There is no shortage of news coverage, particularly in West Virginia, that our communities and families are under attack. The Washington Post reported, “over the past decade, nearly 21 million prescription painkillers have been shipped to a tiny town in West Virginia, a state where more people have overdosed on opioids and died than in any other in the nation.”
So what do we do about it? There are no easy answers and to address the entirety of the situation, our communities need options for:
- Managing detoxification, if opioid addiction or overuse exists.
- Address the root cause of the addiction whether that is pain management, depression, stress and/or anxiety.
The remainder of this article is intended to present natural, alternative and proven methods for both.
First, let’s start with Detoxification:
The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) has created an internationally recognized protocol for detoxification. (Read more on their Pub Med study). Our office supports auricular points with acupuncture and ear seeds that provide extended detoxification at home, long after you leave our office. This natural therapy supports the body to better handle the side effects that come from detoxification (coming off of the opioid, should be monitored closely by your medical doctor/practitioner) to make the experience so much easier on everyone involved. Please contact us if you are interested in on-site visits.
Secondly, Pain Management, Depression, Stress, Anxiety and other issues that may have led to opioid use to begin with, must be managed for the long term recovery.
Functional Endocrinology Testing (link): By evaluating the whole body and what is going on with it, functionally, we can find out what imbalances exist for a root cause analysis in order to tailored a holistic protocol to bring the body back to homeostasis. By doing so, pain relief, inflammation, stress, anxiety or other symptomatology that makes opioids an appealing solution are addressed and mitigated. I cannot overemphasize the incredible healing that occurs when you address an individual as just that, an individual. One size doesn’t fit all, because we are all created special and when tragedy like opioid addiction strikes, people need individualized protocols that fit them. Our office utilizes naturopathic and alternative medicine without the use of pharmaceuticals when possible in our protocols. As part of your individualized protocol, you will receive at-home recommendations to aide you on your path to recovery. This may include specific hydration therapies, nutritional recommendations, stress management therapies, meditation instruction and more.
Neurotransmitter Analysis: By testing the neurotransmitters that exist in our brain, we find out if there is an imbalance that may be attributing to an addictive predisposition. Once evaluated, the right oral / topical neuro-supplementation can address this.
Chronic Pain Relief (link): if pain relief was the initial reason for the opioid use, then acupuncture or sonopuncture, vibracussion therapy, magnesium therapy and other options can offer pain relief with no addictive side effects. Magnesium therapies can include point puncture, topical / oral supplementation or submersion tanks, like those at Float Effects (link) that provide a higher dosage while providing a deep relaxation experience.
Our office proudly works alongside your conventional medical practitioner to supplement and make the road to recovery as easy as possible.
If opioid use is not an issue for you, but would like to learn more about chronic pain relief options, we welcome you to read more about what Dr. Skip, O.M.D can do for you. We take an approach of managing pain from the outside-in and inside-out.