A Natural Approach to Back Pain

Chiropractic is based on the philosophy of helping your body to naturally heal through spinal adjustments and lifestyle changes that encourage wellness. For Dr. Valente, this means working hard to reestablish your body's natural functioning to avoid the need for medications or surgery. We find that many of our New York patients are pleased to find a natural approach for their health issues.

One benefit of chiropractic care is that it helps people decrease or eliminate the use of narcotics. Prescriptions are oftentimes supplied to patients who have back soreness. This is such a serious problem that the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) issued a report stating that opioid (painkiller) dangers overshadow the benefits when prescribed for back pain.

Some of the most common narcotics, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, include hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (OxyContin and Percocet), morphine, and codeine. Statistics offered by the AAN mention the fact that about half of the patients taking these types of substances for a period of three months are still dependent on them five years later. This can further complicate the issue of back pain and recovery, particularly if an narcotic dependency arises.

Contrast that to chiropractic care which engages natural healing and the benefits are obvious. While a medication might be helpful at briefly suppressing the symptoms of a health issue, it's not a solution to the problem. Drugs don't fix your injured spine; it will only conceal the pain.

Dr. Valente will first examine you to get to the origin of your back pain and then work with you to correct the problem -- without the need for risky drugs.

If you're ready for relief, naturally, give our New York office a call at (917) 338-7917 to make an appointment with Dr. Valente.

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