Chronic Pain in Recovery: Non-Opioid Pain Management

One of the underlying causes behind many mental health conditions and substance use disorders is chronic pain. What makes chronic pain such a serious issue is that anyone at any time can develop a condition that causes chronic pain. If left untreated, chronic pain can severely damage mental health and lead to conditions like depression, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation.

Hawaii Island Recovery is working to help people not just recover from addiction and mental health disorders, but to find healthier options to manage chronic pain. Chronic pain is a condition that can be managed, especially with the help of qualified professionals. 

Chronic pain is pain that recurs or persists for longer than 3 months. 

This pain may be felt all the time or come and go. Pain can be described as burning, electrical, aching, shooting, squeezing, throbbing, or nauseating. Chronic pain can occur anywhere in the body and can have various underlying causes. 

Some common types of chronic pain include:

Chronic pain is a common condition that people face. A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2021 study found that 20.9% of U.S. adults (51.6 million people) experienced chronic pain.

Severe chronic pain is long-lasting pain that persists for more than three months and can significantly impact an individual’s daily life, relationships, and overall well-being. 

This type of chronic pain is also known as ‘high-impact’ pain and is severe enough to restrict daily living. People may be unable to hold down a job, attend school, or perform simple tasks like walking to the mailbox or cooking a meal. 

Chronic pain conditions can worsen into severe chronic pain over time or can occur through injury or accidents. Sometimes pain can persist after the initial cause has healed, which classifies it as chronic pain. 

Acute pain is temporary and typically lasts less than three months and no more than six. 

Usually, acute pain results from an injury or illness that can be healed or recovered from. Some examples of a common source of acute pain are surgeries, sore throat, broken bones, and kidney stones. Acute pain is often treated with the RICE method (rest, ice, compression, and elevation). 

Subacute chronic pain lasts longer than acute pain but less than chronic pain.

Typically, subacute chronic pain lasts between one to three months. It can be persistent, intermittent, or present only in specific situations (such as when you stand up or sit down a certain way). Subacute chronic pain is often caused by inflammation, swelling, or healing tissues and is therefore often associated with the healing process. 

An example of subacute chronic pain is pain within a broken bone as it is healing. The pain associated with subacute chronic pain is not typically worse than acute pain, but it does persist for a longer period of time. 

Both acute and subacute pain can evolve into chronic pain, especially if it’s not treated. 

The physical impacts of chronic pain are the most apparent, and can include negative effects such as:

People living with chronic pain are more susceptible to illness and infections due to the strain pain places on the body. They may have decreased mobility due to pain-based limitations or the fear of making the pain worse. Paired with difficulty sleeping, fatigue is a persistent and sometimes devastating effect of chronic pain. 

Chronic pain can have severe mental, emotional, and psychological effects on a person, which can include:

Being subjected to constant, unending pain can take a toll on a person’s mental health. It can lead to feelings of helplessness, despair, depression, and in severe cases, suicidal thoughts. Anxiety is common, as individuals may constantly worry about when the next flare-up will occur. Pain may make one feel angry and irritable, especially if one feels hopeless. 

The mental impact of chronic pain can be severe and can result in thoughts of suicide and death. As such, it’s especially important to have a support network and avenues of help available for those living with chronic pain conditions. 

Chronic pain can impact how a person forms and maintains relationships with others by:

Struggling with chronic pain makes it difficult to participate in social activities that are important for basic human relationships. Limited mobility and energy levels can keep one isolated at home due to the inability to leave the house. Chronic pain can cause someone to give up on hobbies and activities they once loved, including social activities. 

It’s often difficult for loved ones to truly understand and empathize with the pain a person with chronic pain goes through. As such, this can lead to hurt feelings, misunderstandings, and tension. All of which contribute to feelings of isolation, depersonalization, and despair. 

Chronic pain can make it difficult to participate in normal activities, such as:

Overall, chronic pain lowers an individual’s quality of life by taking away activities a person could once do independently. Chronic pain can make it hard to live alone, especially when pain interferes with basic life tasks, such as keeping clean or preparing a meal. 

When you are constantly living in pain, it impacts every action you take. This makes choosing tasks important, since you can only complete a limited number of them. Many living in chronic pain, as such, are caught in survival mode and unable to participate in activities that bring them joy.

Some ways chronic pain can be managed without opioids include:

Usually, chronic pain is managed with a combination of therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes. Some treatments are only effective in specific circumstances. For example, massage and injection (trigger point) therapies can be effective for muscle pain, but might not help with nerve pain. Every chronic pain management plan will be different depending on the needs of the individual. 

Some medication alternatives to opioids include:

What medicines a person will need to manage their chronic pain can vary, but acetaminophen, NSAIDs, and naproxen are the most common. 

NSAIDs are effective for treating pain, but can come with possible side effects. 

As such, you should always consult your healthcare provider before taking any NSAIDs for chronic pain relief. 

Some common non-opioid medications for treating chronic pain include ibuprofen (NSAIDs), acetaminophen (Tylenol), and naproxen (Aleve).

These medications can be found over the counter in gels, tablets, liquids, patches, and creams. Stronger variants are available through prescription. 

Exercise therapy is a type of physical activity to reduce pain and improve overall functioning. 

