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Description: This Is Why Doctors Are Recommending Yoga for Lower Back Pain Over Opioids Its no secret that the abuse of and addiction to opioids including heroin morphine and prescription pain relievers isa serious global problem harmingthesocial andeconomic welfare of all societies and the health of many individuals within them. The more loved ones we lose and the more families affected by it the more we need to take a hard look at some of the biggest culprits behindthe problem. Over the past 25 years in the U.S. the total number of opioid pain relievers prescribed has escalated dramatically. In fact the amount of prescriptions for opioids likehydrocodone and oxycodoneincreased from 76million in 1991 to nearly 207 million in 2013 . This greater availability is a massive problem and the finger has largelybeen pointed at doctors. Why? Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains: The fact is we have accepted the tall tales and Pollyannaish promises of what these medications could do for too long. As a community we werent skeptical enough. We didnt ask enough questions. We accepted flimsy scientific data as gospel and preached it to our patients in a chamber that echoed loudly for decades. Even worse too many doctors who didnt actually believe the hyperbole surrounding opioids doled out long-term prescriptions regardless in the same way doctors write antibiotic prescriptions for viral illnesses. In both cases they dont work. In both cases they can cause colossal harm. So if doctors have led us into this mess it only makes sense that they help lead us out. And now news is showing a glimpse of light at the end of a very dark tunnel. Lower back pain is a common occurrence in American adults and opioids seem to be one of the most common treatments. But a major organization is out to change that by recommending that doctors treat the pain in a new way. The American College of Physicians recently released updated guidelines that urge doctors to step away from medications as the first-line therapy for lower back pain and instead strongly suggest patients take advantage of alternative therapies such as yoga heat exercise acupuncture massage therapy low-level laser therapy cognitivebehavioural therapy or spinal manipulation under the guidance of a medical professional all before they try medication. Such guidelines marka significant departure from the organizations previous recommendation to prioritize medications. Should a patient want medication the organization urges doctors to recommend over-the-counter pain relievers as opposed to opioids since the latter hold such a high riskfor addiction and accidental overdose. In fact according to the ACP such drugs should be considered a last resort. Santhosh Thomas D.O. medical director of the Center for Spine Health at the Cleveland Clinic says that yoga in particular can be incredibly beneficial for healing lower back pain thanks to its ability to improve flexibility and core strength.These things are often lacking in people with chronic pain he says . A common misconception regarding chronic lower back pain is that you should lie down to heal the pain but research shows that exercise including yoga can be one of the best tools for easing the pain and getting back to a healthy state.
By Frankie Cordeira Jr.
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