Accidental Opiate Abuse: Are You Causing Yourself More Pain?

The core of Dr. Sid Solomon’s TMJ practice is to find the etiology of pain, rather than masking it with pain killers such as opiates. The truth is, over the past few years, opiate abuse is becoming more and more common. Opiate pain killers are derived from opium poppy and include OxyContin, Oxycodone, Percocet, Morphine, and many others. OIH, which stands for Opioid Induced Hyperalgesia, is just one of the many significant side effects of the overuse of opiates. A lot of times, doctors don’t care enough to actually treat the cause of the pain, and instead they prescribe pain pills. Dr. Sid Solomon, DDS is dedicated to doing everything possible to stay away from these types of pills, and instead, heal TMJ patients using the science and logic of neuromuscular dentistry.

Although opiates do treat pain in the short term, when used often over time, the body builds up a tolerance, leading you to take more. Not only that, but they “trick” patients into thinking they are feeling better when they simply mask the pain. More than that, science has recently discovered that opiates can actually cause damage to the nociceptor, which is the cell that sends pain signals to the brain. Because of this, the nociceptor increases signal, and causes the opiate user to feel more pain than they were originally feeling. This then causes the user to increase their opiate dosages, which leads to an unending cycle of drug abuse.
If you are ready to live life pain, and pill, free, then call now and schedule a consultation with TMJ specialist, Dr. Solomon, DDS. As the leading Los Angeles TMJ expert with 29 years of experience, Dr. Sid Solomon knows how to treat TMD and the headaches, facial pain, ringing in the ears, neck pain, back pain, jaw locking and popping, and other symptoms associated. . . in a far less evasive way than surgery. If you’re tired of needing medicine just to manage the pain enough to make it through the day, schedule an appointment now for a TMJ consultation so that we can help you live your best life!