Drugs and pain: friends or foes?

You may have already understood it through our various articles or if you have already been in contact with one of our members: we do not encourage the use of passive therapies and over-medicalization.

Our team also enjoys taking a critical look at health care and dispelling misconceptions. Remember that the use of anti-inflammatory drugs is no longer recommended in the management of acute injuries. Although beneficial in the short term, they delay the complete healing of the lesion in the long term (find all the recommendations in the event of acute injuries on our blog: “Management of acute pain”

 

 

Today, let’s talk about commonly prescribed pain medications: opioids.

These drugs are part of our daily lives. We’ve all taken it or know people who use it frequently.

We have in us an unsuspected quantity of nerve cells. Comparable to a circuit electric, they have an ON/OFF button. Some chemical substances are able to activate our cells (ON) while others deactivate them (OFF). Our brain has the power to produce these chemicals on its own, which deactivate the nerve cells involved in the pain process.

 

 

This is also the case for morphine and codeine: two extracts found in poppy! (You know, that flower family that the poppy is part of). The name morphine was given by the scientist who discovered its virtues and its undesirable effects: hallucinations which would have reminded him of Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams. Moreover, in these modern representations, Morpheus holds poppies in one hand.

 

 

First used in the treatment of cancer pain and for patients who have undergone surgery, morphine (and opioids in general) began to be prescribed to relieve the most common musculoskeletal pain such as sprained ankle or back pain.

 

 

EUREKA, have we found a way to reduce or even eliminate the pain? In addition to the already known side effects (dizziness, vomiting, constipation), it is only recently that scientific research has also highlighted a rather disconcerting backlash. Used over several days/weeks, these drugs may increase pain. You read that right, they can increase pain! By taking opioid pain medications, you prevent your brain from produce these own chemicals. The more you use these drugs, the more you lose that superpower. Your nerve cells can also take a hit. HAS repeated use, the opioid receptors present on their membrane begin to disappear until the fateful moment when the drugs no longer have any effect (not even those that our brain produces itself…).

 

 

This is called opioid resistance. This means nothing to you ? The same process is at work in drug use. Opioid medications are drugs and their use is not to be taken lightly. In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control published new guidelines and the use of these drugs is no longer recommended for the treatment of chronic pain. There are also a number of contraindications to their use that are important to discuss with your doctor.

 

 

Keep in mind that your brain has the ability to generate its own anti-inflammatory substances.
pain (sometimes referred to as internal pharmacy). These natural opioids are 18-33x more potent with no side effects. They can be released by practicing a suitable physical activity

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We care, u perform.

 

 

Cet article est basé sur le cours « médicaments » du site internet « Retrain Pain » https://www.retrainpain.org/francais