Opioids and opioids with acetaminophen are widely used for treating acute pain (pain lasting 90 days or less) and some types of chronic pain (pain lasting for long periods of time). For some people, these powerful medications can be both effective and safe, but pain professionals prefer to use these less powerfulpotent medications rather than risk not only side effects, but potential tolerance that makes them less effective when they’re really needed. The good news is that they are hardly the only effective ways to find relief.

For people with chronic pain, that usually means that opioids are prescribed in cycles – periods when they have medication followed by periods without. That’s not just done to avoid addiction but to avoid developing a tolerance or “immunity”that makes the drugs less and less effective over time. Numerous studies demonstrate that human bodies can physically adapt to the presence of opioids, requiring more and more to achieve the same pain relief even after a period of nonuse called a “drug holiday”. Other studies also indicate that it is not unusual for people who’ve used opioids over long periods of time to actually become more sensitive to pain, another reason that people can require hire doses to achieve effective relief.

But there are literally thousands of over-the-counter products – ranging from NSAIDs to topicals – that are successfully used to treat many forms of pain, and many can be used in combination, including with lower doses of opioids, to provide effective results both conveniently and cost effectively. Many pain relief products are based on plants. Aspirin is the synthetic form of salicylic acid found in willow bark which has been brewed, ground and chewed for pain for thousands of years. Omega 3 fatty acids are used to reduce soft tissue damage and turmeric is being studied as an anti-inflammatory that can help to reduce certain types of pain. While omega 3 and fish oil are often synonymous, they’re also found in high concentrations in flax seed, chia and algae, more sustainable sources of this valuable dietary supplement.

Β-caryophyllene, one of the active ingredients found in Nápreva, is also a naturally-occurring organic compound found in high concentrations in cloves, hops, safe and black peppercorns. It has been shown to be effective for treating neuropathy and inflammation associated with many types of chronic pain as well as having other analgesic (pain relieving) and antinociceptive (pain inhibiting) properties.  Moreover, it does so without side effects that make it risky for long-term use such as the gastrointestinal issues, bleeding and liver disease occurring from prolonged use of NSAIDs.

There are many causes of pain and the severity of pain can be very unique to individuals.  More and more often, pain specialists design pain management programs with multiple types of medications, diet and exercise, even acupuncture, chiropractic and aqua therapy to design solutions to meet each patient’s specific needs – in terms of effective pain relief, convenience and sustainability as well as affordability.

While it’s true that people have very different reactions to medications and that nothing works for everybody, we encourage everyone to look at the many options available to them and consider trying any of the wide range of products that may help relieve your pain without side effects that can further complicate your health.

Learn More:

Molecular mechanisms of opioid tolerance: From opioid receptors to inflammatory mediators (Review) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8311239/

A Comprehensive Review of Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21412369/

FDA identifies harm reported from sudden discontinuation of opioid pain medicines and requires label changes to guide prescribers on gradual, individualized tapering  https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-identifies-harm-reported-sudden-discontinuation-opioid-pain-medicines-and-requires-label-changes