Chiropractic Care For Addiction Treatment

Drug abuse and addiction is complex and multifaceted. Many individuals become dependent on pain killers or other medications as a result of injury or illness that requires prescription drugs to manage. Chronic conditions or those treated with highly addictive medications such as opioids can lead to tolerance, dependence, and addiction.

While breaking the addiction is essential for these individuals to resume a healthy and positive lifestyle, there are many pathways that often go unconsidered by addicted patients. While detox, rehab, counseling and medical withdrawals are common approaches to beating drug abuse, complementary and alternative therapies are beginning to come to the fore. One of these is chiropractic care for addiction treatment.

Many healthcare providers are increasingly looking towards non-opioid approaches for pain management, including chiropractic care, as a way to reduce the likelihood of initial addiction; these same policies may help prevent relapse in individuals with chronic pain. As such, rehab that includes a chiropractic element is well worth looking into.

Drug addiction and chiropractic care

Many people who abuse substances are also being medicated for pain caused by chronic illnesses or injury. As a result, disentangling their addiction and their need for medication for their pain can be a challenge. Complementary therapies such as chiropractic care can be used to help manage chronic pain in addicted patients, reducing their reliance on pain killer medications.

It may also help treat pain in some instances, resolving the pain and therefore reducing the likelihood that the patient will relapse into drug addiction. In fact, research has indicated that patients with pain are less likely to use narcotic drugs in the week following chiropractic manipulation, suggesting that chiropractic care may help reduce the risk of addiction and relapse.

The potential for drug addiction and chiropractic care as a treatment approach is still being explored, but a number of potential benefits have been outlined. In addition to the pain management approach above, chiropractic care may help calm and reduce anxiety in patients, overcoming key withdrawal symptoms experienced by addicts as part of the recovery process. By helping to manage these symptoms, chiropractic care may assist patients to focus on other core parts of their recovery instead.

How chiropractic therapy aids in addiction recovery

The chiropractic field suggests that spinal misalignments may impinge on the proper functioning of neurotransmitters. By correcting these misalignments, individuals may experience a correction in the transmission of their neurotransmitters. For some this may result in a sense of calm that may potentially stave off addiction-seeking behavior. For others it may help manage chronic pain or other conditions related to the spine, attending to the root cause of the pain that may have led to their addiction.

Additionally, the sense of well-being created by chiropractic care for addiction treatment can also reduce the perceived challenge of treatment, with patients being more likely to remain in a program and see it through to its end. Research indicates that patients who are being treated for pain are most satisfied with their perception of care when their primary care physician support is complemented by that of other providers such as chiropractors. Program completion is key to breaking addiction and reducing the risk of relapse, and as such complementary options such as chiropractic care may be highly beneficial to keeping patients on the path to recovery.

Managing chronic pain and avoiding relapse

Individuals who use narcotics often have co-existing conditions, and are also likely to experience anxiety and depression. These factors can all play into an individual’s likelihood of becoming dependent on and addicted to opioids or other drugs. Chiropractic therapy aids in addiction recovery by helping manage pain and provide a sense of overall wellbeing and calm, thus dealing with the root cause of the pain and managing some of the coexisting symptoms that may have facilitated the addiction.

Not only that, but chiropractic care is often covered by healthcare providers, making it accessible to individuals seeking treatment or in need of an ongoing treatment approach once the initial detox program has been completed. This means that it can be a viable part of an out-patient follow-up program, and thus play a key role in reducing the likelihood of relapse, especially if chronic pain or anxiety and depression is part of the patient equation.

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, consider a holistic treatment approach such as chiropractic care for addiction treatment, in tandem with a rehab or detox program. Speak to us today about our holistic drug rehab programs to see how we may be able to help. Call us at (877) 855-3470 today.