
However, these very medications are often the culprit behind millions of sufferers’ drug addictions. You may be able to overcome an addiction to prescription medications for your chronic pain by undergoing treatment at a drug recovery center.
If you are hesitant to check yourself in because you fear your medications could be taken away from you, you may be more confident by learning in what circumstances your medical team may allow you to take prescription drugs. You also may be more resolved to overcome your addiction by learning what alternatives some rehab centers offer in place of painkillers.
Underlying Causes of Chronic Pain
Medical professionals who work at rehab recovery centers are accustomed to treating people who suffer from illnesses that cause chronic pain. Some of the illnesses or injuries that many times lead to people becoming addicted to prescription painkillers include:
- Arthritis
- Back pain
- Migraines and headaches
- Muscle sprains and strains
- Fibromyalgia
- Repetitive stress injuries
- Nerve damage
- Bone fractures
- Lyme disease
- Cancer
If you suffer from any of these conditions, you may have been prescribed pain medications to help you get through each day. When you have become dependent on these painkillers, however, it may be time to seek treatment from an experienced rehab center that you can assist you in weaning yourself from them.
Medicinal Alternatives to Painkillers
After you check yourself into the recovery center, your medical team will evaluate you to determine from what illnesses or injuries you suffer. Depending on their findings, they may recommend several alternatives to taking prescription medications for your pain.
For example, you could be given over-the-counter medications that are not addictive yet still effective in treating pain. These medicines include:
Tylenol
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDS
Corticosteroids
Neurostimulators
These OTC pain medications will be administered to you in their recommended doses. You may not experience much if any relief during the first day or two after you stop taking your prescription medicines. However, as your body adjusts to no longer having the stronger drugs in its system, you may start to feel better by using the OTC medications alone.
If you tolerate the OTC medications well, you could be discharged relatively quickly and allowed to return home. Your medical team may be confident that your pain can be effectively managed with these milder medications rather than the stronger prescription drugs to which you were addicted.
Therapeutic Alternatives to Prescription Medications
Along with being given OTC medications, you also may undergo any number of therapeutic treatments designed to ease you off the addictive medicines prescribed to you. Depending on your overall health and range of movement, you may take part in activities like:
- Physical therapy
- Swimming
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Slow walking or jogging
- Weightlifting
In addition to these activities, you also may undergo treatments like therapeutic massages and meditation. These alternatives are designed to relax the nerves and muscles in your body and help you remain calm while you detox from addictive prescription medications.
Supervised Dispensation of Prescription Medications
When your chronic pain will not respond to any medicinal or therapeutic alternative, you may have no choice but to continue taking your prescription drugs. However, during the time you are in rehab, you will be given these medications in the recommended amounts. You will not have the opportunity to misuse them while you are in recovery.
The doctors and nurses assigned to your care will supervise you while you take the medications. The pills will be dispensed as prescribed by your doctor. You will not be allowed to administer them to yourself but instead will receive them from a nurse, doctor, or pharmacist at the recovery center.
As your body adjusts to taking lower doses, you may experience withdrawal symptoms that can range from shaking to intense nausea. However, these symptoms may only last for two to three days as you detox.
It is possible to be given prescription painkillers during the time you are in rehab. However, your medical team may first try to use other options to address your discomfort. These alternatives include taking over-the-counter medicines to massage or yoga. Call one of our counselors today at 844-639-8371.