With the current opiate epidemic in Los Angeles and nationwide, it has never been more critical to explore non-addictive options for treating back pain. As an Addiction Medicine Specialist and Pain Management Physician in Los Angeles, Dr. Ryan Peterson provides many non-narcotic back pain treatment options.

As a top Pain Management Physician in Los Angeles, Dr. Ryan Peterson is well aware of the risks associated with opioid use. As such, it is never the first course of treatment for men and women suffering from cervical or lumbar back pain, whether acute or chronic. Instead, Dr. Peterson will always first explore minimally invasive, nonsurgical, and non-narcotic treatment plans.

What Is Non-Opioid Pain Medication?

The great news is that many non-opioid medications can bring relief to men and women in Los Angeles dealing with back pain. Some of these medications may include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil), and naproxen (commonly known as Aleve). Other medications for nerve pain are also non-opioids, such as Gabapentin and Lyrica. However, those who have had addiction struggles in the past may want to avoid these medications. Talk with Dr. Peterson about your history with prescription medication if you're concerned.

What are Injections for Back Pain?

Likewise, many men and women experiencing back pain in Los Angeles will find that physical therapy can help to alleviate back pain, without any medication at all. Others suffering from acute or chronic back pain may find relief through various types of injections, which block nerves from sending pain signals to the brain, or significantly reduce inflammation (known as Epidural Steroid Injections or ESI). Prolotherapy has also helped many patients to experience relief from low back. In Prolotherapy, an irritant is injected into joints, which triggers growth in connective tissue, ultimately reducing pain.

What Are Minimally Invasive Back Pain Treatment Options?

In other cases, minimally invasive surgical techniques may alleviate back pain without the risk of becoming addicted to opiates such as Vicodin, Codeine, Morphine, Oxycontin, Lorcet, Lortab, or Fentanyl. Examples of these minimally invasive procedures to treat back pain that Dr. Ryan Peterson performs include Radiofrequency Ablation which uses electrical currents to block pain signals from the nerves from reaching the brain.

Other ways of treating back pain without potentially addictive drugs will involve surgery. Pain Management Specialist Dr. Ryan Peterson provides the services including placement of a Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS) which serves to stimulate nerves in the area the pain is felt.

If you're suffering from back pain in Los Angeles, rest assured that there are plenty of alternatives for treating your pain, that don't involve addictive medication. From yoga, to massage, to acupuncture, to physical therapy, and NSAIDs, injections, and minimally invasive injection procedures, many men and women will find relief from back pain without needing to take prescription medication.

Dr. Ryan Peterson is a Pain Management Physician, as well as an Addiction Medicine Specialist. He also has an anesthesiology practice in Southern California. With offices throughout Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, Dr. Ryan Peterson is dedicated to helping men and women suffering from pain to improve their quality of lives, through providing compassionate, minimally invasive care.

To schedule a consultation with Los Angeles Pain Management Doctor Dr. Ryan Peterson, call 818-200-8192