Chiropractic: A Different Approach to the Opioid Epidemic

According to the Tennessee Department of Health, there are 24 deaths every week as a direct result of drug-related overdose.  Tennesseans are also more than 3 times more likely to identify prescription opioids as their primary substance of abuse than the national average.  It is time we take a different approach to this epidemic.

Through education and awareness, the Tennessee Chiropractic Association is working to shift the general public’s approach to healthcare from masking pain symptoms through prescription drugs to correcting health problems through safe and effective chiropractic care.

Chiropractic physicians are the highest rated healthcare practitioners for low-back pain treatments above physical therapists, specialist physicians/MDs (i.e., neurosurgeons, neurologists, orthopedic surgeons), and primary care physicians/MDs (i.e., family or internal medicine).  A systematic review in 2010 found that most studies suggest spinal manipulation achieves equal or superior improvement in pain and function when compared with other commonly used interventions for short, intermediate, and long-term follow-up.

Nationally, Tennessee remains a leader in the number of prescription painkillers per person and at least 1,200 Tennesseans died in 2014 from opioid overdoses. Chiropractic physicians have the expertise and training to drastically impact these statistics for the better.  Learn more about the health and pain relieving benefits of conservative chiropractic care.