Posted September 30, 2016

 

October is National Physical Therapy Month

Avoid Addictive Opioids. Choose Physical Therapy for Safe Pain Management. #ChoosePT

National Physical Therapy Month (NPTM) 2016 focuses on the American Physical Therapy Association's (APTA) national public awareness campaign, #ChoosePT. This campaign lets consumers know about the risks of opioid use and that physical therapy is a safe, nonopioid alternative for managing pain.

No one wants to live in pain. But no one should put their health at risk in an effort to be pain free.

Since 1999, Americans have increasingly been prescribed opioids—painkillers like Vicodin, OxyContin, Opana, and methodone, and combination drugs like Percocet.

In some situations, dosed appropriately, prescription opioids are an appropriate part of medical treatment. However, opioid risks include depression, overdose, and addiction, plus withdrawal symptoms when stopping use. And people addicted to prescription opioids are 40 times more likely to become addicted to heroin.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging health care providers to reduce the use of opioids in favor of safe alternatives like physical therapy.

Don't just mask the pain. Treat it.

Choose physical therapy to manage your pain without the risks and side effects of opioids.