Legacy Healing Center Praises the NFL for Funding Research on Opioid Alternatives for Pain

Margate, Florida -

Margate, FL - The opioid crisis has taken a significant toll on the United States. Recently, the National Football League dedicated $1 million to fund research into alternatives to opioids for pain management. Addiction treatment centers like Legacy Healing Center are encouraged by the news that a high-profile organization like the NFL is actively seeking alternatives to opioids amidst an opioid epidemic.

Studies by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) have found that 21 to 29 percent of people who are prescribed opioid pain relievers for pain management end up abusing them. A further 8 to 12 percent of people on opioid pain relievers through a legitimate prescription will form an opioid use disorder (addiction). Another alarming fact is that 4 to 6 percent of people who started misusing opioid pain relievers will eventually turn to heroin.

These statistics point to the fact that even when opioids are legitimately prescribed for pain management and relief, the risk of forming a dependence or addiction is extremely high. Opioid alternatives for pain relief are required if positive changes are to be made in the opioid epidemic.

The research funding by the NFL is important because it acknowledges the risks that professional football players face when being advised by their team doctors under the currently established methods of treating pain.

Among the alternatives being studied at the moment are cannabinoid and CBD but Dr. Kevin Hill – joint pain management committee co-chairman who also wrote a book about the effectiveness of cannabis for pain management – said that the interest in cannabis as an opioid alternative is not backed by enough evidence at the moment.

The NFL-funded research includes five studies, the results of which will hopefully provide adequate evidence on nonopioid treatments for pain that won’t adversely affect players’ performance as cannabis might do. Some of the other alternatives being explored include non-medical solutions such as massage therapy, chiropractic methods, nutrition, and the various influences that emotions have on pain.

Legacy Healing Center has been actively working with alternatives to opioid pain relievers due to the demand for non-drug alternatives that don’t lead to further problems in the future. The addiction treatment center with locations in Florida and New Jersey already offers effective therapies to manage chronic pain during and after addiction treatment. Their treatment modalities include many of the therapies that will be explored further in the NFL’s search for alternatives.

Legacy Healing Center understands the need for a holistic patient-centered approach to treatment because substance use disorder often originates from underlying causes that must be healed for long-term recovery to occur. Pain relief that doesn’t lead a person down a path of substance abuse is of the utmost importance for Legacy Healing Center in treating their clients.

The NFL’s findings on effective alternatives to opioids will be made public on December 6, 2021. Legacy Healing Center hopes that with the efforts of organizations like the NFL alternatives to opioids for pain management, especially non-medical solutions, will soon become the new norm.