Over-the-Counter Painkillers
On January 23, the Associated Press ran a story about how too many people accidentally overdose on common, non-prescription painkillers. Topping the warning list from the U.S. government is the painkiller acetaminophen, commonly known by the Tylenol brand but also present in more than 600 other products used to try to treat pain, coughs, colds, and flu. Acetaminophen can damage the liver, and more than 56,000 emergency room visits per year are due to acetaminophen overdoses. That’s more than 1,000 ER visits per week.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is also starting a campaign to warn the public that certain people are at increased risk of other side effects from different painkillers like aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, or ketoprofen, also known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These side effects include stomach bleeding and kidney problems. The FDA’s campaign, however, falls short of the recommendations of its own scientific advisors who, in 2002, urged that warning labels be placed so people would know the risks of taking these drugs. The FDA’s campaign is also more flash than substance. They have only $20,000 to develop the materials to inform the public. The agency doesn’t have enough money-or not enough interest-to develop a public service announcement for TV.
I haven’t shed the most positive light on NSAIDs, but what does this have to do with chiropractic? As a chiropractor, I know pain is a sign or symptom of something else occurring. Taking pain pills to fix the problem isn’t fixing the problem, but covering it up. When the spine becomes misaligned, there can be several problems, one of them being pain. Most people know that nerves control everything in the body. But did you know only 10 percent of the nerve fibers in our body are involved in conducting pain and pain perception?
What does all of this mean? Besides pain, there can be many problems occurring. Taking NSAIDs to cover up the pain may mean we aren’t addressing other issues that may be leading to-or have already lead to-some type of disease.
Chiropractic adjustments can help reduce misalignments of your spine and help decrease pressure or pinching on the nerves exiting the spine. By being adjusted regularly and properly, you can increase your health by increasing the function of the nerves in your spine. This can help produce many exciting results, including strengthening your immune system and decreasing the possibility of pain due to headaches or stress.
If you’d like to find a way to end pain-and covering symptoms with NSAIDs-call a chiropractor today. TPW
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is also starting a campaign to warn the public that certain people are at increased risk of other side effects from different painkillers like aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, or ketoprofen, also known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These side effects include stomach bleeding and kidney problems. The FDA’s campaign, however, falls short of the recommendations of its own scientific advisors who, in 2002, urged that warning labels be placed so people would know the risks of taking these drugs. The FDA’s campaign is also more flash than substance. They have only $20,000 to develop the materials to inform the public. The agency doesn’t have enough money-or not enough interest-to develop a public service announcement for TV.
I haven’t shed the most positive light on NSAIDs, but what does this have to do with chiropractic? As a chiropractor, I know pain is a sign or symptom of something else occurring. Taking pain pills to fix the problem isn’t fixing the problem, but covering it up. When the spine becomes misaligned, there can be several problems, one of them being pain. Most people know that nerves control everything in the body. But did you know only 10 percent of the nerve fibers in our body are involved in conducting pain and pain perception?
What does all of this mean? Besides pain, there can be many problems occurring. Taking NSAIDs to cover up the pain may mean we aren’t addressing other issues that may be leading to-or have already lead to-some type of disease.
Chiropractic adjustments can help reduce misalignments of your spine and help decrease pressure or pinching on the nerves exiting the spine. By being adjusted regularly and properly, you can increase your health by increasing the function of the nerves in your spine. This can help produce many exciting results, including strengthening your immune system and decreasing the possibility of pain due to headaches or stress.
If you’d like to find a way to end pain-and covering symptoms with NSAIDs-call a chiropractor today. TPW