Recovery from opioid addiction is a tough road. It’s even more difficult for those experiencing chronic or acute pain. This includes those recovering from an accident or injury, as well as those with a condition such as fibromyalgia, nerve damage, cancer, or other illnesses.
Enterhealth understands that these patients with these kinds of issues face added difficulties in recovery as a result of their pain. However, there are methods that can help reduce real and perceived pain without resorting to opioids. Some of these bring actual, physical relief to pain, while others address the affects pain has on mental health.
Some alternative options for pain management include:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), and Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
- Glucocorticoid steroids
- Selective anticonvulsants such as gabapentin for peripheral or perceived nerve pain
- Topical agents like capsaicin for muscle pain
- Meditation and group therapy to help manage pain and emotional distress
- Multidisciplinary approaches that can help patients mentally handle pain, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) using medical devices
Some of these alternative options are more effective than others for different types of pain, which is why we specifically tailor each aspect of treatment on an individual basis. Our goal is to make opioid addiction recovery as comfortable as possible while still maintaining efficacy and helping people remove these addictive substances from their bodies.
