Before You Fill That Prescription: What the Research Says About Chiropractic vs. Opioids for Back Pain

The opioid epidemic didn’t start in a dark alley. It started in waiting rooms — with doctors doing their best to help patients in pain. For decades, opioids were handed out for back pain as if they were aspirin. We now know better.

But here’s what most people still don’t know: chiropractic care — specifically, rehabilitation-focused chiropractic — has been shown in multiple peer-reviewed studies to be as effective or more effective than opioids for managing chronic low back pain. Without the addiction risk. Without the side effects. And with lasting results.

At Roam Chiropractic & Wellness in Gresham, OR, Dr. Tyler Brookings takes a science-backed approach to spinal care. Here’s what the research actually says.