Painkillers Mask Pain: Treat the Real Causes, Not Just Symptoms
There is nothing inherently wrong with painkillers, as long as they are used properly and for short periods of time as recommended by your doctor. But many people use painkillers, both over-the-counter and prescription, on a daily basis for years to help with chronic pain.
This over-use (or abuse) of pain relievers is troubling for many reasons, not least of which being that they merely mask the pain and don’t treat the actual causes of pain. It’s akin to taking cough and cold medicine when you are sick: your runny nose and cough may go away for a while, but these medications don’t actually cure the cold.
Without proper treatment of the source of your pain, it may never go away. Simply taking painkillers to get through your day will not solve the problem. Over time your body may become less responsive to painkillers, requiring you to take even more to get the same effect. Plus, by simply masking pain, you increase the risk of additional injury.
Pain is the body’s way of telling you something is wrong. Rather than taking drugs to quiet that voice, you should seek treatment to figure out why you are suffering. A pain specialist can then recommend a course of treatment that will actually make your pain go away rather than hiding it with pills.
One of the most common and mysterious pains people suffer is back pain. Chronic back pain can result from everything from muscle stress, spinal inflammations, slipped discs, pinched nerves and sprains. Only a doctor can diagnose exactly what is the source of your pain.
Don’t live with pain any longer. See a pain specialist who can help make it go away for good. You’ll be glad you did.
