Physical Therapy. A Natural Solution to the Opioid Epidemic… Opioid Crisis




Hey guys. It’s Stephen Dunn with CORE Therapy and Pilates. Today I just want to go over a topic that’s really kinda taken over the country over the last couple years, but it’s just a hot topic now and it’s the opioid crisis.

And I just wanted to talk a little bit about that. I read an awful story or watched a video, excuse me, on an awful story the other day. And it was about a kid. And he was a young kid who had been prescribed opioids for an injury after a car accident at the emergency room. And after getting whatever those were, whatever those opioids were, I’m not sure which ones, he ended up developing a problem. He developed an addiction to these pills. With these pills, once he got off of the pills, it became something that was a big part of his life. Or let me back up. After his doctors stopped prescribing him those pills, they were still a big part of his life. It was something that he was needing at that time. And so what it led to was a destructive path. And in that destructive path, he started stealing and he was breaking into people’s homes in attempts to steal these drugs from people’s homes. And in the process, he ended up getting shot by someone with a shot gun over breaking into their home to try to steal these pain pills.

So it was a terrible, terrible story. And I hate even talking about it. But it’s the reality. And it’s what’s happening out there. And it’s unfortunately the addiction part to the opioids, is not … It’s very common, excuse me. And so what I want to say and the message I want to get out is that what we offer at Core Therapy and Pilates is a natural alternative to those dangerous opioids. If you’re being prescribed opioids for back pain, for shoulder pain, for hip pain, for knee pain, whatever pain that you’re having, if that’s the first line of defense that you’re getting, that’s a dangerous slippery slope. And I just want to let you know, there’s better options. There’s other alternatives that are much less dangerous. They’re natural options. What we do with our hands and manual therapy, what we teach people with Pilates, with energotonic exercise, with awareness, and being mindful, and thinking, that is such a better way to approach pain than taking pain meds to mask your pain, sitting around, and waiting for it to get better.

So I just wanted to share that with you today because it’s something I’m very passionate about. I’ve been passionate about this for years because I’ve seen … I’ve been in this business for 21 years as a professional PT, longer, getting into school, and working in the field. And I’ve seen lost lives. I’ve seen families destroyed over those little pills that people take for pain. And I just want to say that there’s many other options out there. I know people don’t even know what the hell physical therapy is. So I want to get the message out. If you’re not seeing me for physical therapy, see a physical therapist somewhere before you start taking pain pills. It’s a much safer alternative and a much more natural way of treating pain.

So that’s my message for today. If you have any comments, please put them below. If you have any questions, please let me know. I would love to talk more about this. Again, it’s something I’m very passionate about and something that I think the physical therapy field is primed to be a solution for this opioid epidemic. So that’s what I got. Y’all have a good day.

Call 512.215.4227 to learn more about how we can help you…

Co-Owner / Physical Therapist at CORE Therapy and Pilates
Stephen Dunn, a pioneer in physical therapy, merges Pilates and Gyrotonic approaches with hands-on therapy for comprehensive injury prevention and rehabilitation. His innovative methods prioritize holistic well-being.
Stephen Dunn
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