Are you in pain after an auto accident and you’re wondering what your treatment options are? With the current opioid overdose crisis in the United States, you’d be right to explore other ways to help your pain other than prescription pain medication.

Let’s look at chiropractic care vs prescription pain medication to help you decide which might be better for you.

What Is Chiropractic Care?

Chiropractic care is a type of healthcare that involves spinal manipulation and other therapies like:

• Massage
• Physical therapy
• Ultrasound
• Exercise
• Electrical muscle stimulation

It can offer pain relief for:

• Muscles
• Joints
• Tendons
• Ligaments
• Bones

What Is Prescription Pain Medication?

While you can get some pain-relieving medications over the counter, such as Tylenol and Aleve, you must have a prescription from a doctor for other types of pain medications. While terms like “painkillers” commonly refer to narcotic pain medications, there are actually several types of prescription pain medications:

• Antidepressants, such as tricyclics like Elavil and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) like Cymbalta, work for some types of chronic pain, including migraines.
• Anti-seizure medications such as gabapentin (Gabarone) and pregabalin (Lyrica) interrupt pain messages to the brain and can ease nerve pain and fibromyalgia.
• Steroids like prednisone are strong anti-inflammatory drugs which can treat migraines and severe back or arthritis pain.
• Muscle relaxers such as baclofen relax muscles and relieve muscle spasms.
• Opioids like hydrocodone, codeine, fentanyl, and morphine are lab-made narcotic pain relievers that change how your brain perceives pain messages. They are highly addictive, and nearly 50,000 Americans died from an opioid overdose in 2019.

Benefits of Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care, including spinal manipulation, can help relieve pain affecting your joints, muscles, bones, connective tissue, and cartilage. Benefits include:

• Non-invasive
• Reduced reliance on opioid pain relievers
• Less back and neck pain
• Addressing the root cause of pain
• Relief from some types of headaches
• Can be cheaper than conventional treatment
• Better posture
• Holistic
• High levels of satisfaction with treatment

Which Is Better After a Car Accident: Chiropractic Care or Prescription Pain Medication (Painkillers)?

So, which is better after a car accident: chiropractic care or prescription pain medication?

Prescription pain medication:

• Carries the risk of side effects, some of which may be life-threatening
• May cause addiction (in the case of opioids)
• Only masks the pain for a while without doing anything to actually treat the cause of the pain
• Has a risk of a potentially fatal overdose

On the other hand, chiropractic care:

• Treats the underlying cause of your pain, hopefully eliminating it rather than masking it
• Has no risk of addiction, overdose, or side effects
• May provide long-term rather than short-term pain relief

While prescription pain medication has its place, chiropractic care is a better option for most people.

Chiropractic Treatment for South Florida Car Accident Victims

When you come to County Line Chiropractic for your first appointment after a car accident:

• We’ll discuss the accident and your pain.
• We will do an MRI, x-ray, or other testing to find the cause of your pain.
• We will create a customized care plan to provide you with non-invasive long-term healing.

Your treatment plan may involve spinal manipulation, massage therapy, ultrasound, physical therapy, or other therapies for medication-free pain relief.

Make an Appointment Today

You may be able to experience pain relief without the risk of becoming addicted to opioid pain relievers. Begin your holistic path to recovery at County Line Chiropractic Medical & Rehab Center.

We have 6 locations around South Florida to help you recover after your accident: East Fort Lauderdale, Lauderhill, Plantation, Pembroke Pines, North Miami Beach, and Miami Gardens.

If your car was totaled in your accident, rest easy knowing we provide free transportation to our auto accident patients.

Find your nearest location and schedule an appointment to start your healing journey today! While we recommend making an appointment, we also accept walk-ins.