While opioids can be effective tools for pain management, it’s important to remember that your treatment is not restricted to medications alone. Taking opioids can come with many risks and side effects and sometimes opioids might not be effective at treating your individual pain experience. Fortunately, there are several other treatment options that can serve as alternatives to opioids.
Check out the list below to find an opioid alternative that works best for you! For more information on each treatment option, click on its name and additional details will appear on your screen.
What are the alternative medications available?
This is a treatment based on traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese acupuncture is usually done by putting very thin needles into the skin at specific points on the body to produce energy flow along the body’s pathways (meridians); other types of acupuncture may use heat, pressure, or mild electrical current to stimulate energy flow along these meridians.
Some people may use acupuncture to treat alcohol use or addiction problems, fibromyalgia, back pain, and many other conditions.
This is a medication available over the counter to reduce fever and relieve mild to moderate pain.
Unlike non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen, it does not reduce inflammation. However, it is less likely to cause stomach upset and other side effects.
These medications are also referred to as antiseizure/antiepileptic medications. They were originally designed to treat people with epilepsy. But the nerve-calming qualities of some of these medications can also help quiet the burning, stabbing, or shooting pain often caused by nerve damage.
These are medications that were developed to treat other conditions. Although not specifically intended to treat chronic pain, antidepressants are used in the treatment of many long-term (chronic) pain conditions, even when depression isn’t recognized as a factor.
This is a plant that contains biologically active substances in its leaves, flowers, and buds and their extracts (for example, oil and concentrates). Medical cannabis can help treat symptoms like pain, nausea, and lack of appetite. It may be used by people who have conditions like cancer, AIDS, or multiple sclerosis.
The two most biologically active chemicals in cannabis are THC and CBD. THC affects how you think, act, and feel. It can make you feel intoxicated or “high.” CBD may lessen pain and other symptoms.
Your healthcare provider may be able to tell you about the different strains you can try for your health problem and their possible effects.