This type of therapy is prescriptive and tailored to each person’s individual needs. Although similar to physical therapy, exercise therapy is different. Where physical therapy focuses on rehabilitation post injury, illness, or accident, exercise therapy focuses on correcting movement dysfunction to ease pain symptoms. 

Yes, exercise can help improve strength, flexibility, mood, and overall functioning, which can reduce pain and keep you mobile. 

Low-impact activities like swimming or yoga are generally recommended, as they can alleviate pain without putting too much strain on the body. 

Yes, a physical therapist can help you manage your chronic pain by creating a personalized treatment plan.

These treatment plans include education, exercises, and techniques to reduce pain and improve movement. Physical therapists are highly trained healthcare professionals.  

Acupuncture can help with chronic pain in some individuals, with one NIH-funded study finding that acupuncture can relieve pain for various conditions, such as back pain and arthritis.

This therapy works by inserting thin needles into specific points on the body to stimulate the nervous system, which then releases pain-relieving endorphins. Acupuncture may not be for everyone, but it can be helpful in situations where other therapies aren’t effective. 

Yes, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can help with chronic pain, especially for conditions like fibromyalgia and complex regional pain syndrome.

TMS works by using magnetic pulses to stimulate areas of the brain that process pain. This can reduce pain sensitivity and improve overall pain management, especially for conditions difficult to manage with medication. 

Some mind-body practices that complement physical therapy include:

These techniques are used to help clients become more aware of their bodies, relax, and manage pain more effectively. 

Yes, cognitive-behavioral therapy is one of the most common psychotherapies used to help manage chronic pain. 

CBT helps clients manage pain by changing how they perceive and respond to their pain. This addresses harmful thought and behavioral patterns associated with pain and replaces them with healthier coping skills. 

Yes, mindfulness can help with chronic pain by improving emotional flexibility. 

This helps clients better accept their pain and adopt a healthier outlook on life. The result of mindfulness is a reduction in symptoms of anxiety and depression and a better toolkit for coping with chronic pain. 

When chronic pain becomes unbearable, it’s important to seek help from a professional. 

A healthcare professional can help you explore treatment options as well as refer you to specialists. Mental health care providers can help you cope mentally with pain and navigate feelings of hopelessness or despair. 

Seeking professional medical and mental health care that specializes in pain management is the first step in managing chronic pain. 

Medical professionals, like a pain management specialist, can help diagnose, treat, and manage your pain. They will often refer you to a counseling or mental health care specialist as part of a pain management treatment plan. Your regular healthcare provider can usually refer you to a pain management specialist or a mental health care provider that specializes in treating chronic pain. 

A pain management specialist or other medical professional can help you create a personalized treatment plan by:

Treating chronic pain is different for everyone, as every individual has unique pain. As such, your provider will create a treatment plan that reflects your needs. Usually, this is a combination of various therapies, medications, and lifestyle changes. Because mental and physical healthcare are so intertwined, it’s common to be referred to a mental health care provider while receiving medical care. 

This comprehensive approach offers better outcomes for long-term pain management, especially when combined with support groups and other methods of avoiding social isolation. 

Hawaii Island Recovery helps clients manage pain by blending clinical and holistic approaches to create a customized treatment plan. 

Clients struggling with chronic pain while at Hawaii Island Recovery receive medical and mental health care that’s tailored to relieving chronic pain. This includes therapies and modalities like yoga, exercise therapy, CBT, and medical monitoring. As such, Hawaii Island Recovery aims to promote addiction and mental health recovery by improving wellness through lifestyle changes, positive thinking, and personal growth. 

Chronic pain is a condition that can last for years, and providing continued support keeps people in recovery. To best help our clients, Hawaii Island Recovery offers a full continuum of care, including detox, residential, and outpatient treatment. Our veteran program is especially designed to help alleviate issues affecting retired veterans, which include chronic pain. 

Hawaii Island Recovery doesn’t just treat chronic pain; we treat its co-occurring conditions, including addiction, substance abuse, and mental health disorders. By offering comprehensive dual diagnosis treatment, we help our clients experience complete, whole-person healing. 

The best non-opioid pain relievers include acetaminophen (Tylenol), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, and naproxen (Aleve). 

These medications are effective at managing mild to moderate pain on their own. The newest FDA-approved drug is Journavx (suzetrigine), which is effective in treating moderate to severe acute pain in adults. 

However, every person’s body is different. If you are interested in taking pain relievers long-term, speak with your doctor first. 

Yes, having good nutrition is one way to help with chronic pain.

Studies have shown that changing your diet can reduce inflammation in the body, which contributes to pain. A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats can help reduce pain levels. 

No, chronic pain can be managed through a combination of therapies, medications, and lifestyle changes. 

However, this process can be complex, as it varies for each individual. It often takes a team effort from various specialists and medical professionals to create an effective chronic pain management plan. 

Yes, chronic pain can lead to substance abuse. 

Often, people will turn to drugs and alcohol or misuse opioid medications to manage their pain. Those with a legitimate prescription for opioids for pain management, even when used correctly, still carry risk for dependence and addiction. As such, there is a strong correlation between addiction, substance abuse, and chronic pain. 

Chronic pain is one of the most common underlying causes of addiction, substance use disorder, and some mental health conditions. Call Hawaii Island Recovery today at (866) 390-5070 to find out how we can help you or a loved one manage chronic pain.