Question by likn my life: alternatives to narcotics for pain relief?
I have severe low spine pain due to degenerative discs. I’m prescribed heavy duty narcotics that make me feel horrible anxiety so I don’t take them. However, I’m losing tons of sleep due to pain. Any ideas?

Best answer:

Answer by Jadfs
I wouldn’t be likin my life if my discs were degenerating…

There are several treatment options if you have osteoarthritis of the spine. Exercise is one way to control pain and help with movement. Also, make sure that you control your weight too. Excess weight causes pressure on the back, and increases pain in the back. A popular long-term prescription is paracetamol for pain. It can be taken long term, and usually doesn’t cause any side effects. Codeine can be used in conjunction with paracetamol for added pain relief too. There are other prescription medications that are anti-inflammatory, which reduce pain. Steroids such as prednisone are one, but they cannot be taken on a long-term basis, especially for people with high blood pressure and heart disease. Side effects include bleeding ulcers and severe indigestion.

It is thought that because osteoarthritis inhibits blood flow to the cartilage and muscles, taking glucosamine and chondroitin helps increase blood flow and maintain a healthier cartilage. These are food supplements that can be bought directly from over the counter. Other types of natural holistic treatments are taking avocado and soybeans, in either a pill form, or adding this to your diet in elevated concentrations. A few medical studies have shown that people who did add this to their diet experienced less pain, and not quite as much dependence on painkillers. Talk with your doctor if you feel that it may help with your painful osteoarthritis episodes.

Steroids can also be taken as injections directly into the back for pain relief from osteoarthritis. A newer treatment in the injection form is using hyaluronic acid. Some medical studies have shown that it might push the body to make other cells that form cartilage in the back. Other studies on hyaluronic injection treatments theorize that it might help with lubrication between the spinal pads of the back. Only your doctor is qualified to tell you if they feel that using hyaluronic treatment might be beneficial for your pain management from osteoarthritis in your back.

Non-traditional therapies for degenerative disc disease caused by osteoarthritis are acupuncture and deep body massages. Acupuncture is believed to inhibit the body’s pain receptors in the brain, and it thereby makes it easier for you to cope with the pain. Deep body messages relax tense muscles, and it can stress from pain. Many people have found relief from pain by using these two techniques for pain management by either using them independently, or in conjunction with each other. It is also thought that with acupuncture and deep body messages that pain fighting hormones are released into the body to dull the sensation of pain.

When treating at home your painful back from osteoarthritis, it’s good to use a heat on the painful area. You might find that a moist heat is the best, but always use safety when applying heat from a heating pad for your back. Do not leave the heat on it for more than 30 minutes, and let your skin cool down, as to avoid hurtful blisters. You can reapply heat as needed throughout the day, but make sure to rest between cool downs. If you don’t muscle spasms can occur, and it will delay your healing time. If you can take aspirin for your pain because it is an anti-inflammatory, but remember it’s also a blood thinner, and aspirin will raise blood pressure.

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