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WHAT ABOUT PRESCRIPTION
NARCOTICS?
Ross Hauser, M.D.
Our mentor,
Dr. Hemwall
prescribed analgesics like Tylenol with codeine to ease stiffness and pain after
Prolotherapy treatment. We occasionally use codeine, but we more commonly use
Tylenol or Ultram (which do not decrease
inflammation), or natural analgesics
like bromelain or natural muscle relaxers such as magnesium. We do not recommend
chronic use of
narcotic medications like codeine, Vicodin, or Darvocet. These
are wonderful
pain killers, but
chronic pain is never due to a Tylenol with
codeine deficiency. Chronic pain always has a cause. If that cause is
eliminated, the pain will disappear.
Most people understand the
addictive quality of
narcotics. This is a good reason not to use narcotics for
more than a few days. Another reason to avoid narcotics is that narcotic
medications suppress the immune system.
Chronic use of narcotics has been
shown to decrease both B-cell and T-cell function, reduce the effectiveness of
phagocytes to kill organisms like Candida and cause atrophy of such important
immune organs as the spleen and thymus. The spleen and thymus glands are two
structures in the body that are vital to helping the immune system fight off
infections. Another study on the use of narcotics concluded that people with the
potential for bacterial or viral infections should be cautioned against the use
of narcotic medication.
Narcotic medications, because of
their potential immune-suppressing effect as well as their addictive properties,
should be used as little as possible. Narcotic medications, as indicated above,
can cause the shrinking of such important glands as the thymus and spleen.
A much more viable option than
suppressing the pain with narcotic medications is to determine the root cause of
the pain and correct it.
Prolotherapy accomplishes this. If
pain medicine is
needed. Tylenol or Ultram can be used because they do not suppress inflammation.
Anti-inflammatory medications, such as Motrin, Advil, Aleve or Voltaren, cannot
be used because they suppress inflammation and block the beneficial effects of
the Prolotherapy. Most people with chronic pain admit that they want to stop
using pain medications. Often they say, "I just don't feel right being on
those." Of course not. Would you feel "right" if your spleen and
thymus were shrinking?
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Ross
Hauser, M.D.
Our
Prolotherapy Books - 
The Journal of Prolotherapy
is unique in that it has a
target audience of both physicians and patients. The purpose of this
journal is to provide the readers with new cutting-edge information
on Prolotherapy, as well as provide a forum for physicians and
patients alike to tell their stories.
POWER
OVER PAIN