Study: Morphine May Increase Pain Severity

Morphine is one of the go-to medicines of people experiencing severe or chronic pain. The opioid painkiller has long been the gold standard treatment for acute pain, but this might change from now on as a new study suggests an unfortunate irony: instead of providing pain relief, the medication could make chronic pain worse and slow down the recovery in some cases.

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The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, offers a glimpse into the possible long-term consequences of opiates like morphine and oxycodone. Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder used genetic and pharmacological interventions, including the novel Designer Receptor Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADD) to demonstrate how a course of morphine after nerve injury doubles the duration of neuropathic pain in mouse models. They've found out that morphine activates spinal immune cells, amplifying pain rather than dulling it, even after the painkilling treatment has been stopped.

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Rat models show that "the pain is effectively transitioned to a chronic state, making the pain itself both more severe and longer lasting.” The opioid activates inflammasome, a specific group of signaling proteins in microglia that sends pain signals up to the brain. Previous studies have shown that opioid painkillers make microglia, the immune cells of the brain, more sensitive to activation that is likely a factor that could explain opioid-induced hyperalgesia.

While the results show fundamental clinical implications for pain, researchers stress that they shouldn't be used as the basis for not giving opioids to people in pain. An awareness of the side effects of pain medications coupled with a deeper understanding of pain and the many non-drug alternatives available for pain management promotes a holistic approach to chronic pain. Stress management, diet, and exercise, and gentle manual medicine could go a long way in conquering pain and maintaining an active life without medications.

Dr. Melanie Novak, M.D., uses a multidisciplinary approach in the diagnosis and treatment of all types of pain. Her practice focuses on providing individualized treatment plans that help patients stay on top of their pain best and enjoy life. Read more about pain management here.

REPOST: Chronic pain and painkillers: Why you should consider alternatives

The sustained use of painkillers can lead to serious health problems such as ulcers and liver failure. However, the good news is that there are natural alternatives for pain management that don’t come in the form of a pill. The article below lists four natural suggestions for pain management. 

Physician Offers 4 Natural Ways to End the Pain 

Roughly 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain lasting more than six months, according to a report from the Institute of Medicine. Throughout the past decade, the use of painkillers such as Vicodin, Percocet and OxyContin has soared by 300 percent. For many – 17,000 people per year, or 46 each day – the treatment is worse than the pain; those are the number of users who die from the medicine, according to the Centers for Disease Control. 

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For every person who dies from the use of painkillers, 30 more are admitted to emergency rooms due to complications. 

“Those figures are appalling,” says Dr. Frank King, a doctor of naturopathy, president of King Bio natural medicine company, and author of The Healing Revolution (www.kingbio.com). 

“Death is just one of the many side effects of heavy-duty pharmaceuticals, and researchers unanimously agree that addiction to painkillers has risen drastically in recent years. People are so focused on pain that they miss the fact that it is a signal of deeper health problems. Don’t shoot the messenger! Listen to the pain, and it will lead you to the root causes.” 

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With decades of experience helping patients, Dr. King offers four natural suggestions for pain management. 

• Identify the root causes of pain. Pain is a signal of deeper problems, similar to the warning light on the dashboard of your car. You can mask the light with duct tape, which is what prescription drugs do with pain. You can cut the wires, which might symbolize a surgical approach. Or you can look for the root causes, which is what our more natural, holistic approach seeks to do. Address the problem, and the pain will subside. 

• Make good choices. Most chronic conditions are caused by bad lifestyle choices. Try walking more, eating and sleeping better, eliminating stress and bad habits from your life, and watch pain decrease and health increase. It’s that simple. Moreover, surround yourself with a healing community of like-minded “healing buddies” who support your healthy choices. 

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• Explore natural healing techniques, and if necessary, see a natural healing practitioner. You are your best doctor, on call 24/7. I developed many self-healing techniques that address the needs of every aspect of mind-body health. These techniques are free and easy to implement at home, on the job, and wherever you might be. You might also explore meditation, yoga and other approaches for filling the holes in your wholeness. 

• Look into homeopathy. Homeopathy predates modern medicine. Homeopathic medicines are safe and effective, with no known side effects or negative drug interactions. They target the root causes, not the superficial pain. I have personally seen homeopathy dramatically raise the quality of life and happiness for countless of my patients.
With the appalling death toll due to pharmaceutical pain medication, natural solutions like homeopathy are our safest, brightest hope for the future of pain management. 

About Dr. Frank King 

Dr. Frank King is a chiropractor, doctor of naturopathy, and founder and president of King Bio, an FDA-registered pharmaceutical manufacturing company dedicated to education, research, development, manufacture and distribution of safe and natural homeopathic medicines for people and pets. Dr. King is also the author of, The Healing Revolution: Eight Essentials to Awaken Abundant Life, Naturally! (www.kingbio.com). A fourth-generation farmer, Dr. King raises yak, camel, boar, wisent and American bison sold under the Carolina Bison brand. He is a member of the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia Convention of the United States.

Dr. Melanie Novak approaches pain management with an individualized treatment plan consisting of conventional medications and physical and behavior therapy. Follow her on Twitter for more educational resources on pain management.