Before you reach for your favorite pain reliever there are a few things that you should know. Many Americans are addicted to pain medication, and this comes with a very high price. No one wants to be in pain, it can prevent you from doing the things you love and need to do. Being in pain does not mean using a pain medication is your only option, or your best choice.

There are three primary types of pain medications that are used to reduce pain and inflammation. The most commonly utilized pain medications are Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). These are your over the counter pain meds, Advil (Ibuprofen), Tylenol (Acetaminophen), Aspirin, and in prescription strength Celebrex a Cox-2 inhibitor. Steroids like Cortisone are also used as pain medications. The strongest pain medications are Opioids such as Hydrocodone, Percosets, and Vicodin (an Opioid and Acetaminophen combined).

I’m going to share with you some interesting facts about the use of the NSAIDs and Opioids, and leave the steroids for another day. According to the American Gastroenterology board more then 60 million Americans, approximately 25% use NSAIDs on a regular basis (weekly). In 2010, according to Wall Street analysts Cowen & Co., 254 million prescriptions where filled for Opioids. That is enough pain medication to keep every American medicated around the clock for 1 month.

Now for some scary numbers! According to the New England Journal of Medicine, over 100,000 Americans are hospitalized each year for gastrointestinal bleeds that are associated with NSAID use. That is approximately 2% of NSAID users and annually costs over 2 Billion dollars in hospital and health care costs. Each year 16,500 of arthritis sufferers who use NSAID’s to treat their pain die from complications associated with their use.

According to the CDC, 15,000 Americans died from Opioid overdose in 2008. That was more than the overdoses of Heroin and Cocaine combined. Another major problem with Opioids is they have a very high street value and are utilized many times illegally and without physician supervision. This non-medical use of Opioids has a significant financial repercussion of 72.5 Billion dollars annually in direct health care costs according to Wall Street analysts Cowen & Co.

These facts are significant and scary, however it does not stop there. Many other risk factors associated with pain medicine use includes gastrointestinal bleeds, ulcers, addiction, liver failure, kidney failure, cardiovascular incidents and stroke. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, Acetaminophen ingestion accounts for 12% of all patients hospitalized due to drug overdose. Acetaminophen also accounts for 40% of all patients with acute liver failure.

There is controversy regarding the use of anti-inflammatory pain medications and their effectiveness in helping patients to heal from trauma. Inflammation is a necessary part of the body’s healing process. Using medications to stop inflammation actually prolongs the healing time. Without the inflammatory cascade progressing appropriately injuries can become chronic, making it easier for injuries to re-occur. At which point you again take more anti-inflammatories because it hurts, and the vicious cycle continues. The literature shows that if you use anti-inflammatories, it should only be during the first 48 hours following the trauma.

And now your saying “but it still hurts, what am I supposed to do about it?” I’m glad you asked. There are many different types of treatment and home remedies that can be utilized to reduce pain and increase healing. First lets understand where pain comes from. Pain is a neurological signal that stimulates your brain, creating a “fire alarm” in your brain saying “hey something is wrong, don’t do that.” Pain medication just pulls the batteries out of the smoke alarm, but it is not putting the fire out!

The body’s best system for protecting us from pain and keeping our tissues healthy is a proper balance of omega 3’s to omega 6’s, and low levels of arachidonic acid. Historically our diet kept the omega 6 to omega 3 ratio at 1:1. Around the 1900’s the ratio had shifted to 4:1, omega 6 to omega 3. Today that ratio is even higher at 25:1 (American Academy of Pain Management), decreasing our body’s natural ability to handle inflammation. The reason for this shift comes from eating too many processed foods, trans fats, grains, and animals that have been fed corn and soy instead of their natural diet. If you really want an eye opener to see your own ratios, you can have a blood spot fatty acid test done by your health care professional. This quick finger prick test gives you insightful information about your ratios so you know how to correct them. The imbalanced ratios also affect your hormones, brain, and ability to heal.

There are many alternative therapies available for reducing pain and the increasing healing time. Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Physical Therapy, and Massage all have their place on your health care team. Analgesics such as the homeopathic Arnica Montana, Lavender and Peppermint essential oils, Bio-Freeze and Tigerbalm muscle rubs all work well on injured tissues and help with pain reduction and healing. Proteolytic enzymes such as pancreatic enzymes or plant based enzymes like bromelain, are also very powerful at cleaning up unwanted inflammation in the body. Last but not least if something hurts your best friend is Ice, (20 minutes on at a time) and can be used regularly throughout the day with a wet towel between your skin and the ice.

Before you pop another pill please take the time to consider what you are actually putting in your body.   NSAIDs and Opioids may appear to be a miracle pain reducer, but you must be aware of their dark side. Utilizing the bodies own natural healing system is the safest way to get you feeling better and provide you with long term solutions to living a healthy, natural and more optimal life.

Dr. Phil Cameron is a Chiropractic Physician and Professional Applied Kinesiologist. He owns the Bozeman Wellness Center, where he treats each patient individually helping every person to live Heathy, live Naturally, and live Optimally.