If you struggle with chronic pain, you’ve probably experienced painful sensations for up to 12 weeks or longer. This type of pain affects almost every aspect of a person’s life, from their job to their personal relationships, so finding an effective treatment is crucial.
As your doctor treats your chronic pain, their goal is to provide you with consistent pain relief to help you function physically and socially. Opioid drugs are used to help patients achieve this end. However, these pain-relieving drugs are highly addictive and not intended for long-term pain treatment.
Beyond that, there are many other reasons opioids are not the best approach to pain relief:
Opioid drugs impair thinking, affect coordination and cause mood alterations
Many people form a tolerance to opioids, rendering low doses of the drug ineffective
Drug dependence is a common side effect of long-term opioid use
Over time, opioids can make chronic pain symptoms worse
As the drugs wear off, withdrawal causes severe physical and emotional symptoms