I get asked a number of questions every day. Several questions relate to the length of time it will take to feel relief, or how to stretch a specific area, or what is the cause of this/that pain. And every so often I get a doozy. Keeps me on my toes for sure. And I love it.
When I was thinking about writing this entry, one question popped into mind. I got this one a few years back:
Will doing coke make my shoulder worse?
(Coke, as in cocaine just in case. J)
I should back up a few steps here to provide a bit of context about myself. I spent many years working in the field of disease prevention (HIV/AIDS) and health education. I come from the schools of harm reduction and prevention education. I was also a Behavior Change Counselor and worked with people involved higher risk behaviors such as drug use. So, when someone asks me about drug use – in pretty much any context – they will never get an abstinence-based message or judgmental eye. It’s just not in me; I am totally wired for lowering risks and finding options for safer play.
When I was asked about cocaine use aggravating a shoulder issue, my first thought was “what?!” (LOL) I was not prepared for that one. Immediately after that gut reaction, I started thinking about all the facts I had cataloged about cocaine: what are the immediate effects, what are the side effects, how it might affect pain or cause any further issues. We had a short conversation, a few laughs, and the session was completed. No hurt feelings, no judgement.
Let’s look at the bigger picture here. In case you are wondering if coke use would aggravate a shoulder issue… I cannot say that it would affect the shoulder in any specific way. Although drugs sometimes help to hide pain, I don’t have any information that would suggest it directly worsens anything. As we know, behaviors can change while under the influence, so it’s totally possible to do a movement that could worsen a situation. Thereby making an injury feel worse. That is of course with any drug, alcohol included.
Here are a few bits of info that I’ve collected since getting that question so I could better answer questions in this vein:
- Drug use can reduce your pain threshold – using drugs habitually might make you have higher pain sensitivity. Things might hurt more
- There may be a tendency to use more painkillers or NSAIDS (aspirin, ibuprofen, Tylenol, etc.) in a pain experience, and those remedies might not work as effectively
- With cocaine, there is some relationship to migraine-like headaches, so if you suffer headaches, those could get worse with coke use
This one question can lead into so many topics around pain management: self-medicating, drug use, and pharmaceuticals just to name a few. I have many things to say about all these topics – these elephants trampling through the pain management room. For now, I leave you with my cocaine and shoulder treatment moment. I love a good Q & A – please email any questions you have. I look forward to hearing from you.
