FIGHT Pain Pill Dependence with This Simple Strategy

By Dr. Scott Olson, ND Posted February 7, 2022

Dear Living Well Daily Reader,

Have you noticed how often we turn to pills for help?

If we’re uncomfortable – too sad, too tired, or in pain – chances are, you reach for a pill.

And it’s not that I’m blaming you… it’s the way our profit-driven mainstream healthcare is set up.

The problem with pills though, is that they often come with a HOST of side effects, many of which can be worse than the original problem!

Not only that, they’re incredibly addictive.

But now, researchers are starting to wake up to the fact that there are many non-drug ways to handle conditions – especially pain.

This simple two-step strategy not only fights pain, it can help with pain pill dependence as well.

A new study published in Annals of Internal Medicine found that chronic pain was better managed through non-pill solutions.

As I’m sure you know, long-term use of opioids for chronic pain is a nightmare. When these pills were first marketed, the pharmaceutical companies convinced doctors that these opioids were different and weren’t addictive.

Now, decades later, with many folks addicted and turning to illegal drugs, doctors are starting to look for other ways to manage chronic pain.

And they’re getting amazing results.

This recent study examined two different approaches: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) (a type of talk therapy) and yoga.

The researchers from Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute looked at 850 volunteers who were already on long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain. Half of the group received usual care, and the other tried CBT and yoga.

After a year, the research team found that patients receiving CBT had greater reductions in pain as well as an increase in mobility compared to the usual care group!

Not only that, a quarter of the patients who tried CBT reported a 30 percent reduction in pain compared to the control group, who only saw a 16 percent improvement.

When taken as part of an overall plan, using yoga and CBT can really help with pain.

If you’d like to try CBT, you can find a therapist in the directory here. You can sort the providers by location as well as approaches (which includes CBT).

And if you’re interested in trying yoga, check your local community center for classes. Yoga has become so poplar in recent years that you can find many types, including chair yoga and yoga for seniors.

P.S. Researchers are in awe over this promising South Pacific tribal remedy for pain. Have you heard about it?

SOURCE:

American College of Physicians. “CBT intervention with yoga and education components improved pain management for patients on long-term opioids.” Medical Xpress. 11/1/21. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-11-cbt-intervention-yoga-components-pain.html

Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND

Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.

View More By Dr. Scott Olson, ND