Pain, unfortunately, is a part of life. Whether it’s caused by injury or simply the natural process of aging, many people experience pain on a daily basis.
Low back pain, neck pain caused by cervical spine issues, and arthritis-related joint pain are the most common pain-related patient concerns. Other causes for pain can include injury, surgery, depression and even obesity.
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How do opioids affect the body and brain?
Painkillers, which are also called opioid pain medications, reduce the feeling of pain by attaching to receptors in the brain, which triggers a release of dopamine, the body’s “feel good hormone.” Our bodies naturally create chemicals in response to pain that can help heal it; these are called endorphins. They decrease pain in the same way as opioid pain medications, but opioids are more potent.
When an opioid is taken, it reduces pain for about four hours; however, pain is amplified for the next 72 hours. As a result, many people have to continually increase the dosage of opioids they take in order to get the same pain relief. This happens because the opioid receptors became less sensitive and larger doses are required to achieve the same level of pain relief.
When someone takes opioid pain medications for longer than two to three weeks, around the clock, the body’s ability to create and use endorphins is destroyed. Endorphins are never released in the body chronically - they are always only released for a short period of time - which allows the body’s pain system to return to normal after the painful sensation is gone. A body that is dependent on opioids is never allowed to return to that normal state.
The body becomes dependent on higher and higher doses of opioid pain medication to feel a reduction in pain, and becomes dependent on opioids to release dopamine normally. This leads to pain and depression when opioid pain medications are reduced or stopped.
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