Instead of taking Opiods, try Dry Needling for Pain Reliev

Opioid addiction and abuse has become an epidemic, perhaps doing more harm than good. The use of an alternative method of treatment, in some cases, can aid in dramatically reducing the use of opioids.

Due to the side effects of taking opiods (nausea, constipation, vomiting, itching, respiratory depression, addiction, tolerance, and opioid- induced hyperalgesia), there has been a significant reduction in prescription of these drugs for chronic pain.

Many patients tell me that the drugs work but they don’t want to get addicted to them and even upset at physicians for not prescribing them!

From a Physical Therapist perspective, I always tell them that there are many side effects and the medical community is continuing to learn the bad effects of these drugs and continuing to look for other options to help people in pain! It is not that your physician wants you to be in pain, but he/she is looking after you!

What other options are available?

Dry needling has been utilized to help pain and has mechanisms similar to what opiods can do! In fact, the chemical mechanisms behind how dry needling works makes it a considerable substitute for opioid use with the benefit of lessening opioid addiction

Dry needling seems to be effective method that allow patients to return to activities rather than stay sidelined by chronic pain and adverse effects of opioids.

It can be cost-effective and less harmful to the patient in that they allow the body to provide its pain relief. Dry needling appears to be a safe and efficacious alternative to opioids.

Dr. Harrison Vaughan, a physical therapist, utilizes dry needling in Wake Forest, NC alongside other orthopaedic manual therapy and exercise to help those suffering from pain. He and his wife have developed the Feel it to Heal it Physio approach to exercise so when you stretch or strengthen your muscles, you know that you are doing the right thing and not aggravating your symptoms!

With dry needling, we can help:

• Low Back Pain

• Sciatica

• Cervical Radiculopathy

• Chronic Hip Pain

• Chronic Neck Pain

• Headaches

At PhysioFit of North Carolina, we take a whole-body approach to addressing your pain and not just treating a local area of discomfort. We strive in providing quality work while developing positive relationships with our patients to help them live more comfortably.

Contact us to Learn more about our practice and how we can help you!