Finding relief from pain doesn’t mean you’re limited to opiates vs. opioids. Take it from the leading drug-free pain management clinic in Austin, Texas
Bottom Line:
Opiates and opioids are comparable in a very specific sense, although coming from different sources.
Millions of people seeking pain relief have fallen victim to an addiction cycle thanks to both opiates and opioids.
And the truth is that a lot of those who are today addicted to opioids weren't just indulging in recreational drug use to get high...
They were patients whose doctors had prescribed these medications to manage their persistent pain.
Why it Matters:
Understanding the variations between opioids and opiates is helpful in understanding how this addiction pandemic came about.
Opiates are a term used to describe medications made from the opium poppy plant.
An illustration of an opiate is morphine.
Physical dependency, increasing tolerance, and addiction have all been linked to these medicines.
Opioids are created artificially or in a lab.
When opioid receptors in the brain become activated, they produce feelings of pleasure and pain (all opioid drugs act on these receptors).
Some have a potency that is up to 50 times that of heroin.
The fact that these medicines are extremely addictive and harmful should go without saying.
Opioid drugs used to treat pain include oxycodone and hydrocodone.
The most serious risks and largest misuse potential are associated with oxycodone.
Similar to how heroin does, it has an impact on the neurological system.
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Next Steps:
Opioids are no longer recommended for the majority of spinal pain, according to modern medical guidelines.
Movement-based care, like chiropractic, is often the greatest method to speed up the healing process and position yourself for long-term pain relief if you're struggling with pain.
The data from studies and the outcomes we've observed in our drug-free pain treatment clinic in Austin, Texas, are reliable.
If you want to look into non-medication relief options, give us a call right away.
Science Sources:
Chiropractic for Treatment of Low Back Pain. JMPT. 2018.
Understanding the Opioid Overdose Epidemic. CDC. 2022.
