Non-Opioid Medication Management in Manhattan, NY

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in 2017, it is believed that 68% of the 70,000 overdoses that year were from opioids. Opioid use is under scrutiny due to the high rate of addiction and death. At Ospina Medical, we are utilizing advanced methods of functional medicine to offer non-opioid medication management for chronic pain at our clinic in New York City.

Opioids do not heal or address the cause of pain. They only mask the pain and cloud the mind. While opioid use for managing severe pain for short periods of time can be beneficial, these drugs do not offer a long-term solution for chronic pain. Functional medicine physicians focus on identifying the source of pain and creating a treatment plan that can address it. This can include non-opioid medication management to give pain relief, which we use at Ospina Medical. Our medical team partners with patients to find the right combination of treatment for pain relief, improved health and a better quality of life.

Reducing or eliminating opioid use can be achieved by utilizing interventional orthopedics and a multidisciplinary treatment approach. Our functional medicine doctors address chronic pain by treating the patient, not only the discomfort. This approach identifies the source of pain and provides treatment and medication to improve the overall wellness of each patient. This may include injection therapies, interventional orthopedics, IV therapy and many other non-opioid medication management options to relieve chronic pain.

Are you suffering from chronic pain and want alternatives to using opioids? Reduce your risk of addiction and opioid overdose by contacting our functional medicine doctors at Ospina Medical. We offer non-opioid pain relief and treatment at our clinic in Midtown Manhattan. Contact us today to schedule your consultation with a functional medicine physician.

Opioids are addictive drugs that have wrecked countless lives and families. Additionally, they only treat pain in the short term and don’t address the reason for the pain. At Ospina Medical, we offer non-opioid medication management to individuals in Manhattan, NY and the surrounding area to treat pain at the source. Benefits of non-opioid medication management include:

• A focus on long-term pain relief
• Several treatments are available, including medical marijuana
• Many conditions can be treated, including chronic ailments
• Personalized pain management strategies

In an effort to offer alternatives to opioids for pain relief, our team at Ospina Medical provides many other effective, interventional pain management treatments. One option available for some of our patients is medical marijuana. For certain chronic pain conditions, medical marijuana can be prescribed to reduce inflammation and pain at our clinic in Midtown Manhattan.

There are compounds within medical marijuana that can help with chronic pain conditions. Marijuana has cannabinoids that minimize inflammation, nerve pain, anxiety and nausea. Synthetic compounds have been created to mimic the effects of different cannabinoids due to their effectiveness in treating certain symptoms experienced by those suffering from chronic pain. Medical marijuana offers the natural combination of these substances, offering relief for patients with certain types of chronic or severe pain. In New York, medical marijuana is available at dispensaries in liquids, oils, sprays and pills for those who have a prescription from a registered physician.

In New York City, medical marijuana must be prescribed by a physician who is registered and approved by the New York State Health Department. Our physicians can prescribe this medication for approved conditions to control pain and other symptoms. Some of the conditions that may qualify for medical marijuana treatment include:

• Cancer
• Neuropathy (diabetic)
• Fibromyalgia
• Crohn’s disease
• Other chronic pain conditions

If you have been living with chronic pain, anxiety or nausea, medical marijuana could offer a safer alternative to opioids for symptom and pain relief. Our interventional pain specialists at Ospina Medical offer a wide variety of effective pain management treatments at our clinic in New York City, including medical marijuana. Contact us today to schedule a consultation to discuss treatment for your chronic pain condition. Medical marijuana may be recommended as part of your pain treatment plan by our experienced physicians.

What are some non-opioid medications and therapies help to reduce pain?

There are many non-opioid medications and therapies that can effectively reduce pain without the negative side effects associated with opioids. Some examples include:

• Topical agents like lidocaine and capsaicin can be applied to the skin or injected into treatment areas to block pain signals
• Non-opioid medications such as gabapentin for nerve pain
• Medical marijuana to reduce inflammation, severe and chronic pain, nausea and vomiting, seizures
• Rehabilitation and exercise therapy
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• IV therapy
• Interventional orthopedics
• Injection therapy

Is medical marijuana effective for treating and reducing chronic pain?

According to a recent comprehensive study by the National Academies of Sciences, patients with chronic pain were more likely to experience a noteworthy reduction in pain symptoms when treated with medical marijuana. Medical marijuana has been shown to be effective at reducing pain resulting from nerve damage and inflammation while reducing anxiety and nausea.

How does IV therapy for pain work?

IV infusion therapy involves the use of an IV drip that slowly infuses a medication or nutritional supplement into a peripheral vein to reduce pain and inflammation. These can include lidocaine, ketamine, clonidine, magnesium, calcium, Toradol, Vitamin B and C complexes, ondansetron, and others. The most common conditions IV therapy is used for are:

• Neuropathic pain
• Fibromyalgia
• Spinal cord injuries
• Chronic pain
• CRPS (complex regional pain syndrome)
• Diabetic neuropathy
• Post-surgical pain
• Post-stroke pain
• Cancer-related pain
• Migraines
• Arthritis