Chiropractic Care and the Opioid Crisis: A Safer First Step for Back Pain Relief

A study published in Health Science Reports in September 2025 found that back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek medical attention and often the primary reason they are prescribed opioid medications. The research compared chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy (SMT), commonly referred to as "adjustments," with ibuprofen, a standard medical treatment, for patients experiencing low back pain, whether or not they had sciatica. The main focus of the study was to evaluate the risk of developing opioid use disorder (OUD) among these patients.

What Is Opioid Use Disorder (OUD)? Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a serious condition characterized by the chronic use of opioids that leads to significant distress or impairment. The symptoms of OUD include:

• A strong craving or urge to use opioids
• The need for higher doses to achieve the same effect (tolerance)
• Withdrawal symptoms when opioids are discontinued

Globally, over 16 million people are affected by OUD, including 2.1 million in the United States. Tragically, opioids are responsible for more than 120,000 deaths each year worldwide.

Examples of opioids include heroin, morphine, codeine, fentanyl, and oxycodone.

What the Study Found The 2025 study revealed a striking difference:

Patients who received chiropractic spinal adjustments had an 84% lower risk of developing opioid use disorder compared to those who took ibuprofen (Advil). Chiropractic care not only provides pain relief but also helps protect patients from a dangerous and potentially life-threatening condition.

Chiropractic Care: A Life-Saving Alternative Chiropractic spinal adjustments provide a non-drug, non-surgical method for addressing back pain. By enhancing spinal mobility, reducing nerve interference, and supporting the body’s natural healing processes, chiropractic care can help many patients avoid the cycle of prescription medications and the risk of addiction.

Chiropractic care can be life-saving. Who would have thought that back or neck pain could be life-threatening? The opioid epidemic has revealed the serious implications of untreated pain.

Take Action for Yourself and Loved Ones If you or someone you care about is dealing with back pain, consider trying chiropractic care before resorting to opioid prescriptions.

📞 If you are in our area, call our office to schedule an appointment.

🌍 If you are not nearby, contact us—we can recommend a chiropractor in your community.