Optimal Wellness Blog

Taking A Stand Against Opioids Bottom Line: About 30 years ago, the medical community shifted how they thought pain should be addressed. “Pain is a 5th vital sign” became a rallying cry, and new medications were created to block pain… at all costs. We now know that these medications created a never-before-seen healthcare epidemic. In…

Exposing The Truth Behind Opioids Bottom Line: The truth will set you free! While much of the information about how the opioid epidemic is shocking, it’s important to understand how we got here. For example, when we first learned that 35 billion opioids (half of all the distributed pills) were handled by about 15% of…

Finding Relief Without Opioids Bottom Line: There is no question that opioids are powerful pain killers. The problem is… they are also highly addictive and don’t actually fix the cause of your pain. If you’re struggling with chronic pain, you may be curious what your best options are for care. How can you fix the…

Why Are Opioids So Dangerous? Bottom Line: It’s estimated that over 200 million opioid prescriptions are written each year. This use and abuse has led to an epidemic that’s been fueled by chronic pain. Opioids temporarily hide pain by attaching to receptors in the brain and boosting feelings of pleasure. Unfortunately, they do nothing to…

Tennis Elbow? But I Don’t Even Play Tennis! Bottom Line: Did you know… tennis elbow isn’t just for athletes. Lateral epicondylitis – or tennis elbow – is a painful condition that occurs when the tendons in your elbow become inflamed and overloaded as a result of repetitive motion. Because the repetitive motion that occurs is…

Are You At Risk For Chronic Knee Pain? Bottom Line: Knees hurt? You’re not alone. Chronic knee pain is thought to affect up to 25% of adults and can significantly limit your mobility and quality of life. Your knee is a hinge-joint that primarily moves back and forth (flexion and extension) and allows some twisting…