Painkillers

Painkillers, technically called analgesics, are any drug that is designed to relieve pain. There are many downsides to painkillers, such as their other effects, better known as 'side-effects'.

Pharmaceutical companies will try to avoid talking about these as much as possible, but they should be a very real consideration when taking any sort of drug. One of the most common, serious side-effect of painkillers is the gastric ulcer.

Another downside to using painkillers is the addictive aspect. However, most people don't consider the risk of addiction as any great threat. A more real consideration for people who take painkillers regularly is the fact that when you take painkillers you take away the message from your body to your brain.

Let's take the case of a headache. If you get repetitive headaches and you just swallow painkillers every time you get one, you do run the risk of ignoring or minimising the cause of the headaches. One cause of headaches is the mal-position of improper function of the bones in your neck which is why headaches and neck aches often go together. Chiropractors call this condition vertebral subluxation. If you ignore the functional problem in your neck the headaches may continue indefinitely. It is very important to seek the cause of your problem, rather than simply remove the signs and symptoms of a potentially serious problem.

At Kelly Chiropractic we recommend you use the least amount of painkillers possible. If you're going to use a pharmaceutical product for pain relief, just use enough to take the edge off. Don't increase your activities if it involves stressing the joint or body part if it risks further injury to the joint. Remember, just because you can't feel the injury, it doesn't mean it is all fixed up.

Research shows it is good to return to work as soon as you can. However, if you think you may exaggerate the injury by the type of work you do, it may be better to return to work doing lighter duties, or at least modify your work environment, so that you avoid bending, twisting and lifting, and also sitting, standing or being in an awkward position for any extended period of time